Red Sox press release
Pics:
B-Ref page
He was a World War II US Navy veteran who enlisted for a 5-year hitch after Pearl Harbor at age 19, leaving the University of Illinois. That delayed his pro career until 1946, when he signed with the St. Louis Browns. He'd spend 4 seasons in the minors, plus a winter in Cuba where he led the league in homers (15) while hitting .314 in 1949-50, before debuting in the majors as a 27-year-old the following spring.
Lenhardt came to the Sox just before Thanksgiving 1951 along with RHP Randy Gumpert in a trade for lefty Chuck Stobbs and utility infielder Mel Hoderlein. His first stint with Boston would last less than 7 weeks, but he'd make the most of them with 9 multi-hit games and three grand slams over that span. The first came April 19 to help the Sox sweep a doubleheader vs the A's. Number two came May 26 vs the Yankees at Fenway, a game that saw him also knock an RBI double and drive in 5 of the Sox' runs in a 6-3 win.
With the third, on June 2 vs the White Sox at Fenway, he truly went out with a bang. With Ted Williams serving in Korea, Lenhardt was in left field that day batting 3rd behind Dom DiMaggio & Billy Goodman and ahead of Vern Stephens. The game was a pitcher's duel most of the way, with the Sox tying it 1-1 in the 7th when Jimmy Piersall scored on a GIDP. Into extras it went, before future HOFer Nellie Fox put Chicago in front with a 2-out RBI single in the top of the 10th. In the bottom half, Boston tied it after a Fred Hatfield HBP and singles by Del Wilber and DiMaggio. The White Sox then walked Goodman to load the bases for Lenhardt, who sent one over the monster for a 6-2 walk-off win.
The very next day he was gone, off to the Tigers in a 9-player deal that sent Johnny Pesky & Walt Dropo to Detroit, with George Kell and Dizzy Trout coming to Boston. Talk about selling high. In just 30 games, he'd put up a .295/.383/.533/.917 line with 7 HR, 24 RBI (back when they actually meant something) and a 143 OPS+. His time with the Tigers would be brief as he hit just .188/.320/.278/.598 in 45 games with 3 HR and 13 RBI. So off he went again, traded back to the Browns on August 14. He finished the season strong and then put up a .317/.400/.465/.865 line in 1953, just before the team moved to Baltimore.
He'd be one of the original Orioles in 1954, but got off to a slow start (.152/.222/.182/.404). That prompted his return to Boston as the Red Sox purchased his contract on May 12. While he didn't see much playing time (Teddy Ballgame was back) or generate nearly the same theatrics (no grand slams), he rebounded with a .273/.310/.470/.780 line. Pretty remarkable, considering more than two-thirds of his 44 games with Boston that year were as a pinch-hitter, a role that saw him get just 6 hits (including a HR) in 30 AB. In his other 43 PA for the Sox, playing one game at 3B and spelling Williams in left, he hit .333/.390/.556/.946.
Lenhardt couldn't crack the roster the following spring, and spent the next two seasons with Boston's top minor league affiliates in Louisville & San Francisco before retiring as a player at age 33 and beginning his scouting career.
Pics:
B-Ref page
He was a World War II US Navy veteran who enlisted for a 5-year hitch after Pearl Harbor at age 19, leaving the University of Illinois. That delayed his pro career until 1946, when he signed with the St. Louis Browns. He'd spend 4 seasons in the minors, plus a winter in Cuba where he led the league in homers (15) while hitting .314 in 1949-50, before debuting in the majors as a 27-year-old the following spring.
Lenhardt came to the Sox just before Thanksgiving 1951 along with RHP Randy Gumpert in a trade for lefty Chuck Stobbs and utility infielder Mel Hoderlein. His first stint with Boston would last less than 7 weeks, but he'd make the most of them with 9 multi-hit games and three grand slams over that span. The first came April 19 to help the Sox sweep a doubleheader vs the A's. Number two came May 26 vs the Yankees at Fenway, a game that saw him also knock an RBI double and drive in 5 of the Sox' runs in a 6-3 win.
With the third, on June 2 vs the White Sox at Fenway, he truly went out with a bang. With Ted Williams serving in Korea, Lenhardt was in left field that day batting 3rd behind Dom DiMaggio & Billy Goodman and ahead of Vern Stephens. The game was a pitcher's duel most of the way, with the Sox tying it 1-1 in the 7th when Jimmy Piersall scored on a GIDP. Into extras it went, before future HOFer Nellie Fox put Chicago in front with a 2-out RBI single in the top of the 10th. In the bottom half, Boston tied it after a Fred Hatfield HBP and singles by Del Wilber and DiMaggio. The White Sox then walked Goodman to load the bases for Lenhardt, who sent one over the monster for a 6-2 walk-off win.
The very next day he was gone, off to the Tigers in a 9-player deal that sent Johnny Pesky & Walt Dropo to Detroit, with George Kell and Dizzy Trout coming to Boston. Talk about selling high. In just 30 games, he'd put up a .295/.383/.533/.917 line with 7 HR, 24 RBI (back when they actually meant something) and a 143 OPS+. His time with the Tigers would be brief as he hit just .188/.320/.278/.598 in 45 games with 3 HR and 13 RBI. So off he went again, traded back to the Browns on August 14. He finished the season strong and then put up a .317/.400/.465/.865 line in 1953, just before the team moved to Baltimore.
He'd be one of the original Orioles in 1954, but got off to a slow start (.152/.222/.182/.404). That prompted his return to Boston as the Red Sox purchased his contract on May 12. While he didn't see much playing time (Teddy Ballgame was back) or generate nearly the same theatrics (no grand slams), he rebounded with a .273/.310/.470/.780 line. Pretty remarkable, considering more than two-thirds of his 44 games with Boston that year were as a pinch-hitter, a role that saw him get just 6 hits (including a HR) in 30 AB. In his other 43 PA for the Sox, playing one game at 3B and spelling Williams in left, he hit .333/.390/.556/.946.
Lenhardt couldn't crack the roster the following spring, and spent the next two seasons with Boston's top minor league affiliates in Louisville & San Francisco before retiring as a player at age 33 and beginning his scouting career.
