Jim Landis obit

Jim Landis, center fielder for Go-Go White Sox, dies at 83

 

He was not on the list.

Jim Landis, considered one of the best defensive center fielders of his time and a key member of the 1959 American League champion White Sox, died Saturday in Napa, Calif., at age 83.

Landis played eight seasons with the Sox from 1957-64 and during that time won five consecutive gold gloves and made the American League All-Star team in 1962. A big contributor to the Go-Go Sox team that went 94-60 and advanced to the World Series, Landis hit .272 with 26 doubles and 60 RBIs during the '59 regular season and finished seventh in the voting for the AL Most Valuable Player award. Against the Dodgers in the World Series, Landis hit .292 with six runs in six games.

In 1963, Landis led AL outfielders with a .993 fielding percentage and finished his career with a .989 fielding mark. Signed by the Sox as an amateur free agent in 1952, Landis was one of the 27 players named to the organization's "Team of the Century" in 2000.

Landis was traded to the Kansas City Athletics on Jan. 20, 1965 as part of a three-team deal and later went on to also play for the Indians, Tigers, Astros and Red Sox before retiring in 1967.

The Sox said Landis died surrounded by family and friends in a room that featured bobbleheads and photos of teammates such as Nellie Fox, Billy Pierce and Moose Skowron.

"Landis remained proud of his career and time with the White Sox to the very end," the Sox said in a statement.

Landis began his career in the major leagues playing for the Chicago White Sox in 1957, where he remained for seven more seasons. He helped the "Go-Go White Sox" win the 1959 American League Pennant, hitting .272 with 26 doubles. He led the American League that season with 13 sacrifice hits and 426 and 420 putouts as a center fielder and an outfielder, and hit .292 during the 1959 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the 1960 season, he hit .253 and had 23 stolen bases. In 1961, he hit .283 with 22 home runs, 8 triples, 85 RBIs, and won his first of five consecutive American League Gold Glove Awards. In 1962, he played in two All-Star games. In 1963, Landis led the American League in fielding with a .993 fielding average both as a center fielder and an outfielder.

Landis was traded on January 20, 1965 to the Kansas City Athletics, where he played one season. He also played one season for the Cleveland Indians in 1966. In 1967, he finished his 11-year major league career playing for three teams: The Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and the Boston Red Sox.

Known more for his defensive abilities, Landis posted a .989 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions in his major league career.