Jim Edmonds was born on June 27, 1970.
Best known for his eight-year tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, Edmonds finished his 17-year career with 393 home runs, 1,199 RBI and a .284 batting average in 2,011 games played. The centerfielder made four All-Star game appearances and helped the Cardinals win the 2006 World Series.
After being selected 169th overall by the California Angels in the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft, Edmonds made his MLB debut in 1993 and spent seven years with the franchise. He earned American League Gold Glove awards in 1997 and 1998.
While Edmonds was solid in his Anaheim tenure, he broke out after being traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Kent Bottenfield before the 2000 season. In a six-year stretch from 2000 to 2005, Edmonds established himself as a elite power threat, hitting at least 28 home runs in each of those six seasons (something he had only done once with the Angels). Edmonds peaked at 42 home runs in 2000 and 2004, finishing in the top five of the National League MVP voting in both of those seasons.
More impressively, Edmonds maintained his status as an elite defensive player, winning a ridiculous six consecutive National League Gold Glove awards. Edmonds, affectionately known as "Jimmy Baseball" to the Cardinal faithful, became renowned for flashy outfield catches like this gem below:
Edmonds was struck by injuries in his later years, never playing more than 117 games in a season after 2005 and consequently never earning another Gold Glove or All-Star berth in his career. However, despite these issues, Edmonds still contributed to the team's 2006 World Series victory, going 13-for-52 in the postseason. Edmonds also joined an elite list by finishing his career with a home run in his final at bat (coming in 2010, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds), joining Ted Williams (521) and Albert Belle (383) as the only players with at least 300 home runs to finish their careers in such a manner.
Edmonds, who now owns a restaurant in St. Louis and has two children, will be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in 2016.
