Jesse Levan

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Jesse Levan
Runs batted in
5
Teams

Jesse Roy Levan (July 15, 1926 – November 30, 1998) was an American

runs batted in
(RBI).

Levan originally signed with the Phillies organization in 1944, then served in World War II after one season. He returned in 1947 and spent two games on the major league roster before returning to the minor leagues, where he won multiple minor league batting titles. He bounced around in various minor league organizations until 1954, when the Washington Senators picked him up. Levan spent the next two seasons with Washington before spending four years with the Chattanooga Lookouts. While in Chattanooga, Levan became the last person banned by baseball's governing organizations for conspiring to fix games, which ended his professional career.

Early life

Levan was born on July 15, 1926, in

Reading Eagle-Times called Levan one of "the best natural hitters in Berks County history".[3]

Early career

Wilmington, the Army, and Philadelphia

After signing with the Phillies, Levan was assigned to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Interstate League. He played in 136 games for the class-B club, hitting four home runs and batting .316.[4] In October, he was drafted into the Army, serving the remainder of the year, as well as 1945 and 1946, with the 94th Infantry Division and winning the European Armed Forces batting championship with a .343 average.[2] Levan was reassigned to Wilmington after returning to the United States. He combined his earlier speed (his 100-yard dash in uniform had been clocked at 10 seconds[3]) with newfound power, hitting 19 home runs, 19 doubles, and a team-leading 20 triples.[5]

At the close of the Interstate League season, Levan was called up to the Phillies. He made his major league debut against the

New York Giants, collecting his first hit in his second official at bat.[2] Batting second in the lineup, he finished his first game 2-for-5, notching his first major league run batted in (RBI).[6] The following day, he helped pitcher Curt Simmons, a former teammate in American Legion Baseball,[2] earn his first victory over Andy Hansen of the Giants by hitting safely twice in four times at bat and scoring one run.[7]

Six teams in two seasons

After offseason medical treatment at Johns Hopkins University, Levan opened the 1948 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League. He hit three doubles and three home runs,[8] but was demoted to Wilmington after 31 contests.[2] He batted .344 for the Blue Rocks, the best mark among the team's players who appeared in more than 30 games, collecting 49 extra-base hits.[9]

The Phillies sold Levan's rights to the

Bluefield Blue-Grays.[12]

Later years

Two batting titles

During the 1950 season, Levan played for the

St. Hyacinthe, a town in Quebec.[2] In 120 games in Canada, Levan batted .347 and led the team with 17 home runs and 36 doubles.[15]

The following season, Levan moved south to the Florida- and Cuba-based

Fort Lauderdale Lions. He notched a .502 slugging percentage while collecting 31 doubles and 6 home runs.[18]

Second chance at the majors

In 1954, the Lions transferred their franchise back to

frame of a 15-inning contest against the Boston Red Sox.[22] Levan raised his average to .286 in his next game, leading off against the New York Yankees and singling in his only at bat.[23] He appeared in three consecutive contests to complete his first term with the Senators, going hitless on September 24 and 25 and singling on September 26 to fix his yearly batting average in the majors at .300.[21]

Levan began the 1955 season on the Senators' bench, playing exclusively as a pinch-hitter during this major league campaign.

nightcap, he hit his first and only major league home run, scoring himself and plating two runs (Bruce Edwards, who doubled leading off the inning; and Bobby Kline, who hit into a fielder's choice).[26] After hitless performances against the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox,[24] manager Chuck Dressen demoted Levan to Charlotte, ending his brief major league career.[2] For the remainder of the year, he played primarily first base and the outfield for the Hornets, batting .280 with seven home runs.[27]

Chattanooga and the ban

Levan was promoted to the double-A

Chattanooga News – Free Press called it 'the greatest batting spree in minor league history.'"[2]

In 1958, the

Arkansas Democrat named Levan a "hitting machine" after he went 7-for-8 over a two-game span;[2] for the season, he batted .292 with 26 home runs, the largest single-season total that he hit for a single team,[20] and added 15 doubles and 4 triples to those totals in 558 at-bats, the team's second highest mark.[29] Levan was leading the 1959 Lookouts with a .337 batting average in July 1959[30] when his teammates were summoned to a meeting with the Southern Association president, Charles Hurth.[2]

The Southern Association alleged that Levan, in combination with Waldo Gonzalez, conspired to fix games by

tipping pitches to opposing players. Gonzalez was accused of relaying pitches to players and coaches for the Mobile Bears,[2] and Levan was allegedly the arranger of the scheme, "acting as a liaison agent for betting interests and offering fellow club members money to throw games".[31] Another gambling scandal involved players intentionally fouling off balls in order for gamblers in the stands to take advantage of patrons;[32] the latter scandal, also involving Levan, caused Joe Tipton to earn a life ban from the SA.[33] After interrogating both Gonzalez and Levan, the players were suspended indefinitely (Gonzalez' ban was later reduced to a one-year suspension) for "failure to report a bribery attempt by a gambler";[2] Levan was also placed on the permanently ineligible list, barring him from participating in any baseball events sponsored by the National Association, minor league baseball's governing body.[2]

After baseball

After leaving baseball, Levan returned to his hometown of Reading with his wife, Geraldine. He worked for the Berks Meat Packing Company as a truck driver and coached softball teams. He retired from Berks in 1988 and was honored as a baseball legend in a ceremony at Municipal Stadium in Reading in 1996. He was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[2] Levan died at age 72 on November 30, 1998, and was interred in Charles Evans Cemetery.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jesse Levan Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Corbett, Warren. "Jesse Levan". The Baseball Biography Project. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Flannery, Richard (August 8, 1996). "Hitting Machine". Reading Eagle. pp. S1–S2. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  4. ^ "1944 Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  5. ^ "1947 Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  6. ^ "New York Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. September 27, 1947. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  7. ^ "New York Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. September 28, 1947. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  8. ^ "1948 Toronto Maple Leafs Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  9. ^ "1948 Wilmington Blue Rocks Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  10. ^ "1949 Milwaukee Brewers Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "1949 Sunbury Reds Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  12. ^ "1949 Bluefield Blue-Grays Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  13. ^ "1950 Hagerstown Braves Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  14. ^ "1951 Raleigh Capitals Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  15. ^ "1951 St. Hyacinthe Saints Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  16. ^ "1952 Miami Beach Flamingos Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  17. ^ "1953 Atlanta Crackers Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  18. ^ "1953 Fort Lauderdale Lions Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  19. ^ "1954 Miami Beach Flamingos/Greater Miami Flamingos". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Jesse Levan Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  21. ^ a b "Jesse Levan 1954 Batting Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  22. ^ "Boston Red Sox at Washington Senators Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. September 18, 1954. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  23. ^ "Washington Senators at New York Yankees Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. September 21, 1954. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  24. ^ a b c "Jesse Levan 1955 Batting Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  25. ^ "Baltimore Orioles at Washington Senators Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. April 11, 1955. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  26. ^ "Baltimore Orioles at Washington Senators Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. May 8, 1955. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  27. ^ "1955 Charlotte Hornets Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  28. ^ "1956 Chattanooga Lookouts Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  29. ^ "1958 Chattanooga Lookouts Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  30. ^ "1959 Chattanooga Lookouts Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  31. ISBN 0-7385-4214-8
    .
  32. ISBN 978-0-8108-5858-9
    .
  33. ISBN 0-7864-1920-2
    .

External links
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