Paul Lehner

Born: 7/1/1920 in Dolomite, AL, USA

Died: 12/27/1967 in Birmingham, AL, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-09-10 | Final Game: 1952-06-30

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Paul Eugene Lehner

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Biography

Paul Lehner, born in 1920, was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1952. Known for his versatility as a position player, Lehner appeared in 540 games throughout his career, where he showcased his skills as an effective hitter and reliable contributor to his teams. He finished his career with 455 hits, 22 home runs, and 197 RBIs, maintaining a batting average of .257. Despite the challenges of transitioning back to baseball after World War II, Lehner adapted well to the changing landscape of the game during this post-war era, when many veterans returned to the sport. Lehner's playing style reflected the gritty determination of the time, characterized by a focus on contact hitting and situational awareness on the field. Although he recorded only 6 stolen bases over his career, his ability to drive in runs was a valuable asset to his teams. Lehner's contributions to the game, particularly during the late 1940s and early 1950s, helped pave the way for future players as baseball continued to grow in popularity and evolve into the modern era. He remains a notable figure in baseball history, representing the resilience and spirit of the post-war generation of athletes.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
540	1768	175	455	80	21	22	197	6	127	118	0.257	0.309	0.364	0.672	-2435.7

Career AVG .257 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .309 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.

Career SLG .364 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.672 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 6.0% 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	SLA	AL	16	45	6	10	1	2	0	5	0	1	5	0.222	—	—	—	—	0.0
1947	SLA	AL	135	483	59	120	25	9	7	48	5	28	29	0.248	.262 (-5%)	.336 (-13%)	.376 (+1%)	.712 (-5%)	-733.4
1948	SLA	AL	103	333	23	92	15	4	2	46	0	30	19	0.276	.263 (+5%)	.340 (-1%)	.379 (-4%)	.719 (-3%)	-204.6
1949	SLA	AL	104	297	25	68	13	0	3	37	0	16	20	0.229	.262 (-13%)	.343 (-21%)	.384 (-21%)	.727 (-21%)	-1283.5
1950	PHA	AL	114	427	48	132	17	5	9	52	1	32	33	0.309	.265 (+16%)	.346 (+3%)	.401 (+8%)	.747 (+6%)	439.7
1951	PHA	AL	9	28	1	4	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	0.143	—	—	—	—	0.0
1951	CHW	AL	23	72	9	15	3	1	0	3	0	10	4	0.208	.260 (-20%)	.336 (-9%)	.385 (-28%)	.721 (-19%)	0.0
1951	SLA	AL	21	67	2	9	5	0	1	2	0	6	5	0.134	.260 (-49%)	.336 (-39%)	.385 (-34%)	.721 (-36%)	0.0
1951	CLE	AL	12	13	2	3	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0
1952	BOS	AL	3	3	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0.667	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	20	0	173	14	2	14
OF	432	0	1093	21	22	3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1946	SLA	OF	12	15	1	1	0
1947	SLA	OF	127	344	1	7	0
1948	SLA	1B	2	12	1	0	1
1948	SLA	OF	89	223	4	6	2
1949	SLA	1B	18	161	13	2	13
1949	SLA	OF	56	153	1	2	0
1950	PHA	OF	101	247	10	5	1
1951	PHA	OF	6	16	1	0	0
1951	CHA	OF	20	47	3	1	0
1951	SLA	OF	18	44	0	0	0
1951	CLE	OF	1	1	0	0	0
1952	BOS	OF	2	3	0	0	0