Jim Prince

Inaugural Class of 2009

Pitcher

Cooks Valley Valleymen 1932-35; Bloomer City Team 1938-40; Tilden Tigers 1947,49-51

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During his first four seasons of league play, Jim Prince was the leader or tied for the leading mark in wins, strikeouts, ERA, innings pitched, and shutouts.  In other words, Prince won the triple crown of pitching (wins, strikeouts, ERA) an unparalleled four seasons in a row.  The dust that has gathered on this accomplishment can be removed in recognizing that only one other pitcher in league history (Tom Dachel, 1977 and 1980) has copped this feat more than once.

Hurling for the Cooks Valley Valleymen from 1932 to 1935, Prince was a dominant workhorse, averaging over 10 wins, 125 strikeouts, and 111 innings pitched with an ERA of 2.50.

1935 marked the peak of his powers, as he went 14 and 3 in 145 innings while whiffing 163 batters and garnering a 2.30 ERA with 2 shutouts.

After a two year hiatus, Jim came back to pitch for the Bloomer City Team from 1938 to 1940.  He led the league in innings pitched with 87 in 1939 while going 6 and 6 with a 4.14 ERA.  He had his last stellar season in 1940 when he won 7 and lost 1 with an ERA of 2.66, 75 strikeouts, 71 innings pitched, and a league leading .875 winning percentage.

After another departure from league play, this time for six years, Prince came back in 1947 with the Tilden Tigers to twirl the league’s 5^th no-hitter, a 9-inning 7-0 victory over the Huron Moundsmen.  Finished that year a solid 2 and 1 in 38 innings pitched with an ERA of 3.55 while tying for the league lead with 1 shutout.  Missing 1948, Jim finished his career as a part-time pitcher with the Tigers from 1949 to 1951.

Playing nearly all of his career before the advent of yearly All-Star games, All-CRBL recognition, and the WBA tournament, the glow of Jim Prince’s dominance is reenergized when looking at the marks he left on the CRBL’s record book.  Nearly 60 years after his last game of league play, Prince is still holding rank at 7^th in wins, 10^th in winning percentage, 10^th in innings pitched, 10^th in strikeouts, 5^th in ERA, and is tied for 8^th in shutouts.