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Leon Wagner | |
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Left fielder | |
Born: Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. | May 13, 1934|
Died: January 3, 2004 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 69)|
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 22, 1958, for the San Francisco Giants | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 2, 1969, for the San Francisco Giants | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .272 |
Home runs | 211 |
Runs batted in | 669 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Leon Lamar Wagner (May 13, 1934 – January 3, 2004) was an American professional baseball left fielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (1958–1959, 1969), St. Louis Cardinals (1960), Los Angeles Angels (1961–1963), Cleveland Indians (1964–1968), and Chicago White Sox (1968). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.[1]
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Wagner graduated from Tuskegee University. He was affectionately known as "Daddy Wags" during his playing days. This was due to his distinctive left-handed batting style and his notable and unique body gesticulations, primarily below the waist, before going into his devastating stride. His outfield play did not match his stellar hitting. He was at least briefly in the clothing business, advertising his venture as "Get your glad rags from "Daddy Wags". He was also known as "Cheeky" for his high cheekbones (being of half Native American and half African-American descent).[2]