Jeffrey Leonard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jeffrey Leonard |
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Leonard with the Giants in 1983
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: September 22, 1955 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 2, 1977, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1990, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .266 | ||
| Home runs | 144 | ||
| Runs batted in | 723 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jeffrey N. Leonard (born September 22, 1955) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jeffrey played for 14 seasons, from 1977 to 1990. He played for teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners. Before 1986, many people knew him as "Jeff" Leonard.
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Early Life and Sports
Jeffrey Leonard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a talented athlete at Overbrook High School. He excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. This school also produced famous basketball players like Wilt Chamberlain. Jeffrey received 60 scholarship offers for football and five for basketball. He didn't get any for baseball, even though he was a great shortstop. In baseball, he once hit two home runs in a single inning, twice!
Baseball Career Highlights
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Jeffrey Leonard in June 1973. This was when he was still an amateur player.
Minor League Journey
While playing in the minor leagues in 1981, Jeffrey got a cool nickname. His teammates, Max Venable and Guy Sularz, called him "HackMan." This was because he often swung at the very first pitch. Jeffrey didn't like how "Hackman" looked, so he asked them to spell it like the video game PacMan. That's how he became known as "HacMan."
Leonard was also famous for his "one flap down" routine. After hitting a home run, he would run around the bases with one arm hanging still at his side. In 1976, he led the California League in assists as an outfielder. In 1978, he led the Pacific Coast League in hits and batting average.
Major League Achievements
Jeffrey Leonard joined the San Francisco Giants in 1981. He was traded from the Houston Astros for another player. He was chosen to play in the All-Star team twice. First, for the National League in 1987. Then, for the American League in 1989.
One of Jeffrey Leonard's most memorable moments was in the 1987 National League Championship Series. He played for the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals. In that seven-game series, Leonard had an amazing performance. He scored five runs and got ten hits. He also hit four home runs and had five runs batted in. His batting average was .417, which is very high.
Because of his great play, Leonard won the 1987 NLCS Most Valuable Player Award. He is the last player to win this award while his team lost the series. His four home runs in that series tied a record. Only Bob Robertson (1971) and Steve Garvey (1978) had hit that many in a League Championship Series before him.
During this series, some people thought Leonard took too long to run the bases after his home runs. They called it a "Cadillac" home run trot. This was part of his unique style, including his "one-flap down" routine.
In 1988, Leonard was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. His playing time became less due to injuries.
Jeffrey Leonard had a strong career in the major leagues. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .266. He hit 144 home runs and scored 614 runs. He also had 723 runs batted in. In 1979, he hit .290 for the Houston Astros. His best season was in 1984 with the Giants. That year, he hit .302 with 21 home runs and 86 RBI. In 1989, playing for Seattle, he hit 24 home runs and had 93 RBI.
Life After Playing Baseball
After retiring from playing, Jeffrey Leonard became a coach. He coached for Minor League teams and college baseball teams. He coached the Antelope Valley College Marauders baseball team in 2003 and 2004. He helps students who want to play baseball at a higher level. Since 2013, he has worked for the San Francisco Giants as a community ambassador. This means he helps connect the team with the community.
Jeffrey Leonard has two sons. He and his former wife started a group called the One Flap Down Foundation. This foundation helps single parents who are going through breast cancer treatment. They started it after his former step-daughter, Christine, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. She was a single mother of three children.
See also
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
