Leon Durham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leon Durham |
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| First baseman / Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 31, 1957 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 27, 1980, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 17, 1989, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .277 | ||
| Home runs | 147 | ||
| Runs batted in | 530 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Leon "Bull" Durham (born July 31, 1957) is a former American baseball player. He played as a first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball for 10 seasons. Durham was also a hitting coach for many years. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds. Leon batted and threw with his left hand.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Leon Durham grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He went to Cincinnati Woodward High School and graduated in 1976. During his senior year, he was chosen as a high school All-American. He was a great player, hitting for a .385 batting average and smashing 16 home runs. He also pitched, winning 11 games and losing only 3.
Playing Career Highlights
The St. Louis Cardinals picked Leon Durham in the first round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 15th player chosen overall.
Making His Mark in MLB
Leon made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on May 27, 1980, with the St. Louis Cardinals. After that season, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. This trade helped his career take off!
In 1981, even though the season was shorter due to a strike, he hit 10 home runs and brought in 55 runs. The next year, 1982, was amazing for him. He had a .312 batting average, hit 22 home runs, had 90 RBIs, and stole 28 bases. He won the Silver Slugger Award as the Cubs' left fielder. He was also picked for the All-Star team.
Leon continued his strong play in 1983. He hit 12 home runs and had 55 RBIs in the first half of the season. He was again an All-Star. However, he got injured soon after and missed the rest of that season.
Moving to First Base
In 1984, the Cubs made some big changes to their team. Leon Durham moved from the outfield to play first base. He played a key role as the Cubs won the National League East division. That year, he hit .279 with 23 home runs and 96 RBIs. He even hit home runs in two important playoff games.
After 1984, Leon continued to hit over 20 home runs for three more seasons. He hit a career-high 27 home runs in 1987. His career ended in 1989 after playing briefly for the Cardinals again.
Over his 10 years in Major League Baseball, Leon Durham had a lifetime batting average of .277. He hit 147 home runs and brought in 530 runs. He was also a good fielder, especially at first base and in the outfield.
The 1984 National League Championship Series
Many baseball fans remember Leon Durham for a play he made during the 1984 National League Championship Series. This was a big playoff series between his Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres.
In the deciding fifth game, the Cubs were leading 3-0. But in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Padres scored two runs, making the score 3-2. Then, in the seventh inning, a Padres player hit a ground ball that went right through Leon Durham's legs at first base. This was a tough moment for the Cubs.
This play became known as the "Gatorade Glove Play." Some fans believed it was because Gatorade had spilled on Durham's glove before the inning. It was seen by some Cubs fans as a kind of "curse," like other famous Cubs stories.
The Padres ended up winning that game 6-3. This win sent them to the World Series for the first time ever. The Cubs had won the first two games of the series, but the Padres came back to win three in a row.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Leon Durham became a baseball coach. He worked as a hitting coach for many years. He coached for the Toledo Mud Hens, which is a minor league team for the Detroit Tigers. In 2016, he became the assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers. He later became the hitting coach for the Louisville Bats, a minor league team for the Cincinnati Reds.
In Other Media
Leon Durham has also appeared in movies!
- He played a character named Leon Alexander, a member of the Minnesota Twins, in the film Little Big League.
- He also had a brief appearance in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He was the first baseman in a scene where a foul ball is caught by the main character.
