Jim Lemon

James Robert Lemon (March 23, 1928 – May 14, 2006) was an American right and left fielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A powerful, right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder, Lemon teamed with first baseman Roy Sievers (and later with slugger Harmon Killebrew and outfielder Bob Allison) to form the most formidable home run-hitting tandem in the 60-year history of the first Washington Senators franchise.

Playing career

Born in Covington, Virginia, the 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 200 lb (91 kg) Lemon signed originally with the Cleveland Indians, but he never won a regular job with Cleveland; indeed, he was a "late-bloomer" who required several trips to the minor leagues before finally winning a regular berth with the 1956 Senators at the age of 28. A free-swinger who three times led the American League in striking out, Lemon and his teammates benefitted from new Washington owner Calvin Griffith's decision to move the left field fences closer to home plate in the Senators' cavernous ballpark, Griffith Stadium. Lemon smashed 27 homers in 1956, also leading the league in triples, then followed with 26 (1958), 33 (1959) and 38 (1960). He twice compiled over 100 runs batted in and became a favorite of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower after Eisenhower attended Lemon's 3-home-run performance at Griffith Stadium in 1956.