Jim Boudreau Furthers a Family Baseball Name

Sometimes it is left to the youngest child to carry on the family traditions.

So it is with Jim Boudreau, the 26-year-old son of Hall of Fame shortstop Lou Boudreau.

The last of four Boudreau children and the second son, Jim is a left-handed relief pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles’ organization who is beginning to make rapid strides after three undistinguished seasons in the Chicago Cub farm system.

“I guess I could be considered a late bloomer,” admits Boudreau, who is hoping to impress the Orioles enough in spring training camp at least to earn a promotion to Rochester of the International League this season. “I’m older than a lot of the fellows in camp, but I think I’ve been progressing.

“I want to stay with it as long I keep progressing. Once it gets to the point where I’m not improving any more or I realize things aren’t going to work out then I’ll quit. But, so far, except for my age, things are going pretty good.”

Signed by the Cubs in 1982 after starring at Arizona State, Boudreau kicked around Chicago’s farm system for three years until he was traded to the Orioles last May.

Promoted to the Orioles’ Class AA team at Charlotte, N.C., Boudreau suddenly began to develop into a first-rate pitcher. In 28 games for Charlotte--24 of them in relief--he posted a 3-2 record with a 2.10 ERA and four saves. It was good enough to earn an invitation to the Orioles’ spring training camp as a non-roster player.

“I think I have a better shot here than I did with the Cubs,” Boudreau said. “Being left-handed helps. I’m basically a fastball, slider pitcher. I’m more or less a control pitcher. I get the ground balls. I’m not going to throw it by people.”

Boudreau’s biggest booster in his fight to reach the majors has been his father, a broadcaster with the Cubs for many years. Although he has not seen his son pitch much since his high school days, he has been instrumental in Jim’s development.

“He never criticized me. It was always helpful information,” Boudreau recalled. “I didn’t start pitching until my senior year in high school and he’d give me help from a hitter’s standpoint as to what pitches a hitter would be looking for in a certain inning. That probably helped me more.

“He’d tell me to try a different arm angle, try this when you’re ahead in the count, try this when you’re behind. He gave me a lot of advice that you wouldn’t get from a pitching coach.”

Boudreau readily admits that being the son of a Hall of Famer has had its difficult moments.

“Since I’ve been playing people have been saying things about the name,” Boudreau said. “The expect me to come out and do the same things he did and it’s not going to be that way obviously.