Education
Landis attended Richmond High School in Richmond, California where he starred in baseball as a third baseman and Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California.
Landis attended Richmond High School in Richmond, California where he starred in baseball as a third baseman and Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California.
Landis played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams from 1957 through 1967. Landis is considered to be one of the best defensive center fielders in major-league history. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1952.
He served in the United States. Army in 1954 and 1955, and was stationed in Alaska.
Landis began his career in the major leagues playing for the Chicago White Sox in 1957, where he remained for seven more seasons. He led the American League that season with 13 sacrifice hits and 426 and 420 putouts as a center fielder and an outfielder, and hit.292 during the 1959 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the 1960 season, he hit.253 and had 23 stolen bases. In 1962, he played in two All-Star games.In 1963, Landis led the American League in fielding with a.993 fielding average both as a center fielder and an outfielder.
Landis was traded on January 20, 1965 to the Kansas City Athletics, where he played one season.
He also played one season for the Cleveland Indians in 1966. In 1967, he finished his 11-year major league career playing for three teams: The Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and the Boston Red Sox. Landis went into the safety sign business for several years after playing professional baseball and also coached for Babe Ruth League baseball.
The Chicago White Sox announced on September 30, 2000, that Jim Landis and 26 other former and active White Sox players were members of the Chicago White Sox All-Century Team.