Buck Leonard
Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (September 8, 1907 – November 27, 1997) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball and in the Mexican League. After growing up in North Carolina, he played for the Homestead Grays between 1934 and 1950, batting fourth behind Josh Gibson for many years. The Grays teams of the 1930s and 1940s were considered some of the best teams in Negro league history. Leonard and Gibson are two of only nine players in league history to win multiple batting titles.
| Buck Leonard | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: September 8, 1907 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: November 27, 1997 (aged 90) Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Negro leagues debut | |
| 1933, for the Brooklyn Royal Giants | |
| Last Negro leagues appearance | |
| 1950, for the Homestead Grays | |
| Negro leagues statistics | |
| Batting average | .346 |
| Hits | 748 |
| Home runs | 97 |
| Runs batted in | 548 |
| Stolen bases | 32 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1972 |
| Election method | Negro Leagues Committee |
Leonard never played in Major League Baseball (MLB); he declined a 1952 offer of an MLB contract because he felt he was too old. Late in life, Leonard worked as a physical education instructor and was the vice-president of a minor league baseball team. He and Gibson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. In 1999, he was ranked number 47 on the 100 Greatest Baseball Players list by The Sporting News.