- For Emil John "Dutch" Leonard (1933-1953), see Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher). Emil John "Dutch" Leonard ( March 25 1909 - April 17 1983) was a right-handed Knuckleballer in Major League Baseball
| Dutch Leonard | ||
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| Pitcher | ||
| Born: April 16, 1892 Birmingham, Ohio |
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| Died: July 11, 1952 (aged 60) Fresno, California |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | ||
| April 12, 1913 for the Boston Red Sox |
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| Final game | ||
| July 19, 1925 for the Detroit Tigers |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Pitching Record | 139-113 | |
| Earned run average | 2. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year There are multiple places named Birmingham in the US state of Ohio: Birmingham Erie County Ohio Birmingham Guernsey County Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched 76 | |
| Strikeouts | 1160 | |
| Teams | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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Hubert Benjamin "Dutch" Leonard, also known as Hub Walker (April 16, 1892- July 11, 1952) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1913-1921, 1924-1925. Major League Baseball recognizes Earned run average champions in the American League and National League each season William Francis Carrigan ( October 22, 1883 - July 8, 1969) nicknamed "Rough" was a Major League Baseball Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of He played for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, and holds the major league record for the lowest single-season ERA of all time -- 0. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched 96 in 1914. Another right-handed pitcher, also called Dutch Leonard, pitched for the National League around a decade later. Emil John "Dutch" Leonard ( March 25 1909 - April 17 1983) was a right-handed Knuckleballer in Major League Baseball The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball
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Early years
Born in Birmingham, Ohio, Leonard played baseball for the Saint Mary's College of California "Gaels" in Moraga, California from 1910-1911. There are multiple places named Birmingham in the US state of Ohio: Birmingham Erie County Ohio Birmingham Guernsey County Saint Mary's College of California is a private Coeducational College located in Moraga California, United States. Moraga is an affluent suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County California, The United States of America (USA in the San Francisco Bay In 1912, he played for the Denver Grizzlies of the Western League, where he compiled a 22-9 record with 326 strikeouts and an ERA of 2. This is about the defunct IHL/AHL team that folded in 2005 For the current ECHL team see Utah Grizzlies. The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs, simply called the Western League, was a Minor league baseball league founded in 1893 and focused in the In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched 50.
Boston Red Sox
Leonard broke in with the Boston Red Sox in 1913. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. In his second year in the major leagues, 1914, Leonard led the American League with a remarkable 0. Champions World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics (4-0 Awards and honors Chalmers 96 ERA -- still the record for single-season ERA. In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched Leonard also pitched well in Boston's 1915 and 1916 World Series victories. He won Game 3 of the 1915 World Series, outduelling the Phillies' Grover Cleveland Alexander 2-1. In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander ( February 26, 1887 - November 4, 1950) was a Major League Baseball Pitcher He also won Game 4 of the 1916 World Series against the Brooklyn Robins. In the 1916 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins (a The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA
Leonard also pitched two no-hitters for the Red Sox, the first in 1916 against the St. Louis Browns and the second in 1918 against the Detroit Tigers. In Baseball, a no-hitter (also known as a no-hit game, or colloquially a no-no) refers to a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Detroit Tigers
In January 1919, the Red Sox sold Leonard to the Detroit Tigers, where Leonard played from 1919-1921 and 1924-1925. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Leonard became embroiled in a salary dispute with Tigers' owner Frank Navin in 1922, and Leonard opted to play for Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley League in 1922 and 1923. Frank Joseph Navin ( April 18, 1871 – November 13, 1935) was the principal owner of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball The San Joaquin Valley League was a Minor league baseball league that operated from 1910 through 1911. Leonard was suspended by the American League for his actions, but he rejoined the Tigers in 1924 where he feuded with Tigers manager Ty Cobb. Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (December 18 1886 – July 17 1961 nicknamed " The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by historians Leonard pitched his final major league game in July 1925.
Dutch Leonard and Ty Cobb
Even before their player-manager feud, Leonard and Cobb had a history. In 1914, Leonard hit Cobb in the ribs with a fastball. In the next at bat, Cobb dragged a bunt which the Red Sox first baseman was forced to field. Cobb later described the play as follows: "Leonard ran to first to take the throw. When he saw I was going for him and not the bag, he kept running into the coaching box. Damned coward. I ignored the bag, drove right through after him . . . he ran toward the dugout and missed cutting him by inches. " (Al Stump, Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball, p. Al Stump ( October 20, 1916 – December 14, 1995) was an American author and Sports writer. 213)
A full feud broke when Cobb took over as the Tigers' manager in 1921. Cobb took pleasure in fining Leonard, who enjoyed late nights, for violating curfew. At one point in the 1921 season, Leonard was 11-13, despite a respectable ERA; Cobb left his office door open so that Leonard could hear him on the phone, faking a call: "I'm putting that damned Dutchman on waivers. " (Al Stump, Cobb, p. 140) In 1922, Leonard and Cobb fought over how to pitch to George Sisler and Tris Speaker. For the minor league baseball executive see George Sisler Jr For the Medal of Honor recipient see George K Tristram E Speaker ( April 4, 1888 - December 8, 1958) nicknamed “Spoke” (a play on his last name and “Grey Eagle” (for his prematurely Leonard cursed Cobb to his face during the dispute, and Leonard ended up quitting the team in 1921, calling Cobb a "horse's ass. " (Al Stump, Cobb, p. 340)
When Leonard returned to the Tigers in 1924 after two seasons in the San Joaquin Valley League, the feud with Cobb resumed. The San Joaquin Valley League was a Minor league baseball league that operated from 1910 through 1911. By the middle of the 1925 season, Leonard was 11-3, but that didn't stop Cobb from accusing Leonard of being a shirker. In front of the team, Cobb berated Leonard: "Don't you dare turn bolshevik on me. I'm the boss here. " (Richard Bak, Peach, p. 147) Leonard accused Cobb of over-working him, and Cobb responded in July 1925 by leaving Leonard on the mound for an entire game despite Leonard's giving up 20 hits and taking a 12-4 beating. After that, Leonard refused to pitch for Cobb. As a result, the Tigers put Leonard on waivers, and when no team picked him up, his baseball career came to an end. (Al Stump, Cobb, p. 364)
Rumors began to spread that Leonard was claiming he "had something" on Cobb. Leonard was quoted as saying, "I am going to expose that bastard Cobb, I'll ruin him. " (Al Stump, Cobb, p. 371) And in 1926 Leonard sought his revenge, contacting Kenesaw Mountain Landis and accusing Cobb of being involved in gambling and/or fixing games with Tris Speaker. Kenesaw Mountain Landis ( November 20 1866 &ndash November 25 1944) was an American Jurist who served as a federal Tristram E Speaker ( April 4, 1888 - December 8, 1958) nicknamed “Spoke” (a play on his last name and “Grey Eagle” (for his prematurely Leonard claimed that Speaker and Cobb had conspired before a 1919 Tigers-Indians game to allow the Tigers to win, enabling the team to reach 3rd place and qualify for World Series money. To corroborate his story, Leonard produced letters written at the time (one by Cobb and one by Smokey Joe Wood) that obliquely referred to gambling or game-fixing. When Landis made Leonard's lettera public in December 1926, it touched off a scandal.
Cobb was called to testify at a hearing before Commissioner Landis, and denied Leonard's allegations. Cobb noted that Leonard "had the reputation in the past of being a bolshevik on the club. " (Al Stump, Cobb, p. 382) Leonard declined to appear and testify at the hearing, saying he feared a physical attack from "that wild man. " In the absence of Leonard's testimony, Landis found Cobb and Speaker not guilty.
Career Outside Baseball
Leonard did well for himself after baseball. He became a very successful California fruit farmer and wine maker. He was also an expert left-handed golfer. Leonard died in 1952 at age 60 from complications of a stroke. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Fresno, California. His estate at the time of his death was reportedly worth $2. 1 million.
Sources
- David Jones, "Hubert Benjamin 'Dutch' Leonard", in Deadball Stars of the American League, SABR, Potomac Books (2006). The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown New York, in August 1971
- Al Stump, Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball. Al Stump ( October 20, 1916 – December 14, 1995) was an American author and Sports writer.
See also
External links
| Preceded by Walter Johnson |
American League ERA Champion 1914 |
Succeeded by Smokey Joe Wood |
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