Jump to content

Leon Day

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the baseball player. For the holiday, seeLeon Day (holiday).

Leon Day
Pitcher
Born:(1916-10-30)October 30, 1916
Alexandria, Virginia,U.S.
Died:March 13, 1995(1995-03-13)(aged 78)
Baltimore, Maryland,U.S.
Batted:Right
Threw:Right
Negro league baseball debut
1934,Baltimore Black Sox
Last appearance
1950,Baltimore Elite Giants
Career statistics
Win–loss record50–22
Earned run average3.58
Strikeouts432
Teams
Negro leagues
Mexican league
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1995
Election methodVeterans Committee

Leon Day(October 30, 1916 – March 13, 1995) was an American professional baseballpitcherwho spent the majority of his career in theNegro leagues.Recognized as one of the most versatile athletes in the league during his prime, Day could play every position, with the exception ofcatcher,and often was the startingsecond basemanorcenter fielderwhen he was not on the mound. A right-handed pitcher with a trademark no wind-up delivery, Day excelled at striking batters out, especially with his high-speedfastball.At the same time, he was an above-averagecontact hitter,which, combined with his effectiveness as a baserunner and his tenacious fielding, helped cement Day as one of the most dynamic players of the era.

Debuting in the Negro leagues in 1934, Day played with theBaltimore Black Sox,Newark Eagles,andBaltimore Elite Giantsduring his career. In 1937, Day had the best season of his career as a member of the Eagles, finishing with a perfect record of 13–0 and abatting averageover.300. Day also playedPuerto Rican winter ballin the offseasons. He holds both the Negro and Puerto Rican league records forstrikeoutsin a game, and appeared in the mostEast–West All-Star Games.

Because of his soft-spoken demeanor, Day's accomplishments were not immediately recognized as opposed to other elite pitchers of the league likeSatchel Paige.Nonetheless, Day is considered one of the best pitchers of the Negro leagues, equaling and sometimes surpassing the abilities of his rivals. In 1995, Day was elected into theBaseball Hall of Fame,just six days before his death at 78 years old.

Early life

[edit]

Day was born to glass factory worker Ellis Day and his wife Hattie Leet inAlexandria, Virginia,a city seven miles fromWashington, D.C.,on October 30, 1916.[1][2]His family, which included five other siblings, moved the following year toMount Winans,a predominantly black community in a poor area of SouthwestBaltimore,in a residence situated on Pierpont Street that lacked electricity and indoor plumbing. At a young age, Day became enamored with baseball, often playing local sandlot games or taking the long walk from his neighborhood to Maryland Ball Park where he watched theBaltimore Black Sox.[3]

Day participated in Mount Winans Athletic Club when he was 12 and 13 years old. Because his campus did not offer a baseball program, in 1933, at 17 years old, Day dropped out ofFrederick Douglass High Schoolto join the semi-professional team the Silver Moons.[4]With the club, he was predominantly asecond baseman,"but if the pitcher got in trouble", recollected Day, "I'd say 'Give me the ball'".[3]

Baseball career

[edit]

Negro leagues

[edit]

Day was discovered byHerbert "Rap" Dixon,a formerNegro leaguesbaseball player and manager of the Black Sox, who took notice of his exceptional fielding and pitching abilities.[5][6]In early 1934, Day was signed to a professional baseball contract worth $60 per month, gaining valuable insight during the season from his teammate Lamon Yokeley.[4][7]However, due to the financial instability of the organization, the Black Sox disbanded at the end of the year. Day, Dixon, Yokeley, and other high-profile teammates subsequently signed with theBrooklyn Eaglesin 1935. There, Day was mentored on hispickoffmove by pitcherTed "Double Duty" Radcliffe.[8]The Eagles' general manager,Ben Taylor,sensed potential in the promising prospect and incorporated Day into the starting rotation. His first regular season on the mound, Day finished with a 9–2 record, highlighted by aone-hitter,and earned his first of sevenEast–West All-Star Gameappearances.[9][10]

In 1936, Day was recognized as the ace of the recently relocated Newark Eagles pitching staff,[8]bringing "a lot of intangibles to his game—his tenacity in going after hitters, his speed and quickness in fielding the ball, and his dedication to the game", as Day's teammate of five yearsMax Manningrecalled.[9]His best season in the Negro leagues came in 1937, when Day was backed by the vaunted "million-dollar infield" consisting ofRay Dandridge,Willie Wells,Dick Seay,andMule Suttles.[11]Though just 5-foot-9 inches, Day delivered a 90–95mphfastball.The pitch was deceptively fast because Day delivered with no windup, and threw the competition off-balance with his pinpoint accuratecurveball.[12]Day posted a perfect 13–0 season, coupled by a 3.02earned run average(ERA),.320batting average,and eighthome runs.[3]When he was not active on the mound, Day at one point or another played at every position, with the exception ofcatcher,and was a dangerous bat in the line-up, excelling to such an extent that Day drew comparisons toBabe Ruth's legendary batting talent. Some writers like Daniel Nathan and Thomas Kern even argue that Day should have been a full-time outfielder to have his bat in the line-up every game.[3][9]

On July 31, 1942, Day set a Negro league record for strikeouts in a single game, striking out 18 batters from theBaltimore Elite Giantsin a one-hit shoutout. The only hit manufactured against Day that outing was a bloopsingleto left field off the bat of"Pee Wee" Butts.[9][13]In the 1942 East-West All-Star Game, with runners threatening in the seventh inning, Day entered in relief to strike out seven batters, the most recorded by a pitcher in an East-West All-Star appearance.[7]Although the Newark Eagles failed to secure theNegro National Leaguepennant that season, Day still participated in theNegro League World Seriesthanks to an odd transaction. After dropping the first three games, theHomestead Graysacquired Day on loan from the Eagles. He bested his rivalSatchel Paigeand theKansas City Monarchsin a 4–1 Game Four victory.[14]In response to the upset, thePittsburgh Courier,one of the most respected newspapers covering the Negro leagues, ranked Day ahead of Paige as the best pitcher in the league in 1942 and 1943.[4]For his performance, Day was rewarded with $100 and a train ride back to Baltimore.[14]The outcome of the game was thrown out on appeal by the Monarchs, however, for the Grays' use of unauthorized players. Without Day, the replay of the game was won by the Monarchs, sealing the series sweep.[15]

World War II

[edit]

On September 1, 1943, Day wasdraftedinto military service.[9]He served in the818th Amphibian Battalionand landed onUtah Beachsix days afterOperation Overlordto drop supplies. FollowingVE-Day,he was stationed in France. Day and fellow Negro leaguerWillard Brownwere recruited to the Overseas Invasion Service Expedition (OISE) All-Stars;Philadelphia PhilliespitcherSam Nahemwas the player-manager of the team.[9][16]The team easily overcame the competition to reach theETOWorld Series to face the71st Infantry Divisionteam, composed predominantly ofMajor League Baseballplayers. By contrast, the OISE club consisted of a mismatched roster of various minor leaguers, Negro leaguers, and semi-professionals. Before a crowd of 50,000 atStadion Nürnbergin Germany, Day pitched in Game Two for a 2–1 victory as the OISE All-Stars eventually won the championship in five games.[17]

Return to baseball

[edit]

Following his discharge from the military, Day returned to the Eagles in time forOpening Dayon May 5, 1946. Despite not having pitched professionally for so long, he threw ano-hitteragainst thePhiladelphia Starsin a 2–0 victory, allowing just three base runners via a walk and two errors charged to his teammates.[18]Hampered by a lingering arm injury, Day nonetheless led the league that season in wins, strikeouts, andcomplete games.[19]That same year, in the Negro League World Series, he pitched in two games as the Eagles edged the Monarchs in seven games, winning the championship.[20]He played his final season in the Negro leagues in 1949 with the Baltimore Elite Giants.[7]Record keeping was poor during Day's career; partial statistics credit him with a 67–29 record, but league historians claim he won as many as 300 games.[21][22]

Other leagues

[edit]

During the 1935 offseason, Day traveled to Puerto Rico to participate in the country'swinter ball league.Beginning with his first trip in 1935, he played six seasons of winter ball in Puerto Rico, spending most of his time with theAguadilla Sharks.

Much as with the Negro leagues, records of games were poorly documented, but some statistics show Day went 34–26 in his career with the team, and he established the league's record for most strikeouts in a game, posting 19 in 1939.[4][9]

In 1940, Day spent parts of the winter playing in theVenezuelan League,and for theVeracruz Red Eaglesof theMexican Baseball League,where he finished the season with a record of 6–0.[4]

He returned to the Mexican League in 1947 and 1948 for the financial remuneration, however, comparatively speaking, the venture was unsuccessful for Day, who finished with a combined record of 18–20 and a 4.00 ERA.[9]

Following his departure from the Negro leagues in 1950, Day spent a season with the semi-professional Winnipeg Buffalos of theMandak League.[23]Finally, in 1951 Day made his debut in organized baseball, albeit in the minors, with theToronto Maple Leafs,aTriple-Aclub where Day tallied a 1–1 record with a 1.58 ERA through 14 games. Lastly, Day also played for two other Class-A teams in the St. Louis Brownsfarm system,theScranton Minersand theEdmonton Eskimos,before retiring from professional baseball in 1955 at age 39.[9]

Later life and legacy

[edit]

In his post-baseball career, Day worked as abartenderin Newark before returning to his hometown in Baltimore in 1970, where he held a position as a security guard until 1979. Before Day's death in 1995, there were numerous efforts to celebrate his career and induct Day into theBaseball Hall of Famein Cooperstown, a long-time dream of his.[24]One such effort was made by MayorKurt Schmokewho declared January 31, 1992, Leon Day's Day in Baltimore. GovernorWilliam Donald Schaefermade a similar proclamation forAnnapolislater that same year on May 10. Day threw out theceremonial first pitchtoPat Bordersat the1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.Day's discreet demeanor and humble personality often understated his several accomplishments, most likely leading to him being overlooked by the Baseball Hall of Fame's voting committee.[24]After falling short one vote of being inducted in 1993, Day was elected to the Hall of Fame on March 7, 1995.[25]Six days later, Day died ofheart failurewhile in hospice atSt. Agnes Hospitalin Baltimore; he was 78 years old.[26]

Impossible to ignore was Day's disparity to his rival, Paige. Historians have noted that Paige had a boisterous approach compared to Day's reserved demeanor; Paige was tall and Day was short and slender; and Paige worked hard to promote his name while Day shied away from attention.[9]The pitchers' infrequent head-to-head matchups led to remarkable pitching duels, three of which Day won.[9]

Posthumous efforts were designed to honor Day. Baltimore renamed a west city park in 1997, refurbished with a baseball field and a sign welcoming visitors to "Negro League Hall of Famer Leon Day Park". Day's widow, Geraldine, established the Leon Day Foundation in 2001 to sponsor organized sports and preserve the cultural significance of the Negro leagues.[24]

In 2013, theBob Feller Act of Valor Awardhonored Day as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army during World War II.[27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^McCardell, Paul (2007)."Leon Day".Baltimore Sun.Archived fromthe originalon September 2, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 19,2017.
  2. ^"Day, Leon".Negro League Baseball Players Association. 2012.RetrievedJanuary 19,2017.
  3. ^abcdNathan, Daniel (2016).Baltimore Sports: Stories from Charm City.University of Arkansas Press. pp. 245–246.ISBN978-1-68226-005-0.
  4. ^abcdeMendel, Tim (2013)."In His Day, Leon Day Was the Best".The National Pastime Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-02-11.RetrievedJanuary 27,2017.
  5. ^Revel, Layton (2012)."Forgotten Heroes: Herbert" Rap "Dixon"(PDF).CNLBR.org.RetrievedJanuary 27,2017.
  6. ^Rogosin, Donn (1983).Invisible Men: Life in Baseball's Negro Leagues.University of Nebraska Press. pp. 56–57.ISBN978-0-8032-5969-0.
  7. ^abc"Leon Day".Kansas State University.2006. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 30,2017.
  8. ^abMcNary, Kyle (2003).Black Baseball: A History of African-Americans & the National Game.Sterling Publishing Company. p. 135.ISBN1-85648-694-X.
  9. ^abcdefghijkKern, Thomas (2015)."Leon Day".Society for American Baseball Research.RetrievedFebruary 5,2017.
  10. ^Martin, Arthur M. (2008).The Negro Leagues in New Jersey: A History.McFarland Publishing. pp. 51–52.ISBN978-0-7864-3900-3.
  11. ^Riley, James A. (2012).Of Monarchs and Black Barons: Essays on Baseball's Negro Leagues.McFarland Publishing. p. 148.ISBN978-0-7864-6542-2.
  12. ^Hill, Justice B. (2011)."Day's fastball dominated 'black baseball'".MLB.Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  13. ^"Leon Day".Baseball Hall of Fame.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  14. ^abRiley, James A. (2012).Of Monarchs and Black Barons: Essays on Baseball's Negro Leagues.McFarland Publishing. p. 155.ISBN978-0-7864-6542-2.
  15. ^Snyder, Brad (1995)."For Leon Day, dream is no longer deferred".Baltimore Sun.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  16. ^Weintraub, Robert (2013)."The amazing story of the U.S. military's integrated 'World Series' in Hitler Youth Stadium in 1945".Slate.RetrievedFebruary 7,2017.
  17. ^"Leon Day".Baseball in Wartime. 2008.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  18. ^Lammers, Dirk (2016)."70 years since Leon Day's Opening Day no-hitter".No-No Hitters.RetrievedFebruary 4,2017.
  19. ^"Leon Day".Black Baseball. 2012. Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 4,2017.
  20. ^Holway, John B. (2001).The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History.Fern Park, FL: Hastings House Publishers. pp. 438–440.ISBN0-8038-2007-0.
  21. ^McNeil, William (2000).Baseball's Other All-Stars: The Greatest Players from the Negro Leagues.McFarland Publishing. p. 67.ISBN0-7864-0784-0.
  22. ^James, Michael (1995)."Hall of a shame: Fame finds Leon Day too late for legend to walk through shrine".New York Daily News.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  23. ^Luke, Bob (2009).The Baltimore Elite Giants: Sport and Society in the Age of Negro Leagues.JHU Press. p. 128.ISBN978-0-8018-9116-8.
  24. ^abcNathan, Daniel (2016).Baltimore Sports: Stories from Charm City.University of Arkansas Press. p. 249.ISBN978-1-68226-005-0.
  25. ^McCauley, Mary (2016)."Hall of Famer Leon Day's 100th birthday celebrated at Babe Ruth Museum".Baltimore Sun.Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  26. ^"Leon Day, 78; Entered Hall of Fame a Week Ago".New York Times.1995.RetrievedFebruary 6,2017.
  27. ^"WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award".Archived fromthe originalon 2021-10-08.Retrieved2021-08-18.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leon_Day&oldid=1244224974"