Pitcher Leon Day spent the majority of his career in the Negro Leagues where he is recognized as one of the most versatile athletes of his time.
Day played every position but catcher, and when he wasn’t on the mound, he was often the starting second baseman or center fielder.
The right-handed Day excelled at striking batters out with his trademark no wind-up delivery and high-speed fastball.
He holds the Negro Leagues record for strikeouts in a single game fanning 18 against the Elite Giants in 1942.
His tenacious fielding, effective baserunning, and lifetime batting average of .318 establish Day as one of the most dynamic players of the era.
Strikeout recordholder
Making his professional debut at the age of 18 with the Baltimore Black Sox in 1934, Day also played for the Newark Eagles and Baltimore Elite Giants.
His best season was 1937 with the Eagles, pitching a perfect 13–0 while batting over .300.
Day played baseball year-round, moving in the winter to play in Venezuela, Mexico and Puerto Rico, where he’s in the Hall of Fame.
OISE All-Stars championship
In 1943 Day was drafted and served with the 818th Amphibian Battalion, participating in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
He was recruited to play baseball with the Overseas Invasion Service Expedition (OISE), and led his team of minor leaguers, semi pro and Negro Leaguers all the way to the ETO World Series, where they defeated the 71st Infantry Division, composed primarily of Major League Baseball players.
Leading the league again
Returning to the Eagles after discharge from the military, Day pitched an Opening Day no-hitter on May 5, 1946, despite not having pitched professionally for almost three years.
That same season Day led the League in wins, strikeouts, and complete games and then went on to pitch two games in the Negro Leagues World Series as the Eagles won the championship.
He played his final season in the Negro Leagues in 1949 for the Baltimore Elite Giants.
Hall of Fame recognition
League historians claim Day won as many as 300 games, and he is considered one of the best pitchers in the Negro Leagues, notably defeating Satchel Paige in three of their four matchups.
In 1995, Leon Day was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame just six days before his death at the age of 78.