Object Details
referenced
Leonard, Walter F.
Description
Baseball awarded to Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (1907-1997), star first baseman of the Negro League's Homestead Grays, while playing winter baseball in Mexico in 1953.
Walter “Buck” Leonard played professional baseball in the Negro and Puerto Rican, Cuban, Venezuelan and Mexican Leagues, notably manning first base for the Negro League’s Homestead Grays from 1934 to 1950. Alongside fellow legends such as Josh Gibson and Cool Papa bell, Leonard brought the Grays three Negro League World Series Championships (1943, 1944, 1948.) The left-handed slugger led the Negro National League in hitting twice (1935,1938) and was named to between 11-14 All-Star teams (depending on the source.) Overall, he finished his Negro League career with a .346 lifetime batting average with 748 hits, 97 home runs and 548 runs batted in. In 1972 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Walter F. Leonard
date made
1953
ID Number
1981.0123.13
catalog number
1981.0123.13
accession number
1981.0123
Object Name
autographed baseball
baseball, autographed
baseball, negro league
autographed baseball, negro league
Physical Description
leather (overall material)
cork center (overall material)
yellowed (overall color)
red (overall color)
Measurements
overall: 3 in; 7.62 cm
associated place
United States
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Autographed Baseballs
Data Source
National Museum of American History
web subject
African American History
name of sport
Baseball
web subject
Sports
level of sport
negro leagues
Professional
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1063454