Description
Tommy Leach born Thomas Andrew Leach
Born: November 4, 1877 in French Creek, NY
Died: September 29, 1969 in Haines City, FL
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5’ 6
Weight: 150 lbs.
Positions: Centerfielder and Third Baseman
Played For:
Louisville Colonels (1898–1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900–1912)
Chicago Cubs (1912–1914)
Cincinnati Reds (1915)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1918)
Biography:
Leach was well known for his small stature and was nicknamed “Wee Tommy”. In 1902, while with the Pirates, he led the National League in home runs with a total of six. Each one was of the inside-the-park variety, which was not unusual in the “dead-ball era”. 49 of Tommy Leach’s 63 career home runs were inside-the-park, which is still a National League record.
His big break came in 1898 when he hit .325 in 97 games with Auburn of the New York State League, and led the circuit in runs (85) and home runs (5). In August owner John Farrell sent Leach to the New York Giants for a two-week trial, but Giants owner Andrew Freedman promptly returned him, saying, “Take your boy back before he gets hurt. We don’t take midgets on the Giants.”
Soon thereafter, Louisville owner Barney Dreyfuss acquired the 20-year-old Leach for $650. Leach served as the utility man, and did not travel with the club on the road. Despite spending several weeks on the roster, he played in just three games, making three errors against just one hit. Leach started the 1899 season with the Colonels, but was farmed out to Worcester after making five errors in his first game. After a six-week stint for in the Eastern League, he returned to Louisville and hit .288 for the season, appearing in 25 at shortstop and 80 at third base.
When the core of the Colonels moved to Pittsburgh as part of a merger of the teams in 1900, Leach became a Pirate. Initially, it appeared likely that Leach’s career would fizzle out-the Pirates’ incumbent third baseman was Jimmy Williams, who had hit .354 as a 22-year old rookie in 1899. Tommie struggled as a reserve infielder in 1900–.213 in 160 at bats – but when Williams jumped to the fledgling American League for 1901, Leach was given the third base job, and he would soon be one of the best in the National League. In his first season as a regular, Leach hit .305 for the first of the Pirates’ three straight pennant winners.
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