Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher)

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Hubert Benjamin Leonard (April 16, 1892 in Birmingham, Ohio - July 11, 1952 in Fresno, California) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from 1913-1921, 1924-1925. He played for the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, both of the American League. Another right-handed pitcher, also called Dutch Leonard, pitched for the National League around a decade later.

[edit] Biography

Leonard broke in with the Red Sox in the 1913 season. He arose to fame when he led the American League in ERA in 1914 with 0.96, the modern record for single-season ERA. Leonard also pitched well in Boston's 1915 and 1916 World Series victories. Out for the 1918 season for shipbuilding and military reasons, Leonard finished his career with the Detroit Tigers for four years. He was later involved in accusations against former teammate Tris Speaker over gambling and betting issues from their days back in Boston.