During his Major League Baseball career, he was a backup outfielder, playing mostly at left field for three different teams between 1952 and 1958.

Nicknamed "Big Jim", Fridley was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and 205 lb (93 kg) and batted and threw right-handed.

After finishing high school, Fridley worked briefly for the FBI and later served in the U.S. Army for four years during World War II.

He was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 1948, playing for them one year (1952) before joining the Baltimore Orioles (1954) and Cincinnati Redlegs (1958).

He also played in the minor league systems of the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers.