Lew Fonseca, baseball player, 1921-1933

Lew Fonseca

Born: 1/21/1899 in Oakland, CA, USA

Died: 11/26/1989 in Ely, IA, USA

MLB Debut: 1921-04-13 | Final Game: 1933-09-11

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Lewis Albert Fonseca

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Biography

Lew Fonseca was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball during the early 20th century, playing from 1921 until his retirement in 1933. Born in 1899, he established himself as a skilled position player known for his exceptional batting prowess. Over the course of his career, Fonseca appeared in 937 games, amassing 1,075 hits and achieving a remarkable batting average of .316. His offensive contributions included 31 home runs and 485 runs batted in, alongside 64 stolen bases, which showcased his versatility and speed on the base paths. Fonseca's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, as the game was evolving with the increasing prominence of power hitting and the integration of new strategies. He played significant roles with teams such as the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians, where he was known for his strong offensive presence and leadership qualities. His career achievements have solidified his legacy, as he remains a respected figure in baseball history for his contributions to the game during a period characterized by competitive play and the emergence of baseball as America's pastime.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
19.0 17.0 1.0 4.0 2.0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.235 0.278 0.353 0.631

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1926 19.0 17.0 1.0 4.0 2.0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.235 0.278 0.353 0.631

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
937 3404 518 1075 203 50 31 485 64 186 199 0.316 0.355 0.432 0.788 3864.2

Career AVG .316 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — +11.6% above league average.

Career OBP .355 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .432 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — +8.6% above league average.

Career OPS 0.788 vs. league average 0.742 across their career seasons — +6.1% 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
1921 CIN NL 82 297 38 82 10 3 1 41 2 8 13 0.276 .286 (-4%) .344 (-12%) .395 (-14%) .739 (-13%) -745.4
1922 CIN NL 81 291 55 105 20 3 4 45 7 14 18 0.361 .285 (+26%) .345 (+13%) .397 (+24%) .743 (+19%) 961.0
1923 CIN NL 65 237 33 66 11 4 3 28 4 9 16 0.278 .282 (-2%) .344 (-10%) .390 (+2%) .734 (-4%) -232.5
1924 CIN NL 20 57 5 13 2 1 0 9 1 4 4 0.228 .283 (-20%) .345 (-19%) .389 (-23%) .734 (-21%) -213.9
1925 PHI NL 126 467 78 149 30 5 7 60 6 21 42 0.319 .288 (+11%) .349 (+1%) .407 (+10%) .756 (+6%) 471.2
1927 CLE AL 112 428 60 133 20 7 2 40 12 12 17 0.311 .282 (+10%) .344 (-3%) .392 (+3%) .736 (avg) -124.1
1928 CLE AL 75 263 38 86 19 4 3 36 4 13 17 0.327 .280 (+16%) .342 (+5%) .395 (+17%) .737 (+12%) 505.0
1929 CLE AL 148 566 97 209 44 15 6 103 19 50 23 0.369 .289 (+28%) .353 (+21%) .415 (+28%) .769 (+25%) 3025.3
1930 CLE AL 40 129 20 36 9 2 0 17 1 7 7 0.279 .293 (-5%) .354 (-11%) .429 (-12%) .784 (-11%) -289.4
1931 CLE AL 26 108 21 40 9 1 1 14 3 8 7 0.370 .276 (+34%) .338 (+24%) .388 (+29%) .726 (+26%) 483.7
1931 CHW AL 121 465 65 139 26 5 2 71 4 32 22 0.299 .276 (+8%) .338 (+3%) .388 (avg) .726 (+1%) 483.7
1932 CHW AL 18 37 0 5 1 0 0 6 0 1 7 0.135 — — — — 0.0
1933 CHW AL 23 59 8 12 2 0 2 15 1 7 6 0.203 .270 (-25%) .329 (-13%) .377 (-10%) .707 (-11%) -106.1

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0

Career ERA 0.00 vs. league average 4.13 across their career seasons — 100.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1932 CHW AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.00 — -

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 375 0 3674 242 24 323
2B 363 0 882 1172 72 180
3B 22 0 14 38 6 1
OF 119 0 229 6 7 2
P 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 4 0 0 1 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1921 CIN 1B 16 0 150 6 1 11
1921 CIN 2B 50 0 125 149 11 20
1921 CIN OF 16 0 32 0 2 0
1922 CIN 2B 71 0 197 251 14 40
1923 CIN 1B 14 0 129 7 2 10
1923 CIN 2B 45 0 123 169 13 27
1924 CIN 1B 6 0 51 3 1 1
1924 CIN 2B 10 0 11 27 0 3
1925 PHI 1B 55 0 498 26 3 37
1925 PHI 2B 69 0 150 219 17 31
1927 CLE 1B 13 0 118 1 1 9
1927 CLE 2B 96 0 229 304 15 51
1928 CLE 1B 56 0 541 41 0 65
1928 CLE 2B 1 0 1 4 0 0
1928 CLE 3B 15 0 11 32 3 1
1928 CLE SS 4 0 0 1 0 1
1929 CLE 1B 147 0 1486 107 8 141
1930 CLE 1B 28 0 274 24 6 15
1930 CLE 3B 6 0 3 6 3 0
1931 CLE 1B 26 0 284 15 2 18
1931 CHA 1B 2 0 5 0 0 1
1931 CHA 2B 21 0 46 49 2 8
1931 CHA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1931 CHA OF 95 0 183 4 5 1
1932 CHA OF 8 0 14 2 0 1
1932 CHA P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1933 CHA 1B 12 0 138 12 0 15

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 375
Second Base 363
Third Base 22
Shortstop 4
Left Field 99
Right Field 21

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1929 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1928 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 2.0 64 0