Boston Red Sox: 50 greatest players of all-time
By Phil Watson
Dutch Leonard came to the Red Sox after being purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics in the spring of 1912.
Leonard is a fascinating charater from the early 20th century of Major League Baseball — a mix of outstanding performances, run-ins with management and umpires and drew a three-year suspension from organized baseball for just not showing up, per the Society for American Baseball Research.
In the midst of all of that, Leonard put together one of the most spectacular seasons in baseball history in 1914.
In 25 starts and 36 appearances overall, Leonard was 19-5 with a 0.96 ERA — a modern-era record that still stands — and a 0.886 WHIP in 224.2 innings, with 176 strikeouts. Even for the Deadball Era, that was just a ridiculous season — his ERA+ was 279 and he allowed just 5.6 hits per nine innings.
His season was shortened after he broke his wrist in early September and expectations were high for 1915.
Leonard reported out of shape, fueded with the owner and was suspended for two months. He did recover in time to throw a three-hitter in Game 3 of Boston’s World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing one run and striking out six.
He won his only other World Series start the following October against the Brooklyn Robins, tossing a five-hitter in Game 4 and allowing two runs, one earned, while walking four and fanning three.
Leonard left the Red Sox in July 1918 when he went to work for a Massachusetts shipyard in an effort to duck the military draft for World War I. That December, Leonard was traded to the New York Yankees in a seven-player deal.
Leonard never reported to the Yankees and was sold to the Detroit Tigers. He sat out two years of a three-year suspension for jumping to an independent league and in September 1925 was traded to a Pacific Coast League club.
In six seasons with the Red Sox, Leonard was 90-64 with a 2.13 ERA and 1.136 WHIP, striking out 771 in 1,361.1 innings with an ERA+ of 129.
In 1926, Leonard made more waves when he accused Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker of conspired to throw a game to the Tigers. Cobb and Speaker were eventually cleared and Leonard retired to his California grape ranch.
He died July 11, 1952 at the age of 60 from a cerebral hemorrhage.