On October 10, 1978, the Los Angeles Dodgers retired the No. 19 for Jim Gilliam before Game 1 of their World Series matchup against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium.
Gilliam passed away two days earlier at the age of 49. He suffered a massive brain hemorrhage at his home one month prior and fell into a coma from which he never awoke.
After his jersey was retired, Gilliam became the first player not inducted into the Hall of Fame to have his number retired by the Dodgers. He stood as the only person with that honor until the Dodgers retired Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34 during the 2023 season.
The Dodgers went on to win Game 1 of the 1978 World Series with an 11-5 victory and came back the following night with a 4-3 win. However, the Yankees won the next four games to claim the World Series title.
Gilliam made his Brooklyn Dodgers debut in 1953 and led all of baseball with 17 triples that season en route to winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
He played 14 seasons with the Dodgers, including nine in Los Angeles, and hit .265/.360/.355 with 1,889 hits, 304 doubles, 71 triples, 65 home runs, 558 RBI and 203 stolen bases across 1,956 games.
The infielder was a two-time All-Star (1956, 1959) and earned MVP votes in four different seasons. He primarily played second base and third base, but also saw time at first base and in the outfield.
Gilliam won four World Series titles as a player and retired after the 1966 season. He made history by becoming one of the first African-American coaches in MLB the following year and continued in that role until his death.
Dodgers retired numbers
No. 1: Pee Wee Reese
No. 2: Tommy Lasorda
No. 4: Duke Snider
No. 14: Gil Hodges
No. 19: Jim Gilliam
No. 20: Don Sutton
No. 24: Walter Alston
No. 32: Sandy Koufax
No. 34: Fernando Valenzuela
No. 39: Roy Campanella
No. 42: Jackie Robinson
No. 53: Don Drysdale
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