Len Koenecke
Encyclopedia
Leonard George "Len" Koenecke (January 18, 1904 in Baraboo, Wisconsin
, USA – September 17, 1935 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
) was an American
baseball
player who played Major League Baseball
for the Brooklyn Dodgers
and the New York Giants
. He is most widely known for his unusual death.
in the Mississippi Valley League
in 1927.
In 1928 he joined Indianapolis
in the American Association
.
in December 1931 in a deal worth $75,000. Manager John McGraw predicted he would "be a bright star in the National League". He played just the one season with the Giants.
In 1933 while playing for the International League Buffalo Bisons, he hit .334 and drove in 100 RBI's while hitting 8 home runs. In 1934 Koenecke joined the Brooklyn Dodgers where in his first season he hit 14 home runs, 73 RBI
and set a National League outfielding record fielding 0.994. His second season saw a decline in his onfield performance and his drinking became a problem to the point where he was cut during the middle of a road trip.
. During the flight he drank a quart of whiskey and became very drunk. After harassing other passengers and striking a stewardess, the pilot had to sit on him to restrain him as he was shackled to his seat. He was removed unconscious from the flight in Detroit. After sleeping on a chair in the airport he chartered a flight to Buffalo
. While flying over Canada
he had a disagreement with the pilot and a passenger and attempted to take control of the aircraft. In order to avoid a crash he was hit over the head by both the pilot (who had left his controls) and the other passenger with a fire extinguisher
. After an emergency landing on a racetrack it was found that Koenecke had died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The two pilots were charged with manslaughter but were found not guilty in a trial soon after.
Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo is the largest city in, and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. It is situated on the Baraboo River. Its 2010 population was 12,048 according to the US Census Bureau...
, USA – September 17, 1935 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 who played 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...
for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and 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....
. He is most widely known for his unusual death.
Early life
Koenecke was the son of a locomotive engineer and had worked as a fireman.Minor league career
Koenecke made his professional debut for the Moline PlowboysMoline Plowboys
The Moline Plowboys were a minor league baseball team that existed from 1914 to 1941. They were located in Moline, Illinois. From 1914 to 1923, they played in the Class B Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League; from 1924 to 1932, they played in the Class D Mississippi Valley League; and from 1937 to 1941,...
in the Mississippi Valley League
Mississippi Valley League
The Mississippi Valley League was a Class-D minor baseball league from 1922 to 1932, and a Class-B league in 1933.The league began play in 1922 with six teams: the Cedar Rapids Bunnies, the Marshalltown Ansons, the Rock Island Islanders, the Waterloo Hawks, the Ottumwa Cardinals and the Dubuque...
in 1927.
In 1928 he joined Indianapolis
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
in the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
.
Major League career
After several seasons with Indianapolis, Koenecke was signed to the New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in December 1931 in a deal worth $75,000. Manager John McGraw predicted he would "be a bright star in the National League". He played just the one season with the Giants.
In 1933 while playing for the International League Buffalo Bisons, he hit .334 and drove in 100 RBI's while hitting 8 home runs. In 1934 Koenecke joined the Brooklyn Dodgers where in his first season he hit 14 home runs, 73 RBI
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...
and set a National League outfielding record fielding 0.994. His second season saw a decline in his onfield performance and his drinking became a problem to the point where he was cut during the middle of a road trip.
Death
After being sent home from the road trip he caught a commercial flight for New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. During the flight he drank a quart of whiskey and became very drunk. After harassing other passengers and striking a stewardess, the pilot had to sit on him to restrain him as he was shackled to his seat. He was removed unconscious from the flight in Detroit. After sleeping on a chair in the airport he chartered a flight to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. While flying over Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
he had a disagreement with the pilot and a passenger and attempted to take control of the aircraft. In order to avoid a crash he was hit over the head by both the pilot (who had left his controls) and the other passenger with a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
. After an emergency landing on a racetrack it was found that Koenecke had died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The two pilots were charged with manslaughter but were found not guilty in a trial soon after.
External links
- Story and obituary from the September 17th, 1935 edition of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- ESPN.com - Major leaguers who died in-season
- Baseball-reference.com profile