Sam Leslie
Encyclopedia
Samuel Andrew Leslie (July 26, 1905, Moss Point, Mississippi
—January 21, 1979, Pascagoula, Mississippi
) was a first baseman
for Major League Baseball
's New York Giants
and Brooklyn Dodgers
from 1929 to 1938.
A left-hander, Leslie played ten years in the Major League as a first baseman, from his debut on October 6, 1929 until his final game on September 27, 1938. He first played for the New York Giants (1929-33), was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers during the '33 season (1933-35), and then sent back to the Giants (1936-38) where he finished out his career.
During the 1932 season, Leslie gained recognition by establishing a single season Major League Baseball record by collecting 22 pinch hits. While the record was broken in 1961, it remains the Giants' franchise single season record to this day. He also ranks second on the team's all-time pinch hit list with 57, just one behind the team record. Leslie's breakout year came in 1933 when he batted .295 with 148 hits and 73 RBIs in 136 games while playing stints for both the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In June 1933, Leslie was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for Lefty O'Doul and Watson Clark. He became the starting first baseman and continued to excel at the plate, batting .332 with 181 hits and 102 RBIs during the 1934 season with a rare inside the park grand slam on July 6. In 1935, he batted .308 with 160 hits and 93 RBIs.
In February 1936, Leslie returned to the New York Giants in exchange for cash and proceeded to split time at first base with player/manager Bill Terry. He was the only player to hit for the cycle in 1936 (on May 24) and was instrumental in the Giants winning the National League pennant in both the 1936 and 1937 seasons. The team, however, lost to their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in the World Series both years 4-2 and 4-1 respectively. During his final tenure with the Giants, Leslie batted .290 with 221 hits and 100 RBIs from 1936 to 1938.
Leslie retired from professional baseball after the 1938 season due to an injury and returned home to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help raise his family. He closed out his Major League career with a lifetime .304 batting average including 749 hits, 389 RBIs, and 36 home runs in 822 games. During his 10 years in the Major Leagues, he had the fortune of playing with many of baseball's legends including hall of fame teammates Mel Ott, Carl Hubbell, Bill Terry, and Travis Jackson with the Giants, as well as Hack Wilson and Al Lopez with the Dodgers. For his accomplishments on the field, Leslie was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1968.
Leslie died in January 1979 after a lengthy illness at the age of 73.
Moss Point, Mississippi
Moss Point is a city, north of Pascagoula, in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 17,653 at the 2000 census.On August 29, 2005, Moss Point was hit by the strong east side of Hurricane Katrina, and much of Moss Point was flooded or destroyed .-Geography:Moss Point is...
—January 21, 1979, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
) was a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for 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...
's 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 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...
from 1929 to 1938.
A left-hander, Leslie played ten years in the Major League as a first baseman, from his debut on October 6, 1929 until his final game on September 27, 1938. He first played for the New York Giants (1929-33), was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers during the '33 season (1933-35), and then sent back to the Giants (1936-38) where he finished out his career.
Early life
Sam Leslie was born on July 26, 1905, to Darling Bodden Leslie and Mary Anna Hamilton in Moss Point, Mississippi. He was the oldest of three children having a younger sister named Thelma and brother named Cecil.Baseball career
He began his professional baseball career with the Memphis Chicks in 1927 and was the league’s batting champion in 1929 with a .376 average. His Major League career began on October 6, 1929, when he joined the New York Giants, managed by future Hall of Famer John McGraw. During his first years with the club, he was primarily used as a pinch hitter and reserve player having the misfortune of playing behind long time Giants first baseman and Hall of Famer Bill Terry.During the 1932 season, Leslie gained recognition by establishing a single season Major League Baseball record by collecting 22 pinch hits. While the record was broken in 1961, it remains the Giants' franchise single season record to this day. He also ranks second on the team's all-time pinch hit list with 57, just one behind the team record. Leslie's breakout year came in 1933 when he batted .295 with 148 hits and 73 RBIs in 136 games while playing stints for both the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In June 1933, Leslie was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for Lefty O'Doul and Watson Clark. He became the starting first baseman and continued to excel at the plate, batting .332 with 181 hits and 102 RBIs during the 1934 season with a rare inside the park grand slam on July 6. In 1935, he batted .308 with 160 hits and 93 RBIs.
In February 1936, Leslie returned to the New York Giants in exchange for cash and proceeded to split time at first base with player/manager Bill Terry. He was the only player to hit for the cycle in 1936 (on May 24) and was instrumental in the Giants winning the National League pennant in both the 1936 and 1937 seasons. The team, however, lost to their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in the World Series both years 4-2 and 4-1 respectively. During his final tenure with the Giants, Leslie batted .290 with 221 hits and 100 RBIs from 1936 to 1938.
Leslie retired from professional baseball after the 1938 season due to an injury and returned home to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help raise his family. He closed out his Major League career with a lifetime .304 batting average including 749 hits, 389 RBIs, and 36 home runs in 822 games. During his 10 years in the Major Leagues, he had the fortune of playing with many of baseball's legends including hall of fame teammates Mel Ott, Carl Hubbell, Bill Terry, and Travis Jackson with the Giants, as well as Hack Wilson and Al Lopez with the Dodgers. For his accomplishments on the field, Leslie was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1968.
Personal life
In 1927, Leslie married Etta Katherine Bosarge and had three children: Sam Jr., Dorothy Lou, and Carl. After retiring from baseball, he worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS for 26 years. He and Etta had 13 grandchildren. In his later years, he was instrumental in starting the summer youth baseball league in Pascagoula, MS.Leslie died in January 1979 after a lengthy illness at the age of 73.
External links
- His statistics at Baseball-Reference.com