Charlton Jimerson

Charlton Jimerson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2001 College World Series for the champion Miami Hurricanes. He also had nine major-league at-bats. At 6-feet-3-inches tall with a playing weight of 210 pounds, Jimerson was a combination of speed and power.

Charlton Maxwell Jimerson was born on September 22, 1979, in San Leandro, California, to Eugene and Charlene Jimerson. He had two older brothers, Derell and Eugene Jr., an older sister, Lanette, and a younger brother, Terrance. In a memoir he noted of his childhood: “I had no idea that I was born into a generational curse of anger, addiction, and misfortune.”1

When Charlton was a child, his mother moved the family to Hayward, a city about 20 miles south of Oakland. Life was not easy. Issues of poverty, his mother’s drug use, and getting into trouble dotted his youth. Jimerson wrote of his mother’s unemployment: “She was content with government funding being our only reliable source of income.”2 Poverty exacerbated the lack of a stable home situation and led to Jimerson living in foster homes, homeless shelters, with a friend’s family, and later with his older siblings.

By high school, Charlton had moved in with his sister, Lanette, and gained a much-needed stabilizing force in his life. He played baseball, football, and basketball at Mount Eden High School in Hayward, California. A conflict with the head baseball coach led him to walk away from the team in his junior year. He returned to the diamond for his senior year under a new coach and hit .424 with 4 home runs. His efforts drew the attention of local Houston Astros scout Gene Wellman.3

The Astros drafted Jimerson in the 25th round of the 1997 amateur draft as a high-school senior but he did not sign. Instead, at the behest of his sister, he decided to go to college. As told in his memoir, Jimerson made his choice of school after seeing a commercial for the University of Miami. He planned to walk-on to the baseball team.

The Hurricanes were one of the most dominant programs in Division 1 baseball at the time. It wasn’t an easy task for a player hoping to make the team as a walk-on, but Jimerson did in his freshman year. Many of his teammates were highly recruited and much more polished in their baseball skills and acumen. Teammates included future major leaguers Aubrey Huff, Jason Michaels, Pat Burrell, and Bobby Hill.

Jimerson’s raw athletic ability allowed him to make the squad as a backup outfielder. He made the occasional start, but largely came in as a pinch-runner or played in the late innings of games. He was still developing his baseball knowledge. Case in point: he did not play for the Hurricanes during the College World Series in either 1998 or during their 1999 championship runs. He sat on the bench. Frustrated.

Jimerson’s senior season in 2001 began again with him as a backup outfielder. In April an injury to his roommate, outfielder Marcus Nettles, moved him into the starting lineup. In his first game in his new role, Jimerson batted leadoff against Florida State. He led the game off with a home run. Now with the opportunity to start, he made the most of it and remained a starter for the last month of the season.

On June 5, 2001, shortly after a Super Regionals victory over Clemson and with a return trip to the College World Series secured, Jimerson was drafted for the second time by the Astros, in the fifth round of the Amateur Draft. Three teammates were drafted above him: Mike Rodriguez (second round), Chris Sheffield (fourth round), and Brian Walker (fourth round), and seven were drafted below him.

The team still had the College World Series to play. For Jimerson, it was a memorable week in Omaha. He hit leadoff home runs in the first two games. Both were victories – the first game 21-13 over Tennessee, and the second game 4-3 over the University of Southern California. A second victory over Tennessee moved Miami into the championship game, and the Hurricanes defeated Stanford 12-1 for their second championship in three years. For his efforts on the field, which included a home-run-robbing catch against USC and seven stolen bases in the series, Jimerson made the All-Tournament team and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Player.

Soon after, he signed a major-league contract and began his professional career with the Pittsfield Astros in the Low-A New York-Pennsylvania League. He had a particularly embarrassing introduction to the differences between college and professional baseball during his first road game. Showing up to the bus fully dressed in his playing uniform, he noted:

“Everyone, including Mike [Rodriguez, who was also his teammate at the University of Miami] was crying laughing when I walked on the bus. All my teammates were properly dressed in collared shirts and jeans. I was the only idiot on the bus in my Pittsfield Astros uniform.”4

In 51 games with Pittsfield, Jimerson hit 9 home runs, drove in 31 runs, and stole 15 bases. He also exhibited a proclivity for striking out – 79 times in 197 at-bats – and a low batting average (.234). Both would become perpetual parts of Jimerson’s game.

Jimerson spent the 2002 season with Lexington of the South Atlantic League, where he was named a South Division all-star. He stole 34 bases in 43 attempts and put up solid offensive numbers with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. His strikeouts climbed to 168 in 439 at-bats.

In 2003 Jimerson advanced to High A with Salem of the Carolina League. He continued to show speed and decent power with 27 stolen bases in 31 attempts along with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Again, his strikeouts were glaring in their frequency: 109 in 336 at-bats. Still, at .265, he delivered the highest batting average of his young professional career. Most important, however, was a conversation he had with hitting coach Pete Rancont about showing up early and putting in extra work in the batting cage to get better. In Against All Odds, Jimerson wrote: “Pete Rancont saved my career on that summer day in Myrtle Beach. He was the only one who cared enough to talk to me honestly, without reserve.”5

In 2004 Jimerson advanced to Round Rock of the Double-A Texas League. He stole 39 bases in 45 attempts and hit 18 home runs, his career high in a season so far. After the season he played with Scottsdale of the Arizona Fall League, where Tony Gwynn Jr. was a teammate. That association led to Jimerson’s getting hitting advice from Gwynn’s father, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. The instruction and insight he received helped him to better understand the strengths in his swing. Tony Sr. invited Jimerson to San Diego to work on his batting approach in the offseason. Jimerson reflected:

“There were things that major-league hitters do that I wasn’t doing. The inner third of the plate, if there was anything that wasn’t thrown in the zone, I wouldn’t hit. Maybe I’d hit for a week or so, but overall, it was obviously exposed at the Double-A level.”6

Jimerson played the 2005 season with Corpus Christi, the Astros’ new affiliate in the Texas League. Despite the offseason work on his swing and batting approach, strikeouts continued to plague his offensive game: 145 in 425 at-bats. However, his speed and defense in the outfield were continued strengths. A late-season promotion to the Round Rock Express, now the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate, saw him go 7- for-23 and nab three steals on three attempts.

With the 2005 minor-league season over, Jimerson headed back home to South Florida for the offseason. But an injury to Willy Taveras on September 13 meant the Astros needed a player. Jimerson made his major-league debut the next day as a ninth-inning defensive replacement in center field. Jimerson did not get another game appearance with the Astros that season but stayed with the team until the end of the regular season. He was not on the playoff roster; instead, he again played in the Arizona Fall League, with Surprise, and in 20 games, he hit five home runs and stole eight bases.

A full season in 2006 with Round Rock, now in the Pacific Coast League, yielded a career-high 183 strikeouts in 470 at-bats. Jimserson also hit a career-high 27 doubles and stole 28 bases in 36 attempts. On May 28 against Albuquerque, Jimerson had the first three-home-run game of his professional career,7 and he once again earned a September call-up to the Astros. 

Jimerson’s first major-league at-bat came as a pinch-hitter for Roger Clemens in Philadelphia on September 4, 2006. When he came to bat in the top of the sixth inning, the Phillies’ rookie pitcher Cole Hamels was tossing a perfect game.

Jimerson hit Hamels’ fourth pitch over the 409-foot sign in center field at Citizens Bank Park, tying the game, 1-1, and ending Hamels’ perfect game. The Astros went on to lose the game, 3-2 in 10 innings.

Jimerson appeared in 16 more games that season, usually as a defensive replacement. In his five other at-bats, he hit a single, stole two bases, and scored a run.

Just before the Opening Day in 2007, Jimerson asked the Astros for his release. He had recently been out-righted back to Double-A Corpus Christi. Astros general manager Tim Purpura commented: “His request at that point was to find a trade for him and, if not, would we be willing to release him? We tried the last couple of days to trade him and couldn’t come up with anything, so we released him.”8

After his release, Jimerson called the 29 other major-league teams looking for another shot. One team called him back – the Seattle Mariners. Mariners director of player development Greg Hunter said, “We just needed a player at Double A.”9 With major-league experience, Jimerson fit the bill and he signed with the Mariners.

Sent to West Tennessee (Jackson) of the Double-A Southern League, Jimerson had the strongest offensive production of his professional career: 23 home runs, 73 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, and a .276 batting average in 82 games. On May 29, 2007, a year and a day after his first three-home-run game, Jimerson launched three homers, including a ninth-inning walk-off shot against the Tennessee Smokies (Knoxville), for the second three-home-run game of his career.10 He was named the Jaxx Player of the Year and earned a call-up to Triple-A Tacoma. Then, for the third season in a row, Jimerson got a September call-up to the major leagues. He saw action in 11 games with the Mariners, went 2-for-2, and scored five runs. The second and last home run of his major-league career was another pinch-hit shot, a solo home run in the ninth inning off Tampa Bay pitcher Brian Stokes. In the offseason, he played in the Venezuelan Winter League with the Cardenales de Lara.

With a strong showing in spring training, Jimerson made the 2008 Opening Day roster for the Mariners as a backup outfielder. His first action of the season was as a pinch-runner for catcher Kenji Johjima in the second game of the season. He appeared in one more game before being designated for assignment. Released by the Mariners, he re-signed with the team on April 16 on a minor-league contract and was sent to Tacoma. He never made it back to the majors and was released on July 11. He played briefly for Sioux City in the independent American Association of Professional Baseball.

Jimerson spent the 209 full season with Newark of the independent Atlantic League. In 103 games he showed power, speed, and increased plate discipline, but at 29 years old, he was nearing the end of his professional career. He hit 21 home runs, drove in 62 runs, stole 38 bases in 43 attempts, batted .335, and slugged .567. He also played a handful of games in the Mexican Pacific Winter League with the Tomateros de Culiacan.

Hoping to extend his career, Jimerson signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Twins in February 2010, but was released before Opening Day.

Wanting to play professional ball a bit longer, Jimerson signed with Bridgeport in the independent Atlantic League. In 48 games he batted .346, slugged 10 home runs, had 43 RBIs, and was a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen bases.

His efforts in Bridgeport, against weaker competition, allowed Jimerson one final professional contract. On July 15, 2010, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim purchased his contract from Bridgeport. Manager Willie Upshaw commented: “Charlton has worked tremendously hard to get back to this level. He was an exemplary teammate both on and off the field and we wish him the best of luck.”11

In 43 games with Double-A Arkansas, Jimerson knocked in 25 runs and stole 9 bases. It was his last professional season. He was released after the season.

In 10 professional seasons Jimerson slugged 172 home runs, drove in 554 runs, stole 301 bases, and hit 221 doubles and 32 triples. Always a free swinger with not enough plate discipline, he struck out 1,339 times. His major-league stats were a .444 batting average (4-for-9), two solo home runs, eight runs scored, and 4-for-4 in stolen bases.

In 2015 Jimerson published Against All Odds: A Success Story. Divided into nine chapters (innings), the book explores his life and culminates with his home run off Hamels in his first major-league at-bat.

After his playing career, Jimerson earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and has worked as an IT consultant and program manager in the public and private sectors.

He lives in the Houston area with his wife, Candace, and their four children.  

Sources

The author gathered research material from Charlton Jimerson’s player file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball-reference.com, baseballalmanac.com, and mlb.com FILM ROOM.

Notes

1 Charlton Jimerson, Against All Odds: A Success Story (North Charleston, South Carolina: CreateSpace, 2015), 1.

2 Jimerson, 6.

3 Jimerson, 33.

4 Jimerson, 75.

5 Jimerson, 89.

6 Jose de Jesus Ortiz, “Astros’ Charlton Jimerson Deals With Hole Truth,” Houston Chronicle, March 10, 2005. https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/astros-charlton-jimerson-deals-with-hole-truth-1953135.php.

7 Eric Justic, “Express’ Jimerson Hits Three Homers,” MiLB.com, May 29, 2006. https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-85001.

8 Brian McTaggart, “Astros Notes: Jimerson Released,” Houston Chronicle, March 29, 2007. https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/ASTROS-NOTES-Jimerson-released-1597824.php. 

9 George Bell, “His Latest Challenge,” Spokane Spokesman-Review, March 23, 2008. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/mar/23/his-latest-challenge/. 

10 Ryan McConnell, “Walk-Off Blast Caps Hat Trick,” MiLB.com, May 30, 2007. https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-250279.

11 “Angels Organization Signs Bluefish OF Jimerson,” Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Connecticut), July 20, 2010. https://www.ctpost.com/baseball/article/angels-organization-signs-bluefish-of-jimerson-583234.php.