Jim Fanning

Canadian Baseball Hall Of Fame - 2000
Full Name: William James Fanning
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 5'11" Weight: 180 lbs.
Born: Sep 14, 1927 in Chicago, IL
Major League Debut: Sep 11, 1954
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MANAGERIAL
RECORD

Canadian
HOF

CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1954
1955
1956
1957
 ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
 NL
NL
NL
NL
 .184
.000
.250
.180
 11
5
1
47
 38
10
4
89
 2
0
0
3
 7
0
1
16
 0
0
0
2
 0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
 1
0
0
4
 1
1
0
4
 7
2
0
17
 .205
.091
.250
.223
 .184
.000
.250
.202
Totals AVG
.170		 G
64		 AB
141		 R
5		 H
24		 2B
2		 3B
0		 HR
0		 RBI
5		 BB
6		 K
26		 OBP
.209		 SLG
.184

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1954
1955
1956
1957
 ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
 NL
NL
NL
NL
 0
0
0
1
 4
1
1
3
 7
0
1
18
 --
0
0
1
 0
0
0
1
 0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
 -.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
 --.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
 5.4
5.0
--.-
5.2
Totals HBP
1		 GDP
9		 TB
26		 IBB
1		 SH
1		 SF
0		 SB
0		 CS
0		 SB%
-.---		 AB/HR
--.-		 AB/K
5.4


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1954
1955
1956
1957
 ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
 NL
NL
NL
NL
 C
C
C
C
 11
5
1
35
 46
32
10
155
 40
30
5
138
 6
2
3
14
 0
0
2
3
 0
0
1
4
 1.000
1.000
0.800
0.981
Totals G
52		 Ch
243		 PO
213		 A
25		 E
5		 DP
5		 FPCT
0.979

TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY
YEARS
1954-1957		 TM
Chi		 LG
NL		 TEAM NAME
Chicago Cubs		 LEAGUE NAME
National League


Born in Chicago and raised in Iowa, William James Fanning received a Master's Degree in physical education at the University of Illinois before embarking on a professional baseball career.  First signed by the Chicago Cubs organization in 1950, he reached the major leagues four years later.  In parts of four seasons with the Chicago Cubs between 1954 and 1957, Fanning went 24 for 141, including two doubles and five runs batted in, good for a .170 lifetime average.  He began his managerial career at Tulsa in 1958, and spent the next six years piloting farm clubs for the Cubs and the Milwaukee Braves.  After working as a special assignment scout and assistant general manager for the Braves, Fanning ascended to the role of director of minor league operations for Atlanta in 1967.  He had followed John McHale to the Commissioner's Office in 1968; later that year, McHale hired him as the first general manager for an expansion franchise in Montreal.

Jim Fanning was the general manager for the Montreal Expos from 1968 until 1976.  His most controversial trade, sending Rusty Staub to the New York Mets in exchange for Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen, and Ken Singleton on the eve of the 1972 season, also proved to be his most successful.  On September 8, 1981, after five years as the Expos vice president of player development, Fanning replaced Dick Williams as the team's manager.  Posting a record of 16-11 in the last month of the season, Fanning managed the Expos' only divisional title.  He returned as the Expos skipper for the entire 1982 season (86-76), and for part of the 1984 season (14-16). [See Fanning's Managerial Record] Fanning later served as a scout and broadcaster for the Expos, and in 1993, he joined the Colorado Rockies organization as a major league scout.  Inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, Fanning now works for the Toronto Blue Jays as their senior vice president.  He and his wife Maria have two children, Cynthia and Frank.  After many years in the Montreal area, the Fannings recently moved to Dorchester, Ontario.
[Biography by SABR Member, Maxwell Kates]