Dummy Leitner

Dummy Leitner
Leitner (standing second from left) with the 1906 Baton Rouge Cajuns
Pitcher
Born: (1871-06-19)June 19, 1871
Parkton, Maryland
Died: February 20, 1960(1960-02-20) (aged 88)
Baltimore, Maryland
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 29, 1901, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last MLB appearance
August 25, 1902, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–2
Earned run average5.34
Strikeouts4
Teams

George Michael "Dummy" Leitner (June 19, 1871 – February 20, 1960) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1901), New York Giants (1901), Cleveland Bronchos (1902), and Chicago White Sox (1902).[1]

Leitner was deaf, and like other deaf baseball players of his era, was nicknamed "Dummy".[2] Three members of the 1901 Giants pitching staff shared that nickname: Leitner, Deegan, and Taylor.

Leitner had a deaf sister, Lydia (died at 21), and a deaf brother, Frank, who was active in Pittsburgh. He married a deaf woman named Helen (née Wells) and had two children, a deaf daughter named Helen who was later married to deaf August Wriede, and a hearing son named Clarence Wells Leitner who was known for his intelligence in writing and editing for the Evening Sun and North East newspaper for the city of Baltimore. George and Clarence Leitner and August Wriede all worked for The Baltimore Sun. Leitner died in Baltimore at the age of 88.

  1. ^ "Dummy Leitner Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  2. ^ Doxsie, Don. Iron Man McGinnity: A Baseball Biography (McFarland, 2009), p. 74.