Zeke Bonura

Born: 9/20/1908 in New Orleans, LA, USA

Died: 3/9/1987 in New Orleans, LA, USA

MLB Debut: 1934-04-17 | Final Game: 1940-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Henry John Bonura

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Biography

Zeke Bonura was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 1930s, known for his powerful hitting and consistent performance at the plate. Born in 1908, Bonura made his MLB debut on April 17, 1934, and played until September 26, 1940. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 917 games, accumulating 1,099 hits, 119 home runs, and 704 RBIs, all while maintaining an impressive batting average of .307. His ability to drive in runs and hit for average placed him among the most productive hitters of his era, contributing significantly to the teams he played for. Bonura's playing style was characterized by his strong left-handed bat and solid defensive skills, which made him a valuable asset to teams during the pre-war era of baseball. He also demonstrated speed on the bases, finishing his career with 19 stolen bases. Throughout his time in the major leagues, he was recognized for his ability to perform under pressure, earning respect from both teammates and opponents. Zeke Bonura's contributions to the game, particularly during a time when power hitting began to emerge as a defining characteristic of baseball, solidified his legacy as one of the noteworthy hitters of his generation.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
3.0	3.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1942	3.0	3.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
917	3582	600	1099	232	29	119	704	19	404	180	0.307	0.380	0.487	0.867	12894.0

Career AVG .307 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — +11.1% above league average.

Career OBP .380 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — +11.0% above league average.

Career SLG .487 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — +23.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.867 vs. league average 0.737 across their career seasons — +17.6% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1934	CHW	AL	127	510	86	154	35	4	27	110	0	64	31	0.302	.278 (+9%)	.340 (+12%)	.392 (+39%)	.733 (+26%)	2645.9
1935	CHW	AL	138	550	107	162	34	4	21	92	4	57	28	0.295	.279 (+5%)	.342 (+6%)	.399 (+22%)	.742 (+14%)	1618.6
1936	CHW	AL	148	587	120	194	39	7	12	138	4	94	29	0.330	.283 (+16%)	.349 (+22%)	.404 (+19%)	.753 (+21%)	2893.4
1937	CHW	AL	116	447	79	154	41	2	19	100	5	49	24	0.345	.276 (+25%)	.342 (+20%)	.398 (+44%)	.740 (+33%)	2924.5
1938	WSN	AL	137	540	72	156	27	3	22	114	2	44	29	0.289	.272 (+6%)	.341 (+1%)	.392 (+20%)	.734 (+11%)	1153.0
1939	NY1	NL	123	455	75	146	26	6	11	85	1	46	22	0.321	.274 (+17%)	.342 (+13%)	.393 (+21%)	.735 (+18%)	1633.8
1940	WSN	AL	79	311	41	85	16	3	3	45	2	40	13	0.273	.267 (+2%)	.335 (+7%)	.387 (-4%)	.722 (+1%)	142.1
1940	CHC	NL	49	182	20	48	14	0	4	20	1	10	4	0.264	.267 (-1%)	.335 (-10%)	.387 (+5%)	.722 (-2%)	142.1

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	900	0	8808	595	72	815

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1934	CHA	1B	127	1239	77	5	94
1935	CHA	1B	138	1421	83	9	102
1936	CHA	1B	146	1500	107	7	150
1937	CHA	1B	115	1114	63	13	123
1938	WS1	1B	129	1209	93	9	132
1939	NY1	1B	122	1205	90	11	110
1940	WS1	1B	79	712	42	14	70
1940	CHN	1B	44	408	40	4	34