Dutch Leonard
From SoSH
| Born: | April 16, 1892 |
| Birthplace: | Birmingham, Ohio |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 5' 10½" |
| Weight: | 185 lbs |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Left |
| Drafted: | |
| College: | Saint Mary's College of CA |
| High School: | |
| Other Teams: | Detroit Tigers 1919-1925 |
| Years with Boston: | 1913-1918 |
Contents |
Overall Career
Hubert Benjamin "Dutch" Leonard split his eleven-season career between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. He broke in with the defending World Champion 1913 Red Sox as a 20-year old left-handed starting pitcher, going 14-17 with a 2.39 ERA in 259 2/3 innings pitched.
In 1914, however, having started the season at the tender age of 21, he went 19-5 over 224 2/3 innings with an astonishing ERA of 0.96, (ERA+ of 279) and a WHIP of 0.88.
He led the 1914 American League in ERA, was 4th in Wins, 1st in WHIP, 1st in H/9IP, 1st in K/9IP, 3rd in strikeouts (trailing only #2 Willie Mitchell of Cleveland and the Senators great Walter Johnson). Leonard would be among the top 10 in AL strikeouts six times over the nine years from 1913-1921.
Dutch would gather three World Series rings, going 15-7 (2.36) for the 1915 Bosox as well as 18-12 (2.36) for the 1916 champions and 8-6 (2.72) for the 1918 edition. He finished his career in the middle of the 1925 season, having lost his fastball after going 139-113 over eleven seasons, six in Boston and five in the Motor City, with a sum ERA of 2.76. Following the 1918 season, he was purchased by the Detroit Tigers as Boston owner Harry Frazee began his legendary firesale of the early-century Boston players that had created the first MLB dynasty.
Dutch Leonard was born in Birmingham Ohio in 1892 and died at the age of 60 in Fresno, California, in 1952.
Leonard's Moments in the Sun
- Holds the modern record for single-season earned run average, posting a 0.96 ERA in 1914.
- Threw a no-hitter on August 30, 1916 against St. Louis.
Trivia
- After six seasons with the Red Sox, his highest earned run average was 2.72.
- When sold to the Yankees in 1913, he refused to pitch unless he was paid the full year's salary in advance. He never pitched for the Yankees; New York owner Jacob Ruppert was offended and sold him to the Detroit Tigers.
- Accused Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb of fixing at least one Cleveland-Detroit game.
Transactions
- January 1919: Purchased by the Detroit Tigers from the Boston Red Sox.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
