Lee Handley, baseball player, 1936-1947

Lee Handley

Born: 7/13/1913 in Clarion, IA, USA

Died: 4/8/1970 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1936-04-15 | Final Game: 1947-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'7" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Lee Elmer Handley

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Biography

Lee Handley was a professional baseball player born in 1913, who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball during his career from 1936 until 1947. Primarily known as a position player, Handley appeared in 968 games, showcasing his skills in the infield and outfield. Over the course of his career, he accumulated 902 hits, demonstrating a consistent ability to reach base, and finished with a respectable batting average of .269. His offensive contributions included 15 home runs and 297 runs batted in, while also showcasing his speed on the bases with 68 stolen bases. Handley's career unfolded during a transitional period in baseball, as the sport was evolving in the wake of the Great Depression and the prelude to World War II. His ability to maintain a competitive edge in hitting and base running reflected the changing dynamics of the game during this era. Though not a household name, Handley’s reliability and versatility on the field left a lasting impact on the teams he played for, and he remains a notable figure in the history of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
968 3356 418 902 122 45 15 297 68 267 204 0.269 0.323 0.345 0.669 -4585.8

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .268 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .323 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .345 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.669 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 6.6% 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
1936 CIN NL 24 78 10 24 1 0 2 8 3 7 16 0.308 .283 (+8%) .349 (+4%) .404 (-2%) .753 (+1%) 30.1
1937 PIT NL 127 480 59 120 21 12 3 37 5 37 40 0.250 .276 (-10%) .342 (-11%) .398 (-9%) .740 (-10%) -1080.0
1938 PIT NL 139 570 91 153 25 8 6 51 7 53 31 0.268 .272 (-2%) .341 (-3%) .392 (-5%) .734 (-4%) -517.8
1939 PIT NL 101 376 43 107 14 5 1 42 17 32 20 0.285 .274 (+4%) .342 (avg) .393 (-9%) .735 (-5%) -366.1
1940 PIT NL 98 302 50 85 7 4 1 19 7 27 16 0.281 .267 (+5%) .335 (+2%) .387 (-12%) .722 (-6%) -289.7
1941 PIT NL 124 459 59 132 18 4 0 33 16 35 22 0.288 .262 (+10%) .332 (+2%) .373 (-8%) .705 (-3%) -286.4
1944 PIT NL 40 86 7 19 2 0 0 5 1 3 5 0.221 .261 (-15%) .325 (-24%) .357 (-32%) .683 (-28%) -400.9
1945 PIT NL 98 312 39 93 16 2 1 32 7 20 16 0.298 .260 (+14%) .328 (+4%) .354 (+5%) .683 (+4%) 189.1
1946 PIT NL 116 416 43 99 8 7 1 28 4 29 20 0.238 .256 (-7%) .328 (-12%) .358 (-17%) .687 (-15%) -1194.3
1947 PHI NL 101 277 17 70 10 3 0 42 1 24 18 0.253 .262 (-4%) .336 (-7%) .376 (-17%) .712 (-13%) -669.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 169 0 395 459 50 83
3B 713 0 703 1464 117 107
SS 4 0 8 11 2 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1936 CIN 2B 16 0 42 45 7 6
1936 CIN 3B 7 0 7 13 1 2
1937 PIT 2B 126 0 296 375 35 67
1937 PIT 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1938 PIT 3B 136 0 119 304 23 26
1939 PIT 3B 100 0 83 180 18 14
1940 PIT 2B 2 0 5 4 1 3
1940 PIT 3B 80 0 84 139 18 12
1941 PIT 3B 114 0 125 247 21 19
1944 PIT 2B 19 0 39 32 4 7
1944 PIT 3B 11 0 6 17 0 0
1944 PIT SS 3 0 6 7 0 3
1945 PIT 3B 79 0 85 183 15 13
1946 PIT 2B 3 0 9 2 2 0
1946 PIT 3B 102 0 107 237 15 13
1947 PHI 2B 3 0 4 1 1 0
1947 PHI 3B 83 0 87 144 6 8
1947 PHI SS 1 0 2 4 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 169
Third Base 714
Shortstop 4

College History

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

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1938 Most Valuable Player NL 29th 2.0 336 0