[FatJack]

Jim Ray Hart passed away on Thursday (May 19, 2016), following a long battle with an unspecified illness. He was 74. Hart stood just 5'11", but had uncommon power, earning him the nickname "Black Angus" from Yankee teammate Horace Clarke, because, Clarke said, he was "this high and all beef".

Hart was signed by the Giants in 1960. There was never any question about his bat, but his glove kept him in the minors until 1963, by which time he'd demolished the pitching at every level he'd played. Things were rough in his first major league trial. Jim got his first and second start on the same day, July 7. 2 for 5 in the first game of the double-header, Jim learned quickly, in the nightcap, that rookies didn't dig in against elite hurlers--not without consequence--as Bob Gibson nailed him in his shoulder, landing Jim on the DL. Returning to action in mid-August, Jim made it through four more games before, in his fifth game back, he was beaned by Curt Simmons and his season was over.

Jim came back with a fury in 1964, hitting .286 with 31 home runs (still the franchise record for a rookie) and 81 RBIs. He finished second to Rico Carty in Rookie of the Year voting and even got some MVP votes. For his first five seasons, Jim was a force of nature, providing ample protection for Mays and McCovey. He hit 23, 33, 29 and 23 home runs from '65 to '68. His RBIs in those years--96, 93, 99 and 78. His lone All-Star appearance came in 1966. Though his production was down a tick in '68, there was no reason for concern as Jim was just entering what, for most players, would be his prime years.

But, in April 1969, Jim hurt his shoulder. A dead pull hitter, normally, that limited his power and that, in turn, limited his playing time. He hit just 3 home runs in 1969. In 1970, the Giants sent him back to Phoenix to start the year. When recalled in July, Jim proved he could still be a dangerous hitter when, in his second game back, he hit for the cycle and tied a major league record (set by N.Y. Giant Fred Merkle in 1911) by driving in six runs in one inning. But he hit just 8 roundtrippers for the Giants that year and opted for surgery on his still ailing shoulder that off-season. It didn't seem to help and Jim's slide continued.

In April 1973, the Giants finally gave up on Jim, selling him to the Yankees for just $30,000--an insulting price even then. Fortunately for him, there was this thing in the American League called the Designated Hitter. Jim had never liked third base--"It's just too damn close to the hitters," he said. And his glove wasn't much better in the outfield. So he was thrilled to be heading to the Yankees where all he'd ever have to do is hit. Manager Ralph Houk made it clear. "It will be snowing in July when you see Jim Ray going onto the field." And Jim told Sports Illustrated, "I've got three gloves in my locker and I hope they fall apart from age before I get a chance to use them." Jim took to the DH role immediately and seemed resurgent, hitting 13 home runs and driving in 52. But the magic was gone completely in 1974. He started the year in Syracuse and got just 19 at bats with one hit for the parent club before the Yankees released him. Jim played in the Mexican League through 1976, hoping for another team to give him another DH slot, but no call ever came and he hung up his spikes.

In later years, Jim would confess that one reason for his rapid decline had been alcohol. Towards the end, he said, he cared less about the games and more about the pay checks that would keep him drinking...every day. The bottle eventually cost him his house and had him scrounging floors looking for change so he could get another drink. On a flight to an Old Timers game, he blacked out. When he woke up, he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there and decided it was time to stop. He successfully completed a rehab program and got a job at a Safeway Stores warehouse, retiring in 2006.

Jim was fairly reclusive in his later years. Even his family didn't know where he was or how he was doing (truthfully, he hadn't seen them since his baseball career ended). He was known to sign baseballs for neighborhood kids in the Sacramento neighborhood where he's said to have lived, but didn't respond to any requests for interviews or Old Timers game invitations.

The attached image was found on Pinterest via google search.