Jim Marshall

Who is Jim Marshall?

Rufus James Marshall is a former first baseman, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball. Marshall managed the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics but never enjoyed a winning season in either post. His career major league managing record was 229–326 and his 1979 A's squad lost 108 of 162 games.

Marshall attended Long Beach State University. A left-handed hitter and thrower, he was a productive hitter in his minor league days in the Pacific Coast League of the 1950s, leading the PCL in home runs and runs batted in as a member of the 1954 Oakland Oaks.

He was part of the first interleague trade in baseball history when he was dealt by the Cubs to the Boston Red Sox on November 21, 1959.

Overall, Marshall appeared in 410 games over five seasons and batted .242 with 29 home runs. In addition to the Cubs, he played for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. He never appeared in an official game for the Red Sox, who traded him to the Giants for pitcher Al Worthington during spring training in 1960.

Marshall played baseball in Japan from 1963 to 1965 and was a successful minor league manager during the 1970s and 1980s.