Jim Gilliam

James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball. He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star second baseman with the Baltimore Elite Giants. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and joined the major leagues in 1953. He was named the 1953 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year and was a key member of ten National League championship teams from 1953 to 1978 that spanned their time in Brooklyn and later Los Angeles. As the leadoff hitter for most of the 1950s, he scored over 100 runs in each of his first four seasons and led the National League in triples in 1953 and walks in 1959. In his time as a major league player, he collected over 2,000 hits. In 1964, Gilliam became one of the first African American coaches while still an active player and became a full-time coach at first base in 1966, where he resided until his death.