The California Angels drafted Jim Edmonds in the seventh round of the 1988 MLB Draft. In 1993 and 1994 Edmonds spent a little time in the majors with the Angels, he played in combined 112 games.
In 1995 Jim Edmonds MLB first full season with the Angels, he hit 33 home runs and batted .290 at the plate. Also, Edmonds drove in 107 runs while making his first All-Star team. Edmonds followed that seas with another outstanding season batting .304 with 27 home runs. Jim’s played seasons with the Angels before getting traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.
St. Louis Cardinals
Edmonds was traded to the Cardinals for second baseman Adam Kennedy and pitcher Kent Bottenfield. He had some of his best seasons while playing in St. Louis. In Edmonds first season with the Cardinals, he hit .295 and hit a career-high 42 home runs, while driving in 108 RBIs. The former Angels player, stayed pretty steady with the Cardinals hitting 30,28, 39 home runs in consecutive seasons. In 2004, Edmonds tied his career-high in home runs while batting .301 and driving in 11 runs.
The Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 with Jim Edmonds on the roster. He helped lead the Cardinals team, although he dealt with post-concussion syndrome. In 2007 Edmonds was traded to the San Diego Padres.
San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs
Edmonds only played 26 games with the Padres and only batted .178 before being released. The Chicago Cubs signed Edmonds days after being released to a one-year contract. The former Cardinal star had a decent season with Cubs hitting 19 home runs in 85 games. Also, he batted .256 and drove in 49 runs.
Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds
Edmonds did not play in 2009, because he did not get a contract offer that he liked. He returned in 2010 and played for the Milwaukee Brewers and then was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. With those two teams combined Edmonds hit only 11 home runs. Edmonds was pretty much done after 2010, he signed with the Cardinals in 2011, but tore his Achilles tendon and decided to retire.
The former All-Star finished his career with 339 home runs, .284 career batting average and 1,199 RBIs. He was four-time All-Star and won eight gold gloves, Edmonds will always be known for being one of the best defensive center fielders in the MLB.
