My Take
Jim Traber is one of those guys who reminds you how wild and wide the baseball life can really get. He came up as a first baseman with the Baltimore Orioles in the mid-80s, showed some pop at the plate, and had a cup of coffee in the big leagues when Baltimore was still living on the fumes of their World Series glory days. What really makes his story interesting, though, is the Japan chapter — he crossed the Pacific to play for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball, which in that era was a genuinely adventurous move for an American player. And then, because apparently one career wasn't enough, he pivoted into broadcasting and made a whole second run of it. Born in Columbus, raised in Maryland, Traber is the kind of journeyman whose résumé reads like a passport full of stamps — and I respect that hustle entirely.
Overview
James Joseph Traber (born December 26, 1961) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. After retiring from baseball, he pursued a career in broadcast media. Traber was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in Columbia, Maryland.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jim Traber
- Name (Japanese)
- ジム・トレーバー
- Reading
- じむ・とれーばー
- Born
- December 26, 1961 (age 64)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Ox
- Origin
- Columbus, Ohio, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 182 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- baseball player / American football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Wilde Lake High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.