A professional baseball player for 14 years, Jim (James Dalton) Command also was a Detroit Tigers’ scout for 36 years and received a World Series ring from the Tigers after their world championship win in 1984.
He played in the Major Leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies for two seasons and is remembered in baseball for his grand slam homer as a rookie for his first major league hit. It was the first such accomplishment since the turn of the century, obviously his first career homerun and the only one he hit in the Major Leagues. It was off Dodgers’ pitching great Carl Erskine in July of 1954 at historic Ebbets Field and soared over Dodger outfielder and legend Jackie Robinson.
? Command spent several years playing in the minor leagues, came home and continued to play as a member of the Grand Rapids Sullivan's in the National NBC Tournament. He was named to the NBC All-American Team in 1960, 1961 and 1962.
He also coached baseball for three seasons at Grand Valley State, leading the Lakers to their first conference championship in any sport.
Born Oct. 15, 1928 in Grand Rapids, he followed in the athletic footsteps of his father Ike, who was a minor league baseball player and accomplished amateur boxer. He was a standout athlete at Creston High and played one season of basketball at what is now Ferris State University where he led the team and league in scoring and set a then single-season scoring record.
The Phillies came calling with a contract offer soon after. He passed away of natural causes on Aug. 10, 2014.