Buck Leonard
#23
AT First Base
1933—1948
First Base
BORN
September 8, 1907, in Rocky Mount, NC
BATS / THROWS
Left / Left
HT / WT
5-10 / 185
MLB DEBUT
1934
FINAL GAME
1948
PRIMARY TEAM
Homestead Grays
.346
BATTING AVERAGE
748
HITS
72.6
WAR
.453
ON-BASE PCT
97
HOME RUNS
38.9
WAR7
.593
SLUGGING
1.046
ON-BASE + SLUGGING
Leonard hit cleanup directly behind teammate Josh Gibson for numerous seasons on the Homestead Grays, arguably the greatest teams in the history of the negro leagues. Leonard and Gibson were compared to Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, and some even called Buck “The Black Lou Gehrig.” He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, the same year Gibson was honored.
Compared to Hall of Fame First Basemen
| CAREER | LONG PEAK | PRIME | SHORT PEAK | JAWS | WAR PER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Leonard |
72.6 |
38.9 |
28.7 |
20.0 |
55.8 |
NR |
|
AVERAGE HALL OF FAMER |
62.1 |
42.4 |
30.7 |
21.0 |
52.3 |
5.09 |
Where Does Buck Leonard Rank
Among First Basemen?
| RANKING | CAREER | LONG PEAK | PRIME | SHORT PEAK | JAWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
23 |
6 |
22 |
20 |
24 |
8 |
|
EGG RANKING |
WAR |
WAR7 |
WAR 5 CONSECUTIVE |
WAR3 |
JAWS |