Before the Dodgers became a fixture in Los Angeles, one of the team’s most reliable players was growing up in Nashville.
Jim “Junior” Gilliam, a Pearl High graduate, began his professional career with the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953 and winning Rookie of the Year.
Gilliam spent his 14-year Major League career with the franchise as a switch-hitting infielder known for his steady play through the team’s move west. Late in his career, he served as a player-coach before moving into a full-time role on the Dodgers’ staff. He remained with the team until his death in 1978, just days before the World Series. The Dodgers retired his No. 19 before Game 1.
In 2015, the Nashville Sounds changed First Horizon Park’s address to Junior Gilliam Way.
Today, the Nashville-Dodgers connection continues with Mookie Betts. As Los Angeles returns to the World Series this year, the Nashville native and Dodgers shortstop is chasing his fourth championship.
