Clippers Watson aims for Lelivelt
June 14, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Columbus Clippers News Release
The Columbus Clippers Brandon Watson has the second longest hitting streak in International League history at 39 games. But who was Jack Lelivelt, who holds the record of 42 with the Rochester Red Wings in 1912?
Lelivelt was a left-handed outfielder/first baseman who was born in Chicago on November 14, 1885. He grew up in the playing ball with his older brother Bill.
Jack first came to prominence playing for Lake Linden (MI) of the Northern Cooper Country League in 1906 He moved up to the Reading (PA) club of the Tri-State League in 1908. The two brothers made their major league debuts the following year; Bill as a pitcher with Detroit and Jack as an outfielder with Washington.
Jack was a singles hitter with good speed and held the starting job in Washington in 1909-10. He split the job with Tilly Walker in 1911, despite hitting .320.
Prior to the 1912 season, Lelivelt was traded/sold (accounts vary) to the Rochester Hustlers of the International League. Rochester was attempting to win their fourth straight pennant. The Hustlers got off to a fast start on the wings of Lelivelt's 42 game hitting streak and looked as if they would win the flag. With little over a month to go in the season, Jack (hitting.351 with 33 doubles, 14 triples and 3 HR) was sold to the New York Highlanders. The trade cost Rochester the pennant, as the Toronto Maple Leafs passed the stumbling Hustlers.
In New York, Lelivelt stayed hot, hitting .362 with six doubles, seven triples and his only two major league home runs in 36 games.
Jack started the 1913 season with the newly named New York Yankees and finished the year with the Cleveland Naps. In Cleveland, he played behind Shoeless Joe Jackson but did hit .391 in 23 games.
The 1914 season was a unique season in Cleveland. A third major league, the Federal League, was formed. With teams in Indianapolis, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, Brooklyn, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and St. Louis, the Feds caused havoc for organized baseball. To keep the Feds out of Cleveland, the Naps moved their minor league team, the Toledo Mud Hens, to the Forrest City. While the Naps were on the road, the renamed Cleveland Bearcats of the American Association played in League Park. (The transferred Toledo franchise was known as the Cleveland Spiders in 1915, before returning to Glass City in 1916).
The Cleveland brass bounced a number of players between the Naps and Bearcats in 1915, trying to give Cleveland fans the best baseball possible. It did not work. The Naps finished last in the American League and the Bearcats finished fifth in the A.A.
Lelivelt was one of the players who played for both clubs. With the Naps, he hit .328 in 34 games. With the Bearcats, the first baseman clubbed .292 in 92 games.
Lelivelt was traded to the Kansas City Blues in 1915, he led the American Association in hitting (.346), hits (199) and doubles (41). Jack played with Kansas City in 1916-17, Louisville in 1918 and Minneapolis in 1919.
He started his managing career with Omaha of the Western League in 1920, when he was picked as player-manager. Lelivelt started 1921 as manager but was replaced in May. He stayed as a player, leading the Western League in batting with a .416 average. His 274 hits for the season is a Western League all time record. He also had 70 doubles that season.
He was player-manager for Tulsa in 1922-1924 (winning is first pennant in '22) then in 1925 he ended his playing days with St. Joseph. His managing only days started in 1926 with Milwaukee. He led the Brewers to a second place finish in 1927 and third in 1928. He was fired from Milwaukee during the 1929 season and was picked up by William Wrigley (the gum magnet) as manager of the struggling Los Angeles Angels of the PCL. Jack built the Angels into one of the greatest minor league teams of all times. His 1933 team won 114 games and the Angels won 137 the following year. (No, that's not a typo.)
He stayed with Los Angeles through the 1936 season. He was named a scout for the Cubs in 1937 but returned to managing in 1938, turning around the Seattle Raniers. He led them to the PCL title in 1939 and 1940.
He died of a heart attack in January of 1941.
All but forgotten today, Jack Lelivelt had a .301 lifetime major league batting average in six seasons and was one of the greatest minor league hitters of all time.
Brandon Watson will be going for game number 40 in Ottawa tonight.
The list of the longest minor league hitting streaks that I have been able to find are:
69, Joe Wilhoit, Witchita, Western League, 1919
61, Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, PCL, 1933
55, Roman Mejias, Waco, Big State League, 1954
50, Otto Pahaman, Danville, Three-I League, 1922
49, Jack Ness, Oakland, PCL, 1915
49, Harry Chozen, Mobile, Southern Association, 1945
46, Johnny Bates, Nashville, Southern Association, 1925
44, Ruben Saldana, Monterrey, Mexican League, 1975
43, Eddie Marshall, Milwaukee, American Association, 1935
43, Orlando Moreno, Big Spring, Longhorn League, 1947
43, Howie Bedell, Louisville, American Association, 1961
42, Jack Lelivelt, Rochester, International League, 1912
42, Herbert Chapman, Gadsden, Southeastern League, 1950
40, Frosty Kennedy, Plainview, West Texas-New Mexico League, 1953
39, Brandon Watson, Columbus, International League 2007
38, Mitch Hilligoss, Charleston, SAL, 2007
38, Hubert Mason, Binghamton, Eastern League, 1925
38, Paul Owens, Orleans, New York-Penn League, 1951
37, Joey Cora, Las Vegas, PCL, 1989
37, Ike Boone, San Antonio, Texas League, 1923
37, Bobby Trevino, El Paso, Texas League, 1969
36, Johnny Rizzo, Columbus, American Association, 1937
36, Joe Altobelli, Daytona Beach, Florida State League, 1951
36, Harold Rhyne, Wenatchee, Northwestern League, 1949
36, Bill Sweeney, Baltimore, International League, 1935
36, Al Pinkston, Savannah, Sally League, 1954
(Records of hitting streaks were not kept in many leagues in the early years. The list could be incomplete)
International League Stories from June 14, 2007
- Columbus Clips Lynx 3-2 - Ottawa Lynx
- Bulls Hold Indianapolis to One Hit in 5-0 Victory - Indianapolis Indians
- Knights Bested by Yankees, 9-3 - Charlotte Knights
- Olson Carries Tides Past Bisons, 3-1 - Norfolk Tides
- R-Braves Fall Short in Series Opener - Gwinnett Stripers
- Niemann, Bullpen Combine for One-Hitter, Win 5-0 - Durham Bulls
- Blackburn Blanks Bats - Rochester Red Wings
- R-Braves Game Notes - Gwinnett Stripers
- Indianapolis Indians Touching Base Newsletter - Indianapolis Indians
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo Bisons
- Jeremy Sowers Returns to Bisons - Buffalo Bisons
- International League news and notes - IL1
- Happ Returns From Disabled List To Start Tonight - Ottawa Lynx
- Clippers Watson aims for Lelivelt - Columbus Clippers
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