Lee Handley
Encyclopedia
Lee Elmer Handley was a second baseman
/third baseman
who played in Major League Baseball
between and . Nicknamed "Jeep", Handley batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Clarion, Iowa
. His younger brother, Gene
, also played in major league from 1946-47.
Listed at 5' 7", 160 lb., Handley was a flashy infielder and a disciplinated hitter as well. He reached the majors in 1936 with the Cincinnati Reds
, spending one year with them before moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates
(1937–41, 1944–46) and Philadelphia Phillies
(1947). He was a rookie Pirate regular at second base in 1937, and a full- or part-time third baseman from 1938 through 1941. His most productive season came in 1938, when he posted career-numbers in games played
(139), runs
(91), hits
(153), doubles
(25), home run
s (6) and runs batted in (51). He also was considered in the Most Valuable Player
vote.
In 1939 Handley hit a career-high average of .285 and tied for the National League
lead in stolen base
s (17), despite suffering a serious beaning
that kept him out of the lineup for 52 games. He also was hurt in an automobile accident before the 1942 season, but returned in 1945 to hit .298 in 98 games.
In a 10-season career, Handley was a .269 hitter with 15 home runs and 297 RBI in 968 games, including a solid 1.31 walk-to-strikeout ratio
(267-to-204).
An alumnus of Bradley University
, Handley died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
at age of 57.
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
/third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
between and . Nicknamed "Jeep", Handley batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Clarion, Iowa
Clarion, Iowa
Clarion is a city in and the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,968 at the 2000 census.Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H Clubs of America, conceived of in 1907 by the local school superintendent, O.H...
. His younger brother, Gene
Gene Handley
Eugene Louis "Gene" Handley was a backup infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1946-47. Handley batted and threw right-handed...
, also played in major league from 1946-47.
Listed at 5' 7", 160 lb., Handley was a flashy infielder and a disciplinated hitter as well. He reached the majors in 1936 with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, spending one year with them before moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1937–41, 1944–46) and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1947). He was a rookie Pirate regular at second base in 1937, and a full- or part-time third baseman from 1938 through 1941. His most productive season came in 1938, when he posted career-numbers in games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(139), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(91), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(153), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(25), home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (6) and runs batted in (51). He also was considered in the Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
vote.
In 1939 Handley hit a career-high average of .285 and tied for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
lead in stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s (17), despite suffering a serious beaning
Beanball
"Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head...
that kept him out of the lineup for 52 games. He also was hurt in an automobile accident before the 1942 season, but returned in 1945 to hit .298 in 98 games.
In a 10-season career, Handley was a .269 hitter with 15 home runs and 297 RBI in 968 games, including a solid 1.31 walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
(267-to-204).
An alumnus of Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
, Handley died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
at age of 57.