Jesse Levan
Encyclopedia
Jesse Roy Levan was a professional baseball
player. In an 14-season professional career, he appeared in Major League Baseball
during three years: in 1947 with the Philadelphia Phillies
of the National League
; and in 1954 and 1955 with the American League
's Washington Senators
. He was officially listed as standing 6 feet (182.9 cm) and weighing 172 lbs. A winner of multiple minor league batting titles, Levan was the last person banned by baseball's governing organizations for conspiring to fix games.
. Playing in youth leagues, he won his first amateur batting titles, and he led the Reading High School
baseball team to their league championship behind his .443 batting average
and a three home run
performance in one of the Knights' thirteen games. Cy Morgan
, a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies
, signed Levan to a $1,000 contract ($ today) in 1944, prior to his graduation from high school. A reporter for the Reading Eagle–Times
called Levan one of "the best natural hitters in Berks County
history".
of the Interstate League
. He played in 136 games for the class-B club, hitting four home runs and batting .316. In October, he was drafted into the Army, serving the remainder of the year, as well as 1945 and 1946, with the 94th Infantry Division and winning the European Armed Forces batting championship with a .343 average. Levan was re-assigned to Wilmington after returning to the United States. He combined his earlier speed (his 100 yard dash in uniform
had been clocked at 10 seconds) with newfound power, hitting 19 home runs, 19 doubles
, and a team-leading 20 triples
.
At the close of the Interstate League season, Levan was called up to the Phillies. He made his major league debut against the New York Giants
, collecting his first hit
in his second official at bat
. Batting second in the lineup, he finished his first game 2-for-5, notching his first major league run batted in
(RBI). The following day, he helped pitcher Curt Simmons
, a former teammate in American Legion Baseball
, earn his first victory over Andy Hansen
of the Giants by hitting safely twice in four times at bat and scoring one run.
, Levan opened the 1948 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
. He hit three doubles and three home runs, but was demoted to Wilmington after 31 contests. He batted .344 for the Blue Rocks, the best mark among the team's players who appeared in more than 30 games, collecting 49 extra-base hits.
The Phillies sold Levan's rights to the Boston Braves
-affiliated Milwaukee Brewers
, where he batted only .103 before being demoted to the Hartford Chiefs. He batted .291 in 223 at bats with the class-A Sunbury Reds, amassing twelve doubles, three triples, and five home runs, but by the end of the year had been demoted to the class-D Bluefield Blue-Grays.
Saints of St. Hyacinthe
, a town in Quebec. In 120 games in Canada, Levan batted .347 and led the team with 17 home runs and 36 doubles.
The following season, Levan moved south to the Florida- and Cuba-based Florida International League
, winning a second batting title by hitting .337 for the Miami Beach Flamingos and leading the team in times at bat (574) and doubles (35). In 1953, he played a short period with the Atlanta Crackers
, but spent most of the season back in the Florida International League, batting .323 for the Fort Lauderdale Lions. He notched a .502 slugging percentage while collecting 31 doubles and 6 home runs.
, becoming the Flamingos once again. Levan led the team with 23 home runs—the only player to exceed a single-digit total—as well as having the club's best hit (130) and doubles (21) totals. Despite leading the team in these categories by season's end, Levan actually left the Miami franchise in August to report to the Single-A level affiliate of the Washington Senators
, based in Charlotte, North Carolina
. He batted .412 for the Hornets
for the remainder of the South Atlantic League
season, notching 21 extra-base hits. The Senators called him up for seven games in September; he made his American League
debut on the sixth of that month, collecting no hits in four at-bats as Washington's first baseman. His first hit with the Senators came on September 18, when he had a pinch-hit single in the 8th frame of a 15-inning contest against the Boston Red Sox
. Levan raised his average to .286 in his next game, leading off against the New York Yankees
and singling in his only at bat. He appeared in three consecutive contests to complete his first term with the Senators, going hitless on September 24 and 25 and singling on September 26 to fix his yearly batting average in the majors at .300.
Levan began the 1955 season on the Senators' bench, playing exclusively as a pinch-hitter during this major league campaign. He opened the year auspiciously, notching an RBI single in his first at-bat of the season, pinch-hitting on April 11. He collected another hit on April 22, but then remained hitless until mid-May, when he appeared in both games of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles
. In the nightcap, he hit his first and only major league home run, scoring himself and plating two runs (Bruce Edwards
, who doubled leading off the inning; and Bobby Kline
, who hit into a fielder's choice
). After hitless performances against the Detroit Tigers
and the Chicago White Sox
, manager Chuck Dressen
demoted Levan to Charlotte, ending his brief major league career. For the remainder of the year, he played primarily first base and the outfield for the Hornets, batting .280 with seven home runs.
for the 1956 season, where he would finish his career. He led the Looks with 25 home runs that year, batting .311 and slugging .512. The following season, Levan partnered with Harmon Killebrew
to set a Southern Association
(SA) record for most home runs and RBI by a pair of hitters for the same team, as he contributed 26 home runs and 118 RBI to the tandem total. That year, he won the SA batting crown by hitting .345, including a six-game period in which he went 18-for-25 with 11 extra-base hits; "the Chattanooga News – Free Press called it 'the greatest batting spree in minor league history.
In 1958, the Arkansas Democrat named Levan a "hitting machine" after he went 7-for-8 over a two-game span; for the season, he batted .292 with 26 home runs, the largest single-season total that he hit for a single team, and added 15 doubles and 4 triples to those totals in 558 at-bats, the team's second highest mark. Levan was leading the 1959 Lookouts with a .337 batting average in July 1959 when his teammates were summoned to a meeting with the SA president, Charlie Hurth.
, and Levan was allegedly the arranger of the scheme, "acting as a liaison agent for batting interests and offering fellow club members money to throw games". Another gambling scandal involved players intentionally fouling off balls in order for gamblers in the stands to take advantage of patrons; the latter scandal, also involving Levan, caused Joe Tipton
to earn a life ban from the SA. After interrogating both Gonzalez and Levan, the players were suspended indefinitely (Gonzalez' ban was later reduced to a one-year suspension) for "failure to report a bribery attempt by a gambler"; Levan was also placed on the permanently ineligible list, barring him from participating in any baseball events sponsored by the National Association
, minor league baseball's governing body.
teams. He retired from Berks in 1988 and was honored as a baseball legend in a ceremony at Municipal Stadium
in Reading in 1996. He was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Levan died at age 72 on November 30, 1998, and was interred in Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading.
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. In an 14-season professional career, he appeared 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...
during three years: in 1947 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...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
; and in 1954 and 1955 with 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...
's Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He was officially listed as standing 6 feet (182.9 cm) and weighing 172 lbs. A winner of multiple minor league batting titles, Levan was the last person banned by baseball's governing organizations for conspiring to fix games.
Early life
Levan was born on July 15, 1926 in Reading, PennsylvaniaReading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. Playing in youth leagues, he won his first amateur batting titles, and he led the Reading High School
Reading High School (Reading, Pennsylvania)
Affectionately known as "The Castle on the Hill," Reading High School in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States is home to nearly 3,000 students and several hundred teachers. The school houses 11th through 12th grade students from within the city limits in one of the largest school buildings on the...
baseball team to their league championship behind his .443 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 :...
and a three 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...
performance in one of the Knights' thirteen games. Cy Morgan
Cy Morgan
Harry Richard Morgan born in Pomeroy, Ohio was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Athletics , and Cincinnati Reds ....
, a scout for 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...
, signed Levan to a $1,000 contract ($ today) in 1944, prior to his graduation from high school. A reporter for the Reading Eagle–Times
Reading Eagle
The Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
called Levan one of "the best natural hitters in Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
history".
Wilmington, the Army, and Philadelphia
After signing with the Phillies, Levan was assigned to the Wilmington Blue RocksWilmington Blue Rocks (1940–1952)
The Wilmington Blue Rocks were a minor league baseball team based in Wilmington, Delaware, playing in the Interstate League from 1940-1952. The nickname "Blue Rocks" came from 73-year-old Robert Miller in a name-the-team contest. Miller lived in the Henry Clay section of the city, famed for its...
of the Interstate League
Interstate League
The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. The longest tenured of these was the last incarnation, which played in the Middle Atlantic States from 1939 through 1952, and was one of the few mid-level minor...
. He played in 136 games for the class-B club, hitting four home runs and batting .316. In October, he was drafted into the Army, serving the remainder of the year, as well as 1945 and 1946, with the 94th Infantry Division and winning the European Armed Forces batting championship with a .343 average. Levan was re-assigned to Wilmington after returning to the United States. He combined his earlier speed (his 100 yard dash in uniform
Baseball uniform
A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players. Most baseball uniforms have the names and uniform numbers of players who wear them, usually on the backs of the uniforms to distinguish players from one other. Baseball shirts , pants, shoes, socks, caps, and glove are parts of...
had been clocked at 10 seconds) with newfound power, hitting 19 home runs, 19 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 a team-leading 20 triples
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....
.
At the close of the Interstate League season, Levan was called up to the Phillies. He made his major league debut against 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....
, collecting his first hit
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 his second official at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
. Batting second in the lineup, he finished his first game 2-for-5, notching his first major league run batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(RBI). The following day, he helped pitcher Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons
Curtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
, a former teammate in American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 50 states in the USA. More than five thousand teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota...
, earn his first victory over Andy Hansen
Andy Hansen
Andrew Viggo "Andy" Hansen , nicknamed Swede, was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. In a nine-season career, he played for the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies...
of the Giants by hitting safely twice in four times at bat and scoring one run.
Six teams in two seasons
After offseason medical treatment at Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Levan opened the 1948 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. He hit three doubles and three home runs, but was demoted to Wilmington after 31 contests. He batted .344 for the Blue Rocks, the best mark among the team's players who appeared in more than 30 games, collecting 49 extra-base hits.
The Phillies sold Levan's rights to the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
-affiliated Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
, where he batted only .103 before being demoted to the Hartford Chiefs. He batted .291 in 223 at bats with the class-A Sunbury Reds, amassing twelve doubles, three triples, and five home runs, but by the end of the year had been demoted to the class-D Bluefield Blue-Grays.
Two batting titles
During the 1950 season, Levan played for the Hagerstown Braves, Boston's B-level affiliate. Second on the club with 512 at bats, the 23-year-old lefthander led the Braves in hits (177) and doubles (34), finishing second to Joe Tedesco with 13 home runs and 7 triples. His .344 batting average was the best in that year's Interstate League, Levan's first professional batting championship. For his efforts, he was named to the league's postseason all-star team. The Braves sold Levan to the unaffiliated Class-B Raleigh Capitals, where he hit .222 in 18 at bats. He was released by the Carolina club and signed with the Provincial LeagueProvincial League (baseball minor league)
The Provincial League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in North American minor league baseball...
Saints of St. Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
, a town in Quebec. In 120 games in Canada, Levan batted .347 and led the team with 17 home runs and 36 doubles.
The following season, Levan moved south to the Florida- and Cuba-based Florida International League
Florida International League
The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 for the final 5½ years of its existence.The FIL...
, winning a second batting title by hitting .337 for the Miami Beach Flamingos and leading the team in times at bat (574) and doubles (35). In 1953, he played a short period with the Atlanta Crackers
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
, but spent most of the season back in the Florida International League, batting .323 for the Fort Lauderdale Lions. He notched a .502 slugging percentage while collecting 31 doubles and 6 home runs.
Second chance at the majors
In 1954, the Lions transferred their franchise back to MiamiMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, becoming the Flamingos once again. Levan led the team with 23 home runs—the only player to exceed a single-digit total—as well as having the club's best hit (130) and doubles (21) totals. Despite leading the team in these categories by season's end, Levan actually left the Miami franchise in August to report to the Single-A level affiliate of the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, based in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. He batted .412 for the Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
for the remainder of the 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...
season, notching 21 extra-base hits. The Senators called him up for seven games in September; he made his 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...
debut on the sixth of that month, collecting no hits in four at-bats as Washington's first baseman. His first hit with the Senators came on September 18, when he had a pinch-hit single in the 8th frame of a 15-inning contest against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. Levan raised his average to .286 in his next game, leading off against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and singling in his only at bat. He appeared in three consecutive contests to complete his first term with the Senators, going hitless on September 24 and 25 and singling on September 26 to fix his yearly batting average in the majors at .300.
Levan began the 1955 season on the Senators' bench, playing exclusively as a pinch-hitter during this major league campaign. He opened the year auspiciously, notching an RBI single in his first at-bat of the season, pinch-hitting on April 11. He collected another hit on April 22, but then remained hitless until mid-May, when he appeared in both games of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. In the nightcap, he hit his first and only major league home run, scoring himself and plating two runs (Bruce Edwards
Bruce Edwards (baseball)
Charles Bruce Edwards was an American professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to and from to , most notably for the Brooklyn Dodgers.- Baseball career:...
, who doubled leading off the inning; and Bobby Kline
Bobby Kline
John Robert Kline is a former professional baseball player. He was a shortstop for one season with the Washington Senators. For his career, he compiled a .221 batting average in 140 at bats, with nine runs batted in.In addition, Kline played 11 seasons in the minor leagues for 10 teams.-External...
, who hit into a fielder's choice
Fielder's choice
In baseball, fielder's choice is a term used to refer to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance...
). After hitless performances against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, manager Chuck Dressen
Chuck Dressen
Charles Walter Dressen , known as both "Chuck" and "Charlie," was an American third baseman, manager and coach in professional baseball during a career that lasted almost fifty years, and was best known as the manager of the powerful Brooklyn Dodgers of 1951–1953...
demoted Levan to Charlotte, ending his brief major league career. For the remainder of the year, he played primarily first base and the outfield for the Hornets, batting .280 with seven home runs.
Chattanooga and the ban
Levan was promoted to the double-A Chattanooga LookoutsChattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
for the 1956 season, where he would finish his career. He led the Looks with 25 home runs that year, batting .311 and slugging .512. The following season, Levan partnered with Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
to set a 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...
(SA) record for most home runs and RBI by a pair of hitters for the same team, as he contributed 26 home runs and 118 RBI to the tandem total. That year, he won the SA batting crown by hitting .345, including a six-game period in which he went 18-for-25 with 11 extra-base hits; "the Chattanooga News – Free Press called it 'the greatest batting spree in minor league history.
In 1958, the Arkansas Democrat named Levan a "hitting machine" after he went 7-for-8 over a two-game span; for the season, he batted .292 with 26 home runs, the largest single-season total that he hit for a single team, and added 15 doubles and 4 triples to those totals in 558 at-bats, the team's second highest mark. Levan was leading the 1959 Lookouts with a .337 batting average in July 1959 when his teammates were summoned to a meeting with the SA president, Charlie Hurth.
Match-fixing allegations and ban
The Southern Association alleged that Levan, in combination with Waldo Gonzalez, conspired to fix games by tipping pitches to opposing players. Gonzalez was accused of relaying pitches to players and coaches for the Mobile BearsMobile Bears
The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama. The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association, a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls, but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and...
, and Levan was allegedly the arranger of the scheme, "acting as a liaison agent for batting interests and offering fellow club members money to throw games". Another gambling scandal involved players intentionally fouling off balls in order for gamblers in the stands to take advantage of patrons; the latter scandal, also involving Levan, caused Joe Tipton
Joe Tipton
Joe Hicks Tipton was a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1954. Tipton, who was born in McCaysville, Georgia, batted and threw right-handed....
to earn a life ban from the SA. After interrogating both Gonzalez and Levan, the players were suspended indefinitely (Gonzalez' ban was later reduced to a one-year suspension) for "failure to report a bribery attempt by a gambler"; Levan was also placed on the permanently ineligible list, barring him from participating in any baseball events sponsored by the National Association
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, minor league baseball's governing body.
After baseball
After leaving baseball, Levan returned to his hometown with his wife, Geraldine. He worked for the Berks Meat Packing Company as a truck driver and coached softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
teams. He retired from Berks in 1988 and was honored as a baseball legend in a ceremony at Municipal Stadium
FirstEnergy Stadium
FirstEnergy Stadium is a 9,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game in 1951. The park is home to the Reading Phillies of the Eastern League. It was voted the second best place to see a baseball game by Minor League News in 2006...
in Reading in 1996. He was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Levan died at age 72 on November 30, 1998, and was interred in Charles Evans Cemetery, Reading.
See also
- Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster (L)Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster (L)The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The team has played officially under two names since beginning play in 1883: the current moniker, as well as the...
- List of people banned from Major League Baseball