Greg Legg
Encyclopedia
Gregory Lynn "Greg" Legg is a former Major League Baseball
player. In a 13-year professional playing career, he appeared in parts of two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies
, primarily as a second baseman
and pinch hitter
. He was officially listed as standing 6 in 1 in (185.42 cm) and weighing 185 pounds (83.9 kg). He later managed the Phillies' double-A farm team, the Reading Phillies
, for whom he also played, and was the hitting coach for the back-to-back South Atlantic League
champion Lakewood BlueClaws
. , Legg is the BlueClaws' hitting coach, having been employed by the Phillies franchise since he was drafted.
. He graduated from Duncan High School
in Duncan, Oklahoma
and matriculated at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
in 1978. He played four seasons for the Savages; in all four of his playing years, the team competed in the NAIA Baseball World Series
. Legg was a two-time All-American and was named to the all-district team in 1980, 1981, and 1982. During his four-year career at Southeastern, the baseball team accumulated a 209–40 win–loss record (a .839 winning percentage
). After college, Legg was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
in the 22nd round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft
.
, the Phillies' A-level affiliate in the Carolina League
. Playing alongside future Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
members Darren Daulton
and Juan Samuel
, Legg appeared in 44 games, making 56 putout
s and 130 assists
. He committed 15 errors
—the lowest total among the team's three regular shortstop
s—good for a .925 fielding percentage
. At the plate, he posted a .343 batting average
, notching 9 doubles
and 20 runs batted in (RBI). He also stole
2 bases and scored 20 runs
during the 1982 season.
Legg, Daulton, and Samuel were all promoted together to the Eastern League Reading Phillies
in 1983. Legg posted a .317 average for the season, the second-best mark among the team's regular batters (40 or more games played); he also notched his first professional home runs, hitting four to go with fourteen doubles and one triple
. In the field, he appeared in at least one game at all four infield positions, with most coming at shortstop and third base
. In 29 games as a shortstop, Legg committed ten errors, but in 41 games at the other three infield spots, he recorded only three fielding mistakes.
The Phillies shifted Legg primarily to second base
for the 1984 season; he appeared in 57 games at the position for Reading before a promotion to the Portland Beavers
. In the first half of the season for the R-Phils, Legg batted .241 in 64 contests, amassing 14 extra-base hits and 27 RBI. After moving to the Oregon club, Legg continued his .241 batting pace in 141 at-bats, collecting eight doubles and one home run.
In 1986, Legg began the season with the major league club, appearing in three April games. He made his major league debut against the New York Mets
, entering in the seventh inning of an April 18 contest as a defensive replacement for second baseman Luis Aguayo
. He notched his first two major league at-bats against the Mets on April 20, striking out
once. His first hit came on April 27, a pinch-hit
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
in a 13–5 Phillies loss, after which he was sent back down to Portland. Appearing exclusively at second base, Legg appeared in 120 games in the field for Portland, committing only four errors to notch a .994 fielding percentage
. As a hitter, he batted .323, the best mark on the team among those players who exceeded 100 games played. He also led the Beavers with 66 RBI, was fifth-best with six home runs, and tallied 149 hits
. He returned to the major league Phillies as a September call-up, appearing in eight major league games after September 1. Legg collected the top performance of his major league career against the Pirates on September 16, hitting safely three times in five at-bats, including a double, scoring one run, and earning his first major-league RBI. He went 1-for-1 against the Chicago Cubs
on September 29, and then hit safely twice in two consecutive games against the Montreal Expos
on October 4 and 5, raising his season average to .450.
Legg spent most of the 1987 season in Triple-A with the Maine Guides
, for whom he batted .241 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, and 30 RBI. He appeared at second base, third base, and shortstop in 1987, mirroring his brief appearance with the major league Phillies. In three contests with the top-level club in 1987, he appeared in one game at each of those three positions, scoring one run in two at-bats over the three games. In the field for Maine, he made a total of 13 errors: 8 at second base, 4 at third base, and 1 at shortstop, regardless of making more appearances at shortstop than at the hot corner.
. He split time equally at shortstop and second base for the New England club, collecting a .966 fielding percentage at the former position and a .956 percentage at the latter. For the year, Legg's final average was .258, along with a .308 slugging percentage and a .345 on-base percentage.
After the 1988 season, the Phillies' Triple-A franchise moved to the Wyoming Valley
in Northeastern Pennsylvania
, becoming the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
. Legg batted .248 for the newly-minted team, batting in 33 runs on 94 hits, 12 for extra bases. He played primarily third base (40 games) and shortstop (42 games), but made limited appearances at second base as well (21 games), totaling 11 errors as a fielder. Legg also made his first career appearances as a pitcher, totaling two innings pitched
. He allowed six runs on eight hits to amass a 27.00 earned run average
(ERA) for the 1989 season.
Legg continued with the Red Barons in 1990, becoming mostly a third baseman for Scranton. He also appeared at second and first bases, as well as shortstop, but totaled a .974 fielding percentage (2 errors) at the hot corner. He raised his batting average 60 points to .308, amassing 6 extra-base hits and 21 RBI. 31 walks helped to raise his on-base average to .416, and he slugged .355, scoring 25 runs.
of 2.09. At second base, he had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, with no errors in 38 games. He also made a single pitching appearance, allowing a run on three hits in a single inning of work. He batted .290 for the year, collecting four triples and three home runs, along with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. The following year, Legg split time between second and third bases, making 6 errors in 86 games played in the field. As a hitter, he batted only .228, the lowest single-season total of his career. He hit for extra bases 15 times and batted in 29 runs.
Legg bounced back in 1993 at age 33—the oldest Red Baron—raising his average to .280. He notched 13 doubles and 3 triples, batting in 25 runs. He led the team in appearances at second base, making five errors. He also played in a few games at third base and one at shortstop. Having stopped playing to coach for the 1994 season, Legg was activated into the minor league system by the Phillies after an injury to shortstop Kevin Stocker
. After batting .298 with four doubles, two home runs, and ten RBI during the 1994 season, Legg retired for good to become a coach.
After leaving the Red Barons, Legg stayed with the Phillies franchise, moving to the Clearwater Phillies
as their hitting coach
for 1994 and 1995; the team finished with the Florida State League
best record in his second year. In 1996, Legg was inducted into the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletic Hall of Fame by his alma mater on January 27. He was the hitting coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
that season, when the team posted a 70–72 record.
In 1997, Legg was given his first managing
position, leading the Batavia Clippers to the New York – Penn League finals, where they lost to the Pittsfield Mets
. He managed the Martinsville Phillies
in 1998, and returned to Batavia in 1999, where the newly-renamed Muckdogs lost in the semi-finals. He led the Piedmont Boll Weevils to another semi-final defeat in 2000, and was named the Lakewood BlueClaws
inaugural manager in 2001.
In 2002, the Reading Phillies named Legg their manager, and he accumulated a 76–66 record in his first season. It was his only winning record, however, in three seasons as the team's manager; his 202 wins are the fifth-best total among Reading's managers. For the 2005 season, Legg moved to Clearwater, with the team now known as the "Threshers", taking over the manager's duties from Mike Schmidt
. In two seasons with Clearwater, he improved the team from a .301 winning percentage (41–95) to .482 (67–72), and he proceeded to the Williamsport Crosscutters for the 2007 season.
For the 2008 season, Legg returned to Lakewood as the hitting coach, helping the BlueClaws to an 80–60 record. In July 2008, during the Beijing Olympics
, Legg served on the staff of the major league club as a short-term replacement as bullpen coach for Roly de Armas
, who was on the staff of Team USA. In 2009 and 2010, Legg and the BlueClaws staff led the team to back-to-back South Atlantic League
championships.
or Lackawanna Counties
in Pennsylvania
. Legg said of the scholarship, "There are so many charities that touch all our lives... I wanted to put a face on it, I wanted it to be a baseball scholarship. Down the road we will be looking to add a softball player as well."
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. In a 13-year professional playing career, he appeared in parts of two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, primarily as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. He was officially listed as standing 6 in 1 in (185.42 cm) and weighing 185 pounds (83.9 kg). He later managed the Phillies' double-A farm team, the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
, for whom he also played, and was the hitting coach for the back-to-back South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
champion Lakewood BlueClaws
Lakewood BlueClaws
The Lakewood BlueClaws are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the South Atlantic League, a Class Single-A baseball league. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Park located in Lakewood Township, New Jersey...
. , Legg is the BlueClaws' hitting coach, having been employed by the Phillies franchise since he was drafted.
Early life and college
Greg Legg was born on April 21, 1960 in San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. He graduated from Duncan High School
Duncan Public Schools
Duncan Public Schools is a public school district located in Duncan, Oklahoma.-Primary Schools:*Emerson Elementary*Plato Elementary*Horace Mann Elementary*Mark Twain Elementary*Woodrow Wilson Elementary*Will Rogers Pre-K*Irving Pre-K-References:...
in Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892...
and matriculated at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
in 1978. He played four seasons for the Savages; in all four of his playing years, the team competed in the NAIA Baseball World Series
NAIA Baseball World Series
The NAIA Baseball World Series is a double-elimination tournament held annually in Lewiston, Idaho, to determine the baseball champion of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics .-Results:...
. Legg was a two-time All-American and was named to the all-district team in 1980, 1981, and 1982. During his four-year career at Southeastern, the baseball team accumulated a 209–40 win–loss record (a .839 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
). After college, Legg was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the 22nd round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft
1982 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1982 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*Barry Bonds was drafted by the Giants in the 2nd round of the 1982 amateur draft, but did not sign...
.
1982–1984
After signing, Legg was assigned to the Peninsula PilotsPeninsula Pilots (minor league team)
The Peninsula Pilots, based in Hampton, Virginia, began play in the Carolina League in 1976 as a Philadelphia Phillies farm team. The 1980 Peninsula club was named the 74th best all-time Minor League team of the 20th Century in a list by two noted minor league historians. The team was known as the...
, the Phillies' A-level affiliate in the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. Playing alongside future Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
The Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame is a collection of plaques, mounted on a brick wall in the Ashburn Alley section of Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark of the Philadelphia Phillies...
members Darren Daulton
Darren Daulton
Darren Arthur Daulton , nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher in Major League Baseball best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies...
and Juan Samuel
Juan Samuel
Juan Milton Samuel is a retired second baseman who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies , New York Mets , Los Angeles Dodgers , Kansas City Royals , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays...
, Legg appeared in 44 games, making 56 putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s and 130 assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
. He committed 15 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
—the lowest total among the team's three regular shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
s—good for a .925 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. At the plate, he posted a .343 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, notching 9 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 20 runs batted in (RBI). He also stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
2 bases and scored 20 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
during the 1982 season.
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
in 1983. Legg posted a .317 average for the season, the second-best mark among the team's regular batters (40 or more games played); he also notched his first professional home runs, hitting four to go with fourteen doubles and one triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. In the field, he appeared in at least one game at all four infield positions, with most coming at shortstop and third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. In 29 games as a shortstop, Legg committed ten errors, but in 41 games at the other three infield spots, he recorded only three fielding mistakes.
The Phillies shifted Legg primarily to second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for the 1984 season; he appeared in 57 games at the position for Reading before a promotion to the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. In the first half of the season for the R-Phils, Legg batted .241 in 64 contests, amassing 14 extra-base hits and 27 RBI. After moving to the Oregon club, Legg continued his .241 batting pace in 141 at-bats, collecting eight doubles and one home run.
1985–1987
Playing for Portland in 1985, Legg increased his power, hitting a career-high seven home runs. He added seven triples and eleven doubles to his total for a tally of 25 extra-base hits. His 420 at-bats were third-most on the team, and he played in 115 games, appearing only as a second baseman.In 1986, Legg began the season with the major league club, appearing in three April games. He made his major league debut against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, entering in the seventh inning of an April 18 contest as a defensive replacement for second baseman Luis Aguayo
Luis Aguayo
Luis Aguayo Muriel is the former third base coach of the New York Mets baseball team. He is a former major league baseball player. An infielder, Aguayo played with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1980 to 1988. During the season, Aguayo was traded for pitcher Amalio Carreno to the New York Yankees...
. He notched his first two major league at-bats against the Mets on April 20, striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
once. His first hit came on April 27, a pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in a 13–5 Phillies loss, after which he was sent back down to Portland. Appearing exclusively at second base, Legg appeared in 120 games in the field for Portland, committing only four errors to notch a .994 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. As a hitter, he batted .323, the best mark on the team among those players who exceeded 100 games played. He also led the Beavers with 66 RBI, was fifth-best with six home runs, and tallied 149 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. He returned to the major league Phillies as a September call-up, appearing in eight major league games after September 1. Legg collected the top performance of his major league career against the Pirates on September 16, hitting safely three times in five at-bats, including a double, scoring one run, and earning his first major-league RBI. He went 1-for-1 against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
on September 29, and then hit safely twice in two consecutive games against the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
on October 4 and 5, raising his season average to .450.
Legg spent most of the 1987 season in Triple-A with the Maine Guides
Maine Guides
The Maine Guides were an American minor league baseball franchise that played in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, between 1984 and 1988. The Triple-A International League club was named for a classification of registered hunting and wilderness guides in the state called Maine Guides for its first four...
, for whom he batted .241 with 16 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, and 30 RBI. He appeared at second base, third base, and shortstop in 1987, mirroring his brief appearance with the major league Phillies. In three contests with the top-level club in 1987, he appeared in one game at each of those three positions, scoring one run in two at-bats over the three games. In the field for Maine, he made a total of 13 errors: 8 at second base, 4 at third base, and 1 at shortstop, regardless of making more appearances at shortstop than at the hot corner.
1988–1990
Legg split time between Reading and Maine in the 1988 season. In Reading, he batted .266 in 84 games. He played 81 games in the field: 80 as a second baseman; and 1 as a shortstop. His ten extra-base hits playing in Pennsylvania included eight doubles, one triple, and one home run, and he batted in 33 runs. As a fielder, he amassed 132 putouts at second base, along with 215 assists against 6 errors; at shortstop, he committed no errors while putting out one and assisting on five outs. After promotion to Maine, where the club was now known as the "Maine Phillies", Legg batted .242 with a home run and seven doubles under manager George CulverGeorge Culver
George Culver is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the major leagues from 1966-1974. Culver would play for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies...
. He split time equally at shortstop and second base for the New England club, collecting a .966 fielding percentage at the former position and a .956 percentage at the latter. For the year, Legg's final average was .258, along with a .308 slugging percentage and a .345 on-base percentage.
After the 1988 season, the Phillies' Triple-A franchise moved to the Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....
in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
, becoming the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
. Legg batted .248 for the newly-minted team, batting in 33 runs on 94 hits, 12 for extra bases. He played primarily third base (40 games) and shortstop (42 games), but made limited appearances at second base as well (21 games), totaling 11 errors as a fielder. Legg also made his first career appearances as a pitcher, totaling two innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. He allowed six runs on eight hits to amass a 27.00 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) for the 1989 season.
Legg continued with the Red Barons in 1990, becoming mostly a third baseman for Scranton. He also appeared at second and first bases, as well as shortstop, but totaled a .974 fielding percentage (2 errors) at the hot corner. He raised his batting average 60 points to .308, amassing 6 extra-base hits and 21 RBI. 31 walks helped to raise his on-base average to .416, and he slugged .355, scoring 25 runs.
1991–1994
For the 1991 Red Barons, Legg was the primary backup to the starting infielders, making the team's second-highest number of appearances at second base, third base, and shortstop. His highest total came at third, where he made 22 putouts, 72 assists, and 4 errors in 45 games, amassing a range factorRange Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
of 2.09. At second base, he had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, with no errors in 38 games. He also made a single pitching appearance, allowing a run on three hits in a single inning of work. He batted .290 for the year, collecting four triples and three home runs, along with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. The following year, Legg split time between second and third bases, making 6 errors in 86 games played in the field. As a hitter, he batted only .228, the lowest single-season total of his career. He hit for extra bases 15 times and batted in 29 runs.
Legg bounced back in 1993 at age 33—the oldest Red Baron—raising his average to .280. He notched 13 doubles and 3 triples, batting in 25 runs. He led the team in appearances at second base, making five errors. He also played in a few games at third base and one at shortstop. Having stopped playing to coach for the 1994 season, Legg was activated into the minor league system by the Phillies after an injury to shortstop Kevin Stocker
Kevin Stocker
Kevin Douglas Stocker is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitter. Stocker played with the Philadelphia Phillies , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Anaheim Angels ....
. After batting .298 with four doubles, two home runs, and ten RBI during the 1994 season, Legg retired for good to become a coach.
After playing
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the Florida State League. Since 2004, the team competes in the West Division....
as their hitting coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for 1994 and 1995; the team finished with the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
best record in his second year. In 1996, Legg was inducted into the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletic Hall of Fame by his alma mater on January 27. He was the hitting coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a professional minor league baseball club located based in the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area. They currently play in the International League's Northern Division and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club...
that season, when the team posted a 70–72 record.
In 1997, Legg was given his first managing
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
position, leading the Batavia Clippers to the New York – Penn League finals, where they lost to the Pittsfield Mets
Pittsfield Mets
The Pittsfield Mets were a minor league baseball team moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts from Little Falls, NY by an investment group organized by Michael T. Casey. The team played in the New York - Penn League, and were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1989 to 2000 and the Houston Astros in...
. He managed the Martinsville Phillies
Martinsville Phillies
The Martinsville Phillies were a short season minor league baseball team located in Martinsville, Virginia. Affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies, they existed from 1988 to 1998, playing in the Appalachian League...
in 1998, and returned to Batavia in 1999, where the newly-renamed Muckdogs lost in the semi-finals. He led the Piedmont Boll Weevils to another semi-final defeat in 2000, and was named the Lakewood BlueClaws
Lakewood BlueClaws
The Lakewood BlueClaws are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the South Atlantic League, a Class Single-A baseball league. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Park located in Lakewood Township, New Jersey...
inaugural manager in 2001.
In 2002, the Reading Phillies named Legg their manager, and he accumulated a 76–66 record in his first season. It was his only winning record, however, in three seasons as the team's manager; his 202 wins are the fifth-best total among Reading's managers. For the 2005 season, Legg moved to Clearwater, with the team now known as the "Threshers", taking over the manager's duties from Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
. In two seasons with Clearwater, he improved the team from a .301 winning percentage (41–95) to .482 (67–72), and he proceeded to the Williamsport Crosscutters for the 2007 season.
For the 2008 season, Legg returned to Lakewood as the hitting coach, helping the BlueClaws to an 80–60 record. In July 2008, during the Beijing Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Legg served on the staff of the major league club as a short-term replacement as bullpen coach for Roly de Armas
Roly de Armas
Rolando Jesus de Armas is an American minor league baseball manager. A former catcher in the minor leagues, he spent all of his playing career and most of his managing career as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies' organization...
, who was on the staff of Team USA. In 2009 and 2010, Legg and the BlueClaws staff led the team to back-to-back South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
championships.
Philanthropy
In February 2010, Legg established the Northeast Pennsylvania Diamond Scholarship Award, a $1,000 award presented annually to a high school baseball player from LuzerneLuzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
or Lackawanna Counties
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Legg said of the scholarship, "There are so many charities that touch all our lives... I wanted to put a face on it, I wanted it to be a baseball scholarship. Down the road we will be looking to add a softball player as well."