Hank Leiber
Encyclopedia
Henry Edward Leiber was an American
professional
baseball
player. He played as an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
from to with the New York Giants
and Chicago Cubs
.
in 1911. He attended the University of Arizona
and was a pitcher
for the Arizona Wildcats baseball
team. He began his professional baseball career in . He hit .362 in the Class B Piedmont League
and debuted in the majors the following April, with the Giants. However, he spent most of 1933 with the Memphis Chickasaws of the Southern Association
, where he hit .358. In 1934, he started the season with the Nashville Volunteers. He was hitting .424 through 45 games when he was again called up by the Giants, this time for good.
. The following season, he broke out, hitting .331 with 22 home run
s and 107 runs batted in. He finished 11th in the American League
Most Valuable Player Award voting; this would remain his best season in the majors. Leiber was a hold-out the following spring. He eventually played in 101 games, but his numbers dropped and he only batted .279.
Leiber had a tendency to crowd the plate while hitting. During spring training
in 1937
, he was beaned
by one of the fastest pitchers in history, Bob Feller
. Leiber suffered a concussion and was bothered by dizziness for the rest of the season. However, he eventually recovered enough to play in the 1937 World Series
, hitting for a .364 average in three games.
Leiber was named to the All-Star
team in 1938
. That December, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and he responded with two good seasons - hitting over .300 in 1939
and 1940
and being named to his second All-Star team.
In June 1941
, Leiber was beaned again, this time by Cliff Melton
. He missed the rest of the season and was traded back to the New York Giants. He did play in 1942
but suffered a calf
injury, and his production suffered. With World War II
going on, Leiber went back to his home in Arizona. He did not return to the majors when the war ended.
, accumulating 808 hits
in 2,805 at bats for a .288 career batting average along with 101 home runs, 518 runs batted in and an on base percentage
of .356. He retired with a .973 fielding percentage
.
Leiber is remembered for hitting one of the longest fly ball outs
in major league history. On October 2, , during Game 2 of the 1936 World Series
at the Polo Grounds
, Leiber hit a long fly ball to deep, center field that traveled an estimated 490 feet from home plate
, before being caught by Joe Dimaggio
for the final out of the game.
for one season (1950). He eventually became a successful real-estate developer.
In 1963, Leiber was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. He died in Tucson, Arizona
at the age of 82.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
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...
from to with the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and 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...
.
Early life
Leiber was born in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in 1911. He attended the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
and was a pitcher
Pitcher
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 retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Arizona Wildcats baseball
Arizona Wildcats baseball
The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The baseball team had its first season in 1904...
team. He began his professional baseball career in . He hit .362 in the Class B Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
and debuted in the majors the following April, with the Giants. However, he spent most of 1933 with the Memphis Chickasaws of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
, where he hit .358. In 1934, he started the season with the Nashville Volunteers. He was hitting .424 through 45 games when he was again called up by the Giants, this time for good.
Major league career
Leiber batted just .241 with the Giants in 19341934 New York Giants (MLB) season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
. The following season, he broke out, hitting .331 with 22 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 107 runs batted in. He finished 11th in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Most Valuable Player Award voting; this would remain his best season in the majors. Leiber was a hold-out the following spring. He eventually played in 101 games, but his numbers dropped and he only batted .279.
Leiber had a tendency to crowd the plate while hitting. During spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 1937
1937 New York Giants (MLB) season
-Offseason:* January 6, 1937: Tommy Thevenow was purchased by the Giants from the Cincinnati Reds.* January 25, 1937: Ed Madjeski was purchased by the Giants from the New York Yankees.-Notable transactions:...
, he was beaned
Beanball
"Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head...
by one of the fastest pitchers in history, Bob Feller
Bob Feller
On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama, and missed four seasons during his service...
. Leiber suffered a concussion and was bothered by dizziness for the rest of the season. However, he eventually recovered enough to play in the 1937 World Series
1937 World Series
The 1937 World Series featured the defending champion New York Yankees and the New York Giants in a rematch of the 1936 Series. The Yankees won the Series in five games for their second championship in a row and their sixth in fifteen years. It also broke a tie that they had reached in 1936, with...
, hitting for a .364 average in three games.
Leiber was named to the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team in 1938
1938 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1938 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 6th playing of the mid-summer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 6, 1938 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, the home of the...
. That December, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, and he responded with two good seasons - hitting over .300 in 1939
1939 Chicago Cubs season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
and 1940
1940 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* October 3, 1940: Jake Mooty was drafted by the Cubs from the Syracuse Stars in the 1939 rule 5 draft.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
and being named to his second All-Star team.
In June 1941
1941 Chicago Cubs season
- Notable transactions :* September 2, 1941: Hank Gornicki was purchased by the Cubs from the St. Louis Cardinals.* September 22, 1941: The purchase of Hank Gornicki's contract by the Cubs from the Cardinals was voided, and Gornicki was returned to the Cardinals....
, Leiber was beaned again, this time by Cliff Melton
Cliff Melton
Clifford George Melton was a professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of eight seasons with the New York Giants. For his career, he compiled an 86-80 record in 272 appearances, with an 3.42 earned run average and 660 strikeouts...
. He missed the rest of the season and was traded back to the New York Giants. He did play in 1942
1942 New York Giants (MLB) season
- Offseason :* Prior to 1942 season: Al Sima was signed as an amateur free agent by the Giants.- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in...
but suffered a calf
Calf (anatomy)
In human anatomy the calf is the back portion of the lower leg . In terms of muscle systems, the calf corresponds to the posterior compartment of the leg. Within the posterior compartment, the two largest muscles are known together as the calf muscle and attach to the heel via the Achilles tendon...
injury, and his production suffered. With World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
going on, Leiber went back to his home in Arizona. He did not return to the majors when the war ended.
Career statistics
In a 10 year major league career, Traynor played in 813 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 808 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....
in 2,805 at bats for a .288 career batting average along with 101 home runs, 518 runs batted in and an on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .356. He retired with a .973 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...
.
Leiber is remembered for hitting one of the longest fly ball outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in major league history. On October 2, , during Game 2 of the 1936 World Series
1936 World Series
The 1936 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the New York Giants, with the Yankees winning in six games to earn their fifth championship....
at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, Leiber hit a long fly ball to deep, center field that traveled an estimated 490 feet from home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
, before being caught by Joe Dimaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
for the final out of the game.
Later life
Leiber managed the Tucson Cowboys of the Arizona-Texas LeagueArizona-Texas League
The Arizona-Texas League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1928-32, 1937-41, 1947-50 and 1952-54. The Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwest International League in 1951...
for one season (1950). He eventually became a successful real-estate developer.
In 1963, Leiber was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. He died in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
at the age of 82.
External links
- Hank Leiber at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...