Dave Leonhard
Encyclopedia
David Paul Leonhard is a former pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles
. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Leonhard batted and threw right-handed. He attended Johns Hopkins University
.
A native of Arlington, Virginia, Leonhard was signed by the Orioles as a free agent in 1963. He started his professional career with Class C Aberdeen Pheasants
(1963-1964), and won the International League
Pitcher of the Year Award while playing for the Rochester Red Wings
in 1967, gaining a promotion to Baltimore late in the season.
In three games with the 1967 Orioles, Leonhard went 0-0 with a 3.14 ERA
in 14 ⅓ innings of work. In 1968 collected a 7-7 record in a starting
rotation that included Dave McNally
(22-10), Jim Hardin
(18-13) and Tom Phoebus
(15-15), but with the emergence of Jim Palmer
in 1969, he was relegated to the bullpen
.
In a six-season career, Leonhard posted a 16-14 record with a 3.15 ERA in 117 appearances, including 29 starts, seven complete game
s, four shutout
s and five saves
, giving up 118 earned runs on 287 hits and 150 walks
while striking out
146 in 337.0 innings.
Leonhard appeared in the 1969
and 1971
World Series
(3.00 ERA in two games), and won a WS series ring in 1970
though he did not play in the Series. He also pitched with the Puerto Rican
team in the 1971 Caribbean Series
and for Triple-A Salt Lake City Angels
in 1973.
Today, Leonhard and his wife own a flower shop and nursery in Beverly, Massachusetts
. They are well known for their flower arrangements for weddings and their vast array of flowers, tomato and herb plants and ornamental shrubs and small trees.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
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...
who played from through for 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...
. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Leonhard batted and threw right-handed. He attended Johns Hopkins University
Johns 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...
.
A native of Arlington, Virginia, Leonhard was signed by the Orioles as a free agent in 1963. He started his professional career with Class C Aberdeen Pheasants
Aberdeen Pheasants
The Aberdeen Pheasants were a class C minor league baseball team located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Pheasants were the Class C minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns until 1953. When the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954 and changed their name to the Orioles, the Pheasants remained in...
(1963-1964), and won 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...
Pitcher of the Year Award while playing for the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
in 1967, gaining a promotion to Baltimore late in the season.
In three games with the 1967 Orioles, Leonhard went 0-0 with a 3.14 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 14 ⅓ innings of work. In 1968 collected a 7-7 record in a starting
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
rotation that included Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
(22-10), Jim Hardin
Jim Hardin
James Warren Hardin was a professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves from 1967 through 1973 and was a member of one of the best pitching staffs of the 1960s and 1970s that included Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Tom Phoebus, and Mike Cuellar...
(18-13) and Tom Phoebus
Tom Phoebus
Thomas Harold Phoebus , is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Baltimore Orioles , San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs...
(15-15), but with the emergence of Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
in 1969, he was relegated to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
.
In a six-season career, Leonhard posted a 16-14 record with a 3.15 ERA in 117 appearances, including 29 starts, seven complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, four shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s and five saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
, giving up 118 earned runs on 287 hits and 150 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
146 in 337.0 innings.
Leonhard appeared in the 1969
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
and 1971
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(3.00 ERA in two games), and won a WS series ring in 1970
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
though he did not play in the Series. He also pitched with the Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
team in the 1971 Caribbean Series
1971 Caribbean Series
The XIV edition of the Caribbean Series baseball tournament was played in 1971. It was held from February 6 through February 11 with the champions teams from Dominican Republic, Tigres del Licey; Mexico, Naranjeros de Hermosillo; Puerto Rico, Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Venezuela, Tiburones de La...
and for Triple-A Salt Lake City Angels
Salt Lake City Angels
The Salt Lake City Angels, a former member of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, were a minor league affiliate of the California Angels from 1971 to 1974. The won the PCL title in 1971.-Notable players:Some notable players from the Salt Lake City Angels:...
in 1973.
1968 season
- On May 6, Leonhard took a no-hitterNo-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
into the seventh inning before Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe 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...
outfielder Jim Northrup broke it up with a singleSingle (baseball)In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
after two outs. He had to conform with a one-hit shutout, 4–0 victory over Detroit at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. - On May 30, blanked the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe 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...
at Comiskey ParkComiskey ParkComiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, 5–0, giving up just two singles to Luis AparicioLuis AparicioLuis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
(4th inning) and Tommy McCrawTommy McCrawTommy Lee McCraw was a Major League first baseman and outfielder for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians and California Angels ....
(7th).
Today, Leonhard and his wife own a flower shop and nursery in Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
. They are well known for their flower arrangements for weddings and their vast array of flowers, tomato and herb plants and ornamental shrubs and small trees.