Ramage, Jim

JIM RAMAGE STARTED PLAYING SOFTBALL IN 1937 AND PLAYED WITH THE NICK CARR BOOSTERS, COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, AS AN OUTFIELDER DURING THE YEARS OF 1939 AND 1940. HE PLAYED WITH THE FORT WAYNE ZOLLNER PISTONS AS AN INFIELDER AND WAS FEARED BY HIS OPPONENTS.

ALTHOUGH HE WAS ONLY 5'9" TALL. HE CARRIED A BIG STICK AT THE PLATE. HE HELD 5 OF THE 10 NATIONAL FASTPITCH LEAGUE RECORDS AND WON THE LEAGUE'S BATTING CROWN IN 1948. HITTING 268. IN 1949. HE BATTED 298 AND HIT 9 HOMERS AND 16 DOUBLES. IN 1947. HE BATTED .285 TO LEAD THE LEAGUE IN HITTING AND LEAD THE LEAGUE IN THREE OTHER DEPARTMENTS MOST TOTAL BASES (102), MOST RUNS SCORED (42), AND MOST HITS (67).

JIM'S GREATEST THRILL CAME IN THE 1942 WORLD TOURNAMENT WHEN HE SLAMMED TWO HOMERS IN A GAME AGAINST MISSOURI TO PUT THE PISTONS INTO THE SEMIS WHERE TULSA BEAT THEM.

RAMAGE HAD A LIFETIME BATTING AVERAGE OF .293. HE WAS ELECTED INTO THE NATIONAL SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1960.