Les Fleming, baseball player, 1939-1949

Les Fleming

Born: 8/7/1915 in Singleton, TX, USA

Died: 3/5/1980 in Cleveland, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-04-22 | Final Game: 1949-06-09

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Leslie Harvey Fleming

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Biography

Les Fleming was a professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1939 until 1949. Born in 1915, he established himself as a reliable position player during a time when the game was transitioning from the pre-war era into a post-war landscape that would soon embrace new talents and styles. Over the course of his career, Fleming participated in 434 games, where he amassed a total of 369 hits and demonstrated his power with 29 home runs. His offensive contributions included driving in 199 runs, while maintaining a respectable batting average of .277. Fleming's playing style was characterized by his ability to make consistent contact and his versatility on the field. Although he was not known for his speed, as evidenced by his 7 stolen bases, his overall impact on the game was marked by his solid hitting and defensive capabilities. As baseball evolved through the late 1940s, players like Fleming helped pave the way for future generations, contributing to the rich tapestry of the sport during a defining era in its history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
434 1330 168 369 69 15 29 199 7 226 152 0.277 0.386 0.417 0.804 5216.1

Career AVG .277 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +6.0% above league average.

Career OBP .386 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +15.8% above league average.

Career SLG .417 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — +12.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.804 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — +14.3% 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
1939 DET AL 8 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1941 CLE AL 2 8 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1942 CLE AL 156 548 71 160 27 4 14 82 6 106 57 0.292 .253 (+15%) .323 (+28%) .349 (+24%) .672 (+26%) 3251.7
1945 CLE AL 42 140 18 46 10 2 3 22 0 11 5 0.329 .260 (+26%) .328 (+16%) .354 (+39%) .683 (+28%) 606.2
1946 CLE AL 99 306 40 85 17 5 8 42 1 50 42 0.278 .256 (+8%) .328 (+16%) .358 (+24%) .687 (+20%) 1226.0
1947 CLE AL 103 281 39 68 14 2 4 43 0 53 42 0.242 .262 (-8%) .336 (+8%) .376 (-7%) .712 (avg) 132.2
1949 PIT NL 24 31 0 8 0 2 0 7 0 6 2 0.258 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 325 0 2867 220 32 299
OF 37 0 66 2 5 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 DET OF 3 0 6 0 0 0
1941 CLE 1B 2 0 20 1 0 3
1942 CLE 1B 156 0 1503 90 12 152
1945 CLE 1B 5 0 32 4 1 2
1945 CLE OF 33 0 59 2 4 2
1946 CLE 1B 80 0 607 62 11 60
1946 CLE OF 1 0 1 0 1 0
1947 CLE 1B 77 0 662 63 8 78
1949 PIT 1B 5 0 43 0 0 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 325
Left Field 1
Right Field 36

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 4.0 336 0