James Alvin Palmer was born on 15 October 1945, in New York City, USA, and is a retired professional baseball player, best known for playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher. He played exclusively with the Baltimore Orioles, and all of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Jim Palmer? As of early-2017, sources estimate a net worth that is at $3 million mostly earned through a successful career in professional baseball spanning 19 years. He has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, after winning numerous awards over the course of his career. He now works as a color commentator, and all of these achievements have ensured the position of his wealth.
Jim Palmer Net Worth $3 million
When he was around nine years old, Jim moved to California and started playing baseball there through a youth league. He showed talent while attending Scottsdale High School, and after matriculating, he signed a minor league contract.
In the 1960s, Jim eventually played in the major leagues, and got his first win against the Yankees in 1965. He joined the starting rotation of the Baltimore Orioles in 1966, and in the same year would become the youngest pitcher to win a complete-game during the World Series. His net worth started increasing dramatically at this point, after they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers with a score of 6-0.
However, in the next two seasons Jim struggled with arm injuries, and was sent to minor-league rehabilitation. He had to undergo surgery, and only started to get back into top form in 1968. In 1969, he performed exceptionally once again, recording numerous wins.
In the next two seasons, Baltimore would win two more championships. Jim won 21 games in 1972 and over the next three years he would perform at his peak. He topped numerous statistics in the American League, going on to win four consecutive Gold Glove Awards. In the 1980s, Palmer was held back by minor injuries, though he still performed well and became a veteran presence. In 1983, he would win another World Series becoming the pitcher with the longest period of time in between World Series wins. During the 1984 season, he was released by the Orioles which led him to retire.
During his final years as a player, he was already doing color commentary, and in 1985 joined ABC as part of the announcing team, going on to cover numerous events as part of the team. Thanks to his work as a commentator, his net worth continued to increase. In 1990, he considered working as a major league manager but opted instead to go to ESPN as an analyst. The following year, he attempted a comeback, but an injury during spring training decided him to retire permanently. He returned to broadcasting in 1994, once again for the ABC.
In 2012, he decided to auction off his three Cy Young Award trophies and four Gold Glove Awards. He did so to help the education of his grandchildren.
For his personal life, it is known that he married Susan Ryan after matriculating from high school in 1964; they have two daughters, but their marriage ended in 1984. Jim then married Joan H. Palmer in 1990, which also ended in divorce, in 2000. His third marriage is to Susan Schmidt since 2007 – they have homes in Florida, California, and Palm Beach, and Palmer also has a penthouse condominium in Little Italy, Baltimore.
