Bill_McCurdy
10-04-2006, 06:42 AM
October 4, 2006. Outfielder Don "Footsie" Lenhardt, the 31st oldest of 63 living former Browns, is celebrating birthday anniversary # 82 this morning.
Happy Birthday, Footsie! :waving
http://mud.mm-a4.yimg.com/image/1047365298
Don Lenhardt Had
Two Tours as a Brown.
Don Lenhardt was born on 10/04/24 in Alton, Illinois. After high school, he attended college and played baseball at the University of Illinois. Signed by the Browns after his college graduation, Lenhardt broke into minor league baseball in 1946 as a 23-year old outfielder (BR/TR) for Pittsburg, Kansas of the Class D K.O.M. (Ks.-Okla.-Mo.) League. Don's .368 BA with 7 HR and 58 RBI with Pittsburg got him promoted to Aberdeen of the Class C Northern League later in the '46 season, where he batted .265 with 1 HR and 22 RBI.
Lenhardt returned to Aberdeen in 1947 and he batted .303 with 5 HR and 62 RBI. His performance again moved him up the minor league ladder to the San Antonio Missions of the AA Texas League at the sart of the 1948 year. For reasons I cannot explain without further research, Don's .455 BA and 1 HR in short time at San Antonio failed to keep him from assignment down to Springfield of the Class B Three I (Illinois-Iowa-Indiana) League for most of the '48 season where Don responded by hitting .305 with 22 HR and 73 RBI.
Returning to San Antonio in 1949, Don Lenhradt stayed the season and batted .258 with 26 HR and 78 RBI. Don's power and RBI numbers earned him a promotion to the St. Louis Browns in 1950. Lenhardt played his first major league game on 4/18/50 as a Brown. He played 139 games for the St. Louis Americans of 1950, batting .273 with 22 HR and 81 RBI.
Lenhardt again began 1951 as a Brown, but on 6/04/51, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for former-Brown-outfielder-coming-back-again Paul Lehner, Kermit Wahl, and cash. Don's combined average for both clubs in '51 was .265 with 15 HR and 63 RBI.
After the '51 season, Don saw himself traded more often than an industrial stock. On 11/13/51, Lenhardt and pitcher Randy Gumpert were dealt by the White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for minor leaguer Mel Hoderlein and pitcher Chuck Stobbs.
Lenhardt's first tour with the Red Sox was short-lived. On 6/03/52, Boston traded Lenhardt, Walt Dropo, Bill Wight, Fred Hatfield, and Johnny Pesky to Detroit in exchange for George Kell, Dizzy Trout, Johnny Lipon, and Hoot Evers.
Don needed to keep his bags packed in 1952. On 8/14/52, the Tigers traded him back to the Browns, along with pitchers Dick Littlefield and Marlin Stuart, and outfielder-1st baseman Vic Wertz in exchange for pitcher Ned Garver, Jim Delsing, Dave Madison, and Bill Black.
Perhaps the movement among three clubs weighed down upon Don Lenhardt's performance in 1952. He ended the season with a BA of only .239 with only 11 HR and only 42 RBI.
As a member of 1953 last edition of the Browns, Don Lenhardt had his best MLB batting average season, but with reduced power numbers. In 97 games for the '53 Browns, Footsie batted .317 with 10 HR and 35 RBI.
Lenhardt began 1954 as a member of the original reincarnated Orioles, but guess what? The baseball gods again decided that Don needed another change of scenery. - After 13 games with the new Orioles, Baltimore sold Lenhardt back to the Red Sox, where he played another 44 games before concluding his big league career with a '54 season BA of .232 with 3 HR and 18 RBI.
Don wasn't done. Not completely. He returned to play for Louisville of the AAA American Association in 1949, batting .265 with 12 HR and 55 RBI. The next year, 1956, Don Lenhardt played his last season of professional baseball for San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League, batting .299 with 16 HR and 49 RBI.
Lenhardt got his nickname "Footsie" from the size of his feet and from the fact, or teammate legend, that he sometimes stumbled in the field from stepping on himself as he ran the bases or chased after balls in the outfield.
Don Lenhardt has been a loyal and regular attendee of the annual Browns Fan Club banquets in St. Louis over the years. As is the virtual rule with former Browns, Don Lenhardt is a very nice and easy to talk to fellow who welcomes the interest of fans in his career. Based upon his neat and trim condition, and impeccable dressing style, Footsie is also the "Cary Grant" edition of former Browns.
Again - Happy Birthday Don! - God willing, we'll see you next year in St. Louis!
Happy Birthday, Footsie! :waving
http://mud.mm-a4.yimg.com/image/1047365298
Don Lenhardt Had
Two Tours as a Brown.
Don Lenhardt was born on 10/04/24 in Alton, Illinois. After high school, he attended college and played baseball at the University of Illinois. Signed by the Browns after his college graduation, Lenhardt broke into minor league baseball in 1946 as a 23-year old outfielder (BR/TR) for Pittsburg, Kansas of the Class D K.O.M. (Ks.-Okla.-Mo.) League. Don's .368 BA with 7 HR and 58 RBI with Pittsburg got him promoted to Aberdeen of the Class C Northern League later in the '46 season, where he batted .265 with 1 HR and 22 RBI.
Lenhardt returned to Aberdeen in 1947 and he batted .303 with 5 HR and 62 RBI. His performance again moved him up the minor league ladder to the San Antonio Missions of the AA Texas League at the sart of the 1948 year. For reasons I cannot explain without further research, Don's .455 BA and 1 HR in short time at San Antonio failed to keep him from assignment down to Springfield of the Class B Three I (Illinois-Iowa-Indiana) League for most of the '48 season where Don responded by hitting .305 with 22 HR and 73 RBI.
Returning to San Antonio in 1949, Don Lenhradt stayed the season and batted .258 with 26 HR and 78 RBI. Don's power and RBI numbers earned him a promotion to the St. Louis Browns in 1950. Lenhardt played his first major league game on 4/18/50 as a Brown. He played 139 games for the St. Louis Americans of 1950, batting .273 with 22 HR and 81 RBI.
Lenhardt again began 1951 as a Brown, but on 6/04/51, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for former-Brown-outfielder-coming-back-again Paul Lehner, Kermit Wahl, and cash. Don's combined average for both clubs in '51 was .265 with 15 HR and 63 RBI.
After the '51 season, Don saw himself traded more often than an industrial stock. On 11/13/51, Lenhardt and pitcher Randy Gumpert were dealt by the White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for minor leaguer Mel Hoderlein and pitcher Chuck Stobbs.
Lenhardt's first tour with the Red Sox was short-lived. On 6/03/52, Boston traded Lenhardt, Walt Dropo, Bill Wight, Fred Hatfield, and Johnny Pesky to Detroit in exchange for George Kell, Dizzy Trout, Johnny Lipon, and Hoot Evers.
Don needed to keep his bags packed in 1952. On 8/14/52, the Tigers traded him back to the Browns, along with pitchers Dick Littlefield and Marlin Stuart, and outfielder-1st baseman Vic Wertz in exchange for pitcher Ned Garver, Jim Delsing, Dave Madison, and Bill Black.
Perhaps the movement among three clubs weighed down upon Don Lenhardt's performance in 1952. He ended the season with a BA of only .239 with only 11 HR and only 42 RBI.
As a member of 1953 last edition of the Browns, Don Lenhardt had his best MLB batting average season, but with reduced power numbers. In 97 games for the '53 Browns, Footsie batted .317 with 10 HR and 35 RBI.
Lenhardt began 1954 as a member of the original reincarnated Orioles, but guess what? The baseball gods again decided that Don needed another change of scenery. - After 13 games with the new Orioles, Baltimore sold Lenhardt back to the Red Sox, where he played another 44 games before concluding his big league career with a '54 season BA of .232 with 3 HR and 18 RBI.
Don wasn't done. Not completely. He returned to play for Louisville of the AAA American Association in 1949, batting .265 with 12 HR and 55 RBI. The next year, 1956, Don Lenhardt played his last season of professional baseball for San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League, batting .299 with 16 HR and 49 RBI.
Lenhardt got his nickname "Footsie" from the size of his feet and from the fact, or teammate legend, that he sometimes stumbled in the field from stepping on himself as he ran the bases or chased after balls in the outfield.
Don Lenhardt has been a loyal and regular attendee of the annual Browns Fan Club banquets in St. Louis over the years. As is the virtual rule with former Browns, Don Lenhardt is a very nice and easy to talk to fellow who welcomes the interest of fans in his career. Based upon his neat and trim condition, and impeccable dressing style, Footsie is also the "Cary Grant" edition of former Browns.
Again - Happy Birthday Don! - God willing, we'll see you next year in St. Louis!