Jim Ollom

Jim Ollom was in his first big-league spring training camp as an 18-year-old. He made his major-league debut in September 1966 at the age of 21.

Three years later, at the age of 24, after just 24 appearances as a big-league pitcher, he retired.

But he had no regrets.

“The whole experience was great for me, a farm kid from Snohomish,” said Ollom. “We only had a couple of thousand people, but we had great baseball.”1

James Donald Ollom was born on July 8, 1945, in Snohomish, Washington, where he grew up on a farm on the outskirts of town. He was raised by his mother Harriet and stepfather Orlin Ollom and joined siblings Elaine and Loren.

Growing up, Ollom spent a lot of time at Earl Averill Field in Snohomish – built by Snohomish native and National Baseball Hall of Famer Earl Averill. Ollom’s uncle Lemar pitched for the town team and Averill’s son Lester was one of Ollom’s youth coaches.

By the time Ollom was a senior in high school, he was one of the top pitchers in the state.

The 6-foot-4 lefthander pitched for Snohomish High School for three seasons – 1961 to 1963. In that time, Snohomish played 32 games. Ollom was the starting pitcher in 30 of them and pitched in relief in the other two.

He threw five no-hitters – four during his senior season – and had five one-hitters. During his junior year, he struck out 24 in a 12-inning game against Sedro-Wooley and then, four days later, recorded all 21 outs by strikeout in a seven-inning game against Anacortes.

As a senior, Ollom struck out 179 in 81 2/3 innings while allowing just six earned runs and 17 hits. He drew the attention of college coaches and professional scouts. He turned down a scholarship offer from Washington State and legendary coach Bobo Brayton, instead accepting an $8,000 signing bonus from the New York Yankees.

The Yankees assigned Ollom to Harlan (Kentucky) of the Appalachian League, which was in its first season under a Rookie League classification.

He got off to a good start as a rookie with the Harlan Yankees, who were led by rookie manager – and future major-league pitching coach – Gary Blaylock. At midseason, Ollom was 4-2 with a 3.48 ERA and was named to play in the Appalachian League All-Star game.The August 7 game featured players from the league’s three Eastern teams (Bluefield, Salem, and Wytheville) against players from the three Western clubs (Harlan, Kingsport, and Middlesboro). A preview said that Ollom “looked like the class of the Western pitchers.”2

On August 16, Ollom struck out 13 in 7 1/3 innings in Harlan’s 13-8 victory over Salem. In his next start, on August 20 at Harlan, he struck out 17 in a 3-1 victory over Kingsport. Ollom allowed just five hits in the complete-game victory; the run was unearned.

The 17 strikeouts tied the record for Harlan’s Browning-Leonard Park. On July 31, 1951, Johnny Podres, pitching for Hazard (Kentucky), struck out 17 in Hazard’s 6-1 victory over Harlan in a Class D Mountain States League game. Ollom finished his first professional season with a 7-5 record and 3.51 ERA in 14 appearances. He completed four of his 12 starts and in 82 innings, he allowed just 74 hits and struck out 100. He was second in the Appalachian League in strikeouts – Middleboro’s Keith Sieck had 113.

Ollom’s roommate at Harlan was future major-leaguer Fritz Peterson.  Three other teammates  also went on to play in the major leagues – pitchers Mike Jurewicz and Dale Roberts and first baseman Charlie Vinson.

Despite Ollom’s success during his first season in pro ball, the Yankees left him unprotected when the first-year player portion of the minor league draft was held at that year’s winter meetings.  As a result, the Minnesota Twins selected Ollom off the roster of the Yankees’ Richmond farm team. The Twins invited Ollom to spring training in 1964 and he appeared in one exhibition game, before being assigned to Bismarck-Mandan (North Dakota) of the Northern League for the 1964 season.

With Bismarck-Mandan, Ollom was 9-12 with a 4.28 ERA and seven complete games, including three shutouts. In one early-season stretch, Ollom allowed just one earned run in 20 innings, including a 1-0, 11-inning complete game victory over Winnipeg on May 17.3

During four starts at the end of July and early August, Ollom allowed just five earned runs and 20 hits and struck out 38 in 34 1/3 innings. He finished that run with a five-hit shutout in a 7-0 victory over St. Cloud on August 7 in Bismarck.4

His final victory of the season came on August 20 when he allowed just five hits and an unearned run and struck out eight in nine innings in Bismarck’s 7-1 victory over Winnipeg and future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. Following the season, Ollom pitched for the Twins’ team in the Florida Instructional League and went 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA.

He was in the big-league camp in spring training again in 1965. In his first appearance, the teenager (he wouldn’t turn 20 until July) pitched three shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his second spring appearance, he allowed four runs in three innings against the White Sox.

Ollom opened the season with Wilson (North Carolina) of the Carolina League, where he was 7-11 with a 3.42 ERA with 125 strikeouts in 150 innings. In early August, just several weeks after turning 20, he was promoted to Triple-A Denver. Ollom spent the rest of the season with the Bears, going 2-4 with a 2.47 ERA in eight appearances.

He returned to the Florida Instructional League, where he went 5-3 with a 3.06 ERA.

In 1966, Ollom put together one of the top seasons in minor-league baseball. He pitched two scoreless innings in his lone spring training appearance with the Twins before returning to Denver, where he went 20-8 to become the first Pacific Coast League pitcher in nine seasons to win 20 games. (Leo Kiely won 21 for the San Francisco Seals in 1957.)

After the 19th victory, a correspondent in The Sporting News wrote, “By normal major league criteria, Ollom doesn’t come under the heading of ‘can’t miss’ kids. He does not have that kind of stuff. Or at least his fast ball isn’t the kind that makes a hitter to head for the hills. But it’s a good fast ball and he throws it out of a tangle of arms and legs that makes him a very difficult pitcher for the batter to read. His breaking stuff is excellent and his control is one of his biggest assets (2.3 walks per game).”5

Ollom’s 20th victory – 4-3 in 10 innings over the PCL San Diego Padres – was his eighth consecutive win (tying a franchise record) and his 17th complete game.

“Jim has shown great potential,” said Denver manager Cal Ermer. “He’s going to be a major-leaguer. When I first saw him in Harlan, Kentucky, I didn’t think he had enough stuff. However, he has made tremendous progress this season.”6

After earning his 20th win, Ollom made one more start for Denver before joining the Twins for the final month of the season.

Ollom made his major-league debut, at the age of 21, in the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees on September 3 at Metropolitan Stadium. He entered the game in the seventh inning with the Yankees leading 4-0. Ollom retired the first two hitters (Bobby Richardson and Clete Boyer) he faced before walking Joe Pepitone. Tom Tresh, who had hit a solo home run earlier in the game, followed with a two-run homer to extend the Yankees’ lead to 6-0. Ollom struck out Steve Whitaker to end the inning and then retired the Yankees in the eighth inning, allowing just a single to Roger Maris.

His second appearance came 11 days later in Detroit. With the Tigers leading 3-1, Ollom followed Twins starter Jim Perry in the sixth inning. After giving up a two-out double to Norm Cash, he struck out Al Kaline to end the inning. He retired the Tigers in order in the seventh.

After that appearance, Ollom was complimented by both his pitching coach, Johnny Sain, and Kaline. Sain said that Ollom already had a “major league fastball, curve and changeup.” Kaline said, “I really like that Ollom. He surprised me. He threw me a change-up on 3-and-1 and got it over. You don’t expect a kid to do that. He shows me he knows what he’s doing out there.”7

Four days later, on September 18, Ollom was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year for 1966 and made his first major-league start in what would be his final appearance of the season.

The first four hitters he faced at Yankee Stadium reached safely (three singles and a hit-by-pitch) to give New York a 2-0 lead. He retired the final three hitters of the inning and then retired 15 consecutive men before skipper Sam Mele lifted him for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. Ollom didn’t walk anyone and struck out five to keep the Twins close. Minnesota rallied for a 5-3 victory in 10 innings. Peterson, in his rookie big-league season, was the starting pitcher for the Yankees.

In his three appearances with the Twins, Ollom allowed four earned runs in 10 innings, while walking one and striking out 11.

The hurler reported late to Twins spring training in 1967. His brief holdout made national news, including an article in Sports Illustrated which said, “Ollom won 20 games for Denver last year and, on the basis of that and 10 innings pitched in the majors, decided that he deserved a $15,000 contract this spring. He became one of the few rookie holdouts in history.”8

About a week after Twins pitchers and catchers had reported to spring training, team president Calvin Griffith said Ollom would “get a $5,000 progressive bonus when he’s in the majors 90 days. He’s already played almost 30 days last fall. But he wants a 100 percent boost. I told him Dave Boswell and Jim Merritt weren’t making that much. Ollom said he could pitch in the majors, but he hasn’t won his first game yet. I told him he’d pitch for the Twins, or sit at home. He’ll come around.”9

Ollom signed his 1967 contract the day after Griffith’s comment for a reported $9,000, which was a $3,000 raise over the 1966 season.

He struggled early in his exhibition appearances, allowing nine earned runs in his first 5 1/3 innings. After Ollom allowed four hits and two earned runs in a 15-2 loss to the Dodgers on March 22, Griffith said, “Ollom is not throwing well. He’s still wild. I’m afraid reporting 10 days late put him pretty far behind. (But) Ollom and (Ron) Clark will make the 28-man squad for the trip north.”10

Ollom did make the Twins’ opening day roster and spent the entire season with the big club. However, he made just 21 appearances (two starts) and pitched merely 35 innings in 1967. He was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA.

One highlight was his first and only major-league hit. It came in a start against the Washington Senators on May 8. In his first at-bat of the day, and fourth in the big leagues, he singled off Senators starter Phil Ortega in the second inning.

His only decision in the big leagues came six days later. In the last of his three starts in the big leagues, against the visiting Kansas City Athletics, he didn’t get out of the first, allowing four runs (three earned) in Kansas City’s eventual 4-2 victory, and was saddled with the loss.

Ollom spent the winter of 1967-68 pitching in Puerto Rico, where he went 1-12 for Mayagüez.

With the Twins in spring training in 1968, he appeared in just three games and had a 12.00 ERA before being reassigned to Denver.

He started the 1968 season with the Bears, but struggled, going 2-9 with an 8.24 ERA before being demoted to Charlotte of the Southern League. With Charlotte, Ollom was 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in nine games, missing the final week with a groin injury. A newspaper summary of the Twins’ minor-league teams in 1968 said, “(Ollom) was having some success with controlling his breaking pitches.”11

Ollom’s 1969 season started out roughly – he suffered a slight concussion when he was hit by a batted ball during practice in the first week. Ollom quipped to reporters, “Luckily, it was on the right side. Us left-handers do all our thinking on the left side. I’ve always got my head in the game. I’m glad they lowered the mound five inches from last year or I’d have gotten hit in the face.”12

Ollom was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in five exhibition innings before being reassigned to the Twins’ minor-league camp.

He struggled with his control at the start of the 1969 season with Denver, walking 10 in 13 innings. He had a 6.23 ERA when he was sent back to Charlotte. With Charlotte, he was 4-2 with a 6.06 ERA in 17 appearances. In 49 innings, he walked 33.

Shortly after the conclusion of the minor-league season, Ollom announced that he was retiring from baseball at the age of 24.

“I wasn’t getting my breaking ball over,” he said, “and it didn’t seem like I was putting it (my game) back together.”13

In 24 major-league appearances he was 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA. In six minor-league seasons, he was 57-53 with a 4.07 ERA in 160 appearances.

Ollom went to work as a sales representative, covering the Western United States for a food wholesaler. It was a position he held for nearly four decades.

Ollom, who was married twice, is the father of three children. His son Mike, who was also a pitcher, played for the University of Arizona and Lewis and Clark State College. He then spent four seasons (1986-89) in the Chicago White Sox farm system, reaching the Class AA level. Ollom’s other son, Joe, pitched for Edmonds Community College in Lynwood, Washington. Ollom also has a daughter, Susie.

As of 2024, Ollom was retired and living in Everett, Washington. He was inducted into the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

Last revised: September 9, 2024

Sources and acknowledgments

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted Baseball-Reference.com, milb.com, Newspapers.com, and Retrosheet.org. The author would like to thank the staff at the Harlan (Kentucky) Public Library for their research assistance.

Most of the information on his high school achievements came from stories in the Everett Daily Herald.

Also of use was the Jim Ollom page on the Snohomish County Website.

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and David Bilmes and fact-checked by Tony Oliver.

Notes

1 Larry Henry, “Oops, major league history of Snohomish got the short shrift,” Everett (Washington) Daily Herald, March 19, 2002: C4.

2 “Appalachian All-Star Game Tonight,” Park City Daily News, August 7, 1963: 18.

3 “Goldeyes Snap Pards’ Two-Game Winning Streak, 9-3,” Mandan Pioneer, May 18, 1964: 6.

4 “Pards Shut Out St. Cloud 7-0, Mandan Tonite,” Mandan Pioneer, August 8, 1964: 6.

5 Frank Haraway, “20 Wins? Denver’s Ollom May Be Ace Who Does It,” The Sporting News, September 3, 1966: 29.

6 Tim Gardner, “Ollom gets 20th win; first in nine seasons,” Coos Bay (Oregon) World, August 27, 1966: 10.

7 Max Nichols, “Boswell Ready; Rookie Ollom Earns Start,” Minneapolis Star, September 15, 1966: 61.

8 Joe Jares, “Poor Sam – What a Weird Week,” Sports Illustrated, May 1, 1967: 24.

9 Tom Briere, “Griffith – Money, Ball, Money,” Minneapolis Tribune, March 4, 1967: 15.

10 Max Nichols, “Griffith: Clark, Ollom Not Up to Expectations,” Minneapolis Star, March 23, 1967: 41.

11 Dave Mona, “Twins Farms Produce,” Minneapolis Tribune, September 4, 1968: 32.

12 Mona, “Renick, Clark Agree to Sign,” Minneapolis Tribune, February 25, 1969: 24.

13 Henry, “Oops, major league history of Snohomish got the short shrift.”