Jim Callis
Encyclopedia
Jim Callis is the executive editor of the Durham, N.C.,-based magazine Baseball America
and its website BaseballAmerica.com. Jim's contributions include weekly updates to their website, as well as major contributions to their signature publications, The Baseball America Almanac, and The Baseball America Prospect Handbook
, mainly in Oakton, and went on to graduate from The University of Georgia
in 1988 with a degree in Journalism
.
directly out of college in 1988. In 1997 he moved to Chicago
to go work for STATS, Inc.
In 2000, Jim was lured back to Baseball America
. Jim remains in the Chicago area, where he works as Baseball America's executive editor.
themed online chat
on the sports website espn.com. Jim's chats on ESPN
are always concluded by his signature lightning round
, where he answers a high number of questions in a rapid fire style. Jim will frequently follow up his answers given during the lightning round, in his weekly, Ask BA Column on the baseballamerica.com website.
In addition to providing baseball
themed information during his chats, Jim often shares his views on popular culture
topics, including Madden NFL
video games, television shows such as 24
, and actresses Jessica Alba
, and Anne Hathaway
.
In addition to his work with Baseball America
and ESPN
you can follow Jim on Twitter
under the user name "JimCallisba".
's television coverage of the 2008 MLB Draft, along with Keith Law
, Peter Gammons
, Steve Phillips
, Chris Singleton
and Karl Ravech
.
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
and its website BaseballAmerica.com. Jim's contributions include weekly updates to their website, as well as major contributions to their signature publications, The Baseball America Almanac, and The Baseball America Prospect Handbook
Education
Jim grew up in Northern VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, mainly in Oakton, and went on to graduate from The University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1988 with a degree in Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
Career
Jim began working for Baseball AmericaBaseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
directly out of college in 1988. In 1997 he moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to go work for STATS, Inc.
STATS, Inc.
STATS LLC is a global sports statistics and information company – the company name originated as an acronym for "Sports Team Analysis and Tracking Systems". It was founded on April 30, 1981 by John Dewan, who became the company's CEO...
In 2000, Jim was lured back to Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
. Jim remains in the Chicago area, where he works as Baseball America's executive editor.
Work with ESPN
Jim moderates a weekly Baseball AmericaBaseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
themed online chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
on the sports website espn.com. Jim's chats on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
are always concluded by his signature lightning round
Lightning round
A lightning round is a round of a game or contest in which the duration of the round is a pre-determined length of time, and the goal is typically to accomplish as much as possible within that period. The most common format of a lightning round is in a question-and-answer game, to answer as many...
, where he answers a high number of questions in a rapid fire style. Jim will frequently follow up his answers given during the lightning round, in his weekly, Ask BA Column on the baseballamerica.com website.
In addition to providing baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
themed information during his chats, Jim often shares his views on popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
topics, including Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
video games, television shows such as 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, and actresses Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
, and Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
.
In addition to his work with Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
you can follow Jim on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
under the user name "JimCallisba".
Television work
Jim was a major contributor of ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's television coverage of the 2008 MLB Draft, along with Keith Law
Keith Law
Keith Law is a senior baseball writer for ESPN.com and ESPN Scouts, Inc. He was formerly a writer for Baseball Prospectus and worked in the front office for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America....
, Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
, Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips is a former American baseball analyst for ESPN and baseball executive. He served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 1997–2003...
, Chris Singleton
Chris Singleton (baseball)
Christopher Verdell Singleton is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. During his six-year major league career , he played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Devil Rays . During his playing career, his listed height and weight were 6'2",...
and Karl Ravech
Karl Ravech
Karl Ravech is an American journalist who currently works as the primary Baseball Tonight host for ESPN.-Education and career:Ravech was born in Needham, Massachusetts. He attended and graduated from Needham High School...
.