Gene Handley, baseball player, 1946-1947

Gene Handley

Born: 11/25/1914 in Kennett, MO, USA

Died: 4/12/2009 in Tucson, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-04-16 | Final Game: 1947-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Eugene Louis Handley

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Biography

Gene Handley was a professional baseball player born in 1914, who played as a position player in Major League Baseball for two seasons from 1946 to 1947. Handley made his mark during a transitional period in baseball, shortly after the conclusion of World War II, which saw a resurgence of talent in the league as veterans returned and new players emerged. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 125 games, showcasing his skills primarily as an infielder and outfielder. In his stint in the majors, Handley recorded a total of 86 hits, contributing to a batting average of .252. He also provided support to his teams with 29 runs batted in and demonstrated speed on the bases with 9 stolen bases. While he did not hit any home runs during his career, Handley’s versatility and ability to get on base reflected the playing style of the era, which often emphasized contact hitting and small ball tactics. After his retirement from professional play on September 28, 1947, Gene Handley’s contributions to the game remained a part of the rich tapestry of post-war baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
125 341 41 86 10 6 0 29 9 32 27 0.252 0.316 0.317 0.633 -540.1

Career AVG .252 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .317 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 13.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.633 vs. league average 0.700 across their career seasons — 9.6% below 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
1946 PHA AL 89 251 31 63 8 5 0 21 8 22 25 0.251 .256 (-2%) .328 (-5%) .358 (-10%) .687 (-8%) -378.6
1947 PHA AL 36 90 10 23 2 1 0 8 1 10 2 0.256 .262 (-3%) .336 (-2%) .376 (-20%) .712 (-12%) -161.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 85 0 190 187 19 42
3B 14 0 13 20 5 2
SS 2 0 3 3 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 PHA 2B 68 0 159 146 17 32
1946 PHA 3B 4 0 1 5 0 1
1946 PHA SS 1 0 3 1 0 0
1947 PHA 2B 17 0 31 41 2 10
1947 PHA 3B 10 0 12 15 5 1
1947 PHA SS 1 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 85
Third Base 14
Shortstop 2

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Bradley University Peoria IL 1933, 1934, 1935