Len Sowders

Born: 6/29/1861 in Louisville, KY, USA

Died: 11/21/1888 in Indianapolis, IN, USA

MLB Debut: 1886-09-10 | Final Game: 1886-10-14

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 172 lbs

Full name: Leonard Sowders

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Biography

Len Sowders was a professional baseball player born in 1861, whose career spanned from 1886 to 1889. Primarily serving as a position player, Sowders made a notable impact in the early days of professional baseball, a time when the game was evolving rapidly and players were beginning to adapt to a more competitive environment. He played in a total of 23 games, where he recorded 20 hits, achieving a batting average of .263. Although he did not hit any home runs, he contributed significantly to his team's offense with 14 runs batted in and demonstrated his speed on the bases by stealing 6 bases. Sowders' contributions came during a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era, where the focus was heavily on contact hitting and speed rather than power. His ability to get on base and create scoring opportunities for his teammates showcased his understanding of the fundamentals of the game. While his career was relatively brief, the skills he displayed helped lay the groundwork for future players in the burgeoning sport of baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
23	76	10	20	3	1	0	14	6	12	0	0.263	0.364	0.329	0.693	154.1

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .246 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.

Career OBP .364 vs. league average .303 across their career seasons — +20.2% above league average.

Career SLG .329 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.693 vs. league average 0.634 across their career seasons — +9.2% 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
1886	BL2	AA	23	76	10	20	3	1	0	14	6	12	0	0.263	.246 (+7%)	.302 (+20%)	.331 (-1%)	.634 (+9%)	154.1

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	1	0	5	0	0	0
OF	23	0	28	4	4	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1886	BL2	1B	1	0	5	0	0	0
1886	BL2	OF	23	0	28	4	4	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
First Base	1
Center Field	23