We have an official release date for Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger, of Feb. 4, 2025. But we have a surprise for Ballpark Digest readers and Friends of Steve: a December 1 presale that ships with an autographed bookplate.
Steve, of course, is Stephen Dittmore, author of Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger. It’s a deeply researched, authoritative biography of one of baseball’s pioneering players. Jim “Junior” Gilliam never commanded the spotlight, yet he was instrumental in the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers reaching seven World Series, winning four, during his career. He never had a permanent position and was frequently the subject of trade rumors. Remembered as a role player, Gilliam sacrificed his statistics for the good of the team.
In Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger, the first book-length biography of the Dodgers legend, Stephen W. Dittmore tells the story of Gilliam’s rise in the baseball world, from rough times in the Negro Leagues to more glamorous times in Los Angeles and the majors. Gilliam’s story parallels the many changes in professional baseball, from segregated MLB rosters to the first Black stars, as told in this deeply researched account of the forgotten Dodger. Featuring interviews with the family, friends and teammates who knew Gilliam the best, Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger is both the story of an important figure in the baseball world while also telling the story of the sport’s evolution from segregation to a national desegregated pastime.
Raised by his mother in the Jim Crow South, Jim Gilliam’s passion was baseball. His career was a journey beginning on the sandlots of Nashville to a pro career launched in the Negro Leagues to the first wave of Black players breaking the segregated gates of Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. And his importance to the Dodger franchise can’t be overstated: he was truly the bridge between Brooklyn and Los Angeles. He recorded the last hit in Brooklyn Dodger history, scored a run in the final game at Ebbets Field, scored the first Dodger run in both the Los Angeles Coliseum and Dodger Stadium, and blasted the first home run in Dodger Stadium.
This book is slated for a full official release on Feb. 4, 2025. However, as a special treat for longtime readers and Friends of Steve, we’re offering a small number of prerelease copies for sale, complete with an autographed bookplate from the author. The price: $33.95 plus shipping. This offer is good through Dec. 1. We expect to be shipping these copies on or before Dec. 1. This offer is available only from August Publications: Check it out here.
About the Author
Steve Dittmore has more than 20 years of experience working as a higher education administrator and professor. Dittmore received a PhD from the University of Louisville in 2007 and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Drake University. He is an assistant editor at AthleticDirectorU, a vertical website from D1.Ticker designed to promote thought leadership ideas among intercollegiate athletic directors, and also writes for his Substack newsletter, “Glory Days.” A recognized researcher in the areas of sport media and intercollegiate athletics, he is a co-author of a Sport Public Relations textbook and is preparing revisions for a fourth edition. He is an author on nearly 50 peer reviewed journal articles, 12 book chapters, and more than 70 peer reviewed presentations.
Early Reviews
“Jim Gilliam’s place in baseball lore has been largely overlooked until Steve Dittmore lifts him out of the shadows in The Forgotten Dodger. Well researched, fast paced, and entertaining, this illuminating biography shows just how important Gilliam’s contributions were to seven Dodger World Series teams and chronicles the pioneering role he played as a Major League player and coach. With a franchise as storied as the Dodgers, it’s hard to believe Gilliam’s story isn’t already better known. But that was the case all along for a very good player—1953 Rookie of the Year, five-time All-Star between the Negro and Major Leagues—whose contributions always seemed to be overshadowed by those of his better-known teammates. A long overdue tribute to Gilliam and a treat for fans of the game’s history.”—Andrew Maraniss, New York Times bestselling author of Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn