Jim Tabor
Class of 1989
Jim Tabor rose from the small farming community of Owens Cross Roads to become one of the most accomplished Major League Baseball players ever to come from North Alabama.
Born in 1916 on a farm just south of Owens Cross Roads, Tabor displayed athletic talent at an early age. He was a member of the first basketball team at Owens Cross Roads and later became the first All-State basketball player from New Hope High School.
Tabor’s athletic ability earned him a basketball scholarship to the University of Alabama in 1934. While attending Alabama, his baseball talent attracted the attention of professional scouts. In 1936 he signed a $5,000 contract with the Boston Red Sox, beginning a major league career that would include several memorable achievements.
Tabor made an immediate impact in professional baseball. In his first professional at-bat in Little Rock, he hit a grand slam home run off future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. He reached the major leagues in 1939, joining the Red Sox the same year as legendary slugger Ted Williams.
A strong-armed third baseman with power at the plate, Tabor enjoyed a productive career that included 104 home runs and 598 runs batted in while compiling a lifetime batting average of .279. One of his most remarkable feats occurred on July 4, 1939, when he hit two grand slam home runs in the second game of a doubleheader.
Tabor later concluded his major league career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944.
After his playing career, Tabor remained connected to baseball until his untimely death from congestive heart failure in Sacramento in 1953. His accomplishments remain a proud part of North Alabama’s baseball heritage.
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