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Leonard, Buck

Walter Fenner Leonard
Born: September 8, 1907, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Died: November 27, 1997, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Bats: 
Left
Throws: 
Left
Played For: 
Brooklyn Royal Giants (1933), Homestead Grays (1934-1950)
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Negro Leagues Committee: 1972
Biography: 

Smooth-fielding, sweet-swinging first baseman Walter Buck Leonard was the backbone of the Homestead Grays dynasty of the late 1930s and 1940s. Even-tempered, modest and loyal, the left-handed hitting Leonard was a model of consistency and one of the best pure hitters to play in the Negro leagues. He played in a record 11 East-West All-Star games, and his remarkable 17-year tenure with the Grays is the longest term of service with one team in Negro league history.

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HOFers who reached their 90th birthday (pdf)

Induction Speech

Did You Know: 
that Buck Leonard earned his high school diploma when he was 52 because his hometown of Rocky Mount, N.C., did not have a high school for African-Americans when he grew up?
Trying to sneak a fastball past him was like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster.
Monte Irvin