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| Lee Handley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born:(1913-07-13)July 13, 1913 Clarion, Iowa, U.S. | |
| Died: April 8, 1970(1970-04-08) (aged 56) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1936, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1947, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .269 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| Runs batted in | 297 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Lee Elmer Handley (July 13, 1913 – April 8, 1970) was an American professionalbaseballsecond baseman andthird baseman. He played inMajor League Baseball from 1936 to 1947 for theCincinnati Reds,Pittsburgh Pirates, andPhiladelphia Phillies. His younger brother,Gene, also played in the major leagues from 1946 to 1947.
Handley played baseball forSoldan High School and the Jerome Goldman PostAmerican Legion team in St. Louis, Missouri. The Goldman team won the Missouri championship "due to a large degree to Handley's hitting and fielding."[1]
Handley played quarterback forBradley Polytechnic Institute, with his accomplishments including a 50-yard pass that won a game in 1934. An article in the May 25, 1937, issue of thePittsburgh Post-Gazette described him as the "leading quarterback of the conference, featured schedule with his passing running and kicking."[2]
In 1933, Handley won the Most Valuable Player Award in football in theInterstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and he was an all-conference second baseman two years.[1] He also was a guard and captain on the basketball team and ran track at Bradley.[2]
Handley originally signed with theCincinnati Reds, but CommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis voided the contract, resulting in Handley's signing with Pittsburgh for a $20,000 bonus.[1]
In 1939 Handley hit a career-high average of .285 and tied for theNational League lead instolen bases (17), despite suffering a seriousbeaning that kept him out of the lineup for 52 games. He also was hurt in an automobile accident before the 1942 season, but returned in 1945 to hit .298 in 98 games.
Jackie Robinson named Handley, who played for the Phillies in 1947, as the first opposing player to wish him well,[3] and stated that he even apologized for the behavior of his teammates, who were acting on instructions ofBen Chapman, their manager, who was racist.[4]
In a 10-season career, Handley was a .269 hitter with 15 home runs and 297 runs batted in during his 968 games, including a solid 1.31walk-to-strikeout ratio (267-to-204).
In 1954, Handley andFrankie Gustine began a daily 15-minute sports program onKDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They had previously worked together on both radio and TV programs.[5]
An alumnus ofBradley University, Handley died of an apparentheart attack inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of 56.