James C. "Jim" Gosger

Year Inducted: 1978

An all-around athlete at St. Stephen High School, Jim was one of the very few players ever to make the Major Leagues.

During his career at St. Stephen High School in Port Huron, Jim was Class “B” all-state in both football and basketball . . . he averaged 25.4 points per game in basketball his senior year, though he missed the first four games of the season with a broken shoulder suffered in the final football game that year, after scoring 99 points for the season.

Jim, of course, also was an outstanding high school baseball player, batting .373 during three varsity years as a pitcher and outfielder.  During his high school summers he played on championship Marysville Cardinal Semi-pro teams and on championship Port Huron Class “A” softball teams.

He graduated from high school in 1960 and signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox in the fall of 1961 on the recommendation of Art Conlen, Red Sox scout living in Port Huron.

Gosger spent the summer of 1962 with Winston-Salem, Boston Class “B” entry in the Carolina League.  He batted .285, hit 20 homeruns, 30 doubles, 6 triples and had 83 RBI’s in 130 games.

He spent the summer of ’63 with the Red Sox to protect his option.  He played very little that summer and was sent to Toronto for the summer of 1964.  But before he had a chance to play a single home game with Toronto he was recalled by the Red Sox and finished the season as Boston’s regular center fielder.  Gosger was traded to Kansas City in 1964, the year that Boston went on to win the American League Pennant, and then went on to Oakland, Seattle, Montreal and the New York Mets.  After seven years of major league experience Jim retired and returned home to Port Huron with his wife, the former Mary Draper, and their four children.  Jim currently officiates a full football and basketball schedule in local high schools, plays softball during the summertime, and is employed as City Recreation Director in Yale, Michigan.


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