Lee Moody
| Lee Moody | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: May 14, 1917 East St. Louis, Illinois | |
| Died: July 4, 1998 (aged 81) Ferguson, Missouri | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Negro league baseball debut | |
| 1944, for the Kansas City Monarchs | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1947, for the Birmingham Black Barons | |
| Teams | |
|
Leicester Moody (May 14, 1917 – July 4, 1998) was an American Negro league first baseman in the 1940s.
Playing career[edit]
Kansas City Monarchs[edit]
1944[edit]
Lee Moody first broke into the Negro Leagues in 1944 with the Kansas City Monarchs as an outfielder, hitting .267 in 106 league at bats.[1]
1945[edit]
When the Monarchs' regular first baseman Buck O'Neil left the team to serve in the United States Navy during World War II, Moody was quickly moved to first base.[2] Moody appeared in 42 league games at his new position, hitting .331 with a .411 slugging percentage.[1] Hitting aside, he attracted attention for his strong defensive play in the infield, teaming up with rookie Jackie Robinson.[2]
1946[edit]
Moody began the season in Kansas City, primarily as a backup middle infielder before moving to the Birmingham Black Barons.[3]
1947[edit]
The Monarchs brought Moody back again to battle with Chico Renfroe for the starting shortstop job.[4] He made only three appearances in a Monarchs uniform before moving to Birmingham again.[1]
1948-1950[edit]
Moody returned to the Monarchs in 1948, joining them on a barnstorming tours[5] but not appearing in any recorded league games.[1] In addition to barnstorming with the Monarchs, he was a member of the Kansas City Stars,[6] a farm club of the Monarchs managed by Cool Papa Bell.[7]
Birmingham Black Barons[edit]
1946[edit]
Moody was acquired by the Black Barons midway through the 1946 season for additional depth in left field.[8] He hit just .182 with Birmingham, though combined with his time on the Monarchs earlier in the season Moody is credited with a total .375 batting average in recorded league play.[1]
1947[edit]
Following another brief trial with the Monarchs in early 1947, Moody joined the Black Barons for a second stint. In his last recorded season at the top level of the Negro Leagues, Moody hit .224 as the club's starting first baseman.[9]
California Winter League[edit]
In 1946 Moody participated in the integrated California Winter League as a member of Chet Brewer's Kansas City Royals.[10]
Minor Leagues[edit]
Cairo Dodgers[edit]
In 1950, Moody played for the Class D Cairo Dodgers of the Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League, hitting .279 in 38 games.[11]
Trois-Rivieres Royals[edit]
Now 34 years old, Moody moved up to Class C in 1951, hitting .242 in 60 games with the Trois-Rivieres Royals.[11] Moody retired from baseball following the 1951 campaign.
Death and legacy[edit]
Lee Moody died in Ferguson, Missouri in 1998 at age 81. He was inducted into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Lee Moody". seamheads.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Riley, James (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 9780786700653.
- ^ "1946 Kansas City Monarchs - Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Bid For Monarch Berths". The Kansas City Star. April 20, 1947. Retrieved May 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Famous Monarch Nine Loses 9-8 to Atwater Packers". Atwater Signal. Atwater, CA. August 13, 1948 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kansas City Stars Play House of David Tonight". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, IA – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum: Personal Profiles: James "Cool Papa" Bell". nlbemuseum.com. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Chicago Giants Show Birmingham Boys in Rickwood Bill". The Birmingham News. August 1, 1946. Retrieved May 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1947 Birmingham Black Barons - Seamheads Negro Leagues Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- ^ McNeil, William (2008). The California Winter League : America's first integrated professional baseball league. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3881-5. OCLC 429680785.
- ^ a b "Lee Moody Negro & Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
- ^ "Obituary for Leicester "Lee" Moody". St. Louis Post-Dispatch – via Newspapers.com.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors) and Seamheads
- Lee Moody at Negro League Baseball Players Association