Chris Leonard
Wareham 2001
Pitcher
Miami (Ohio)
Evaluating pitching statistics for this endeavor has not been easy. What do you give more weight to? Strikeouts? ERA? Opponents’ batting average?
In the case of Chris Leonard, there wasn’t much of a balancing act.
He had it all.
A lefty from Miami of Ohio, Leonard came to Wareham in the summer of 2004 and delivered one of the best single seasons from a pitcher that you’re ever likely to see on the Cape.
Wins? Six. Best in the league.
ERA? A league-best 0.98.
Strikeouts? Sixty-four, good for fifth in the league in a big year for strikeouts.
It’s no surprise that Leonard was named Pitcher of the Year. I can’t imagine the voting was very close.
From the start, Leonard was dominant. In early July, he turned in back-to-back outings that made the entire league take notice. On July 2, he struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings against Falmouth. Five days later, he went against Falmouth again and authored the league’s best performance of the summer, tossing a complete-game, five-hit shutout and striking out 15.
Leonard went on to start the all-star game, and he also picked up a win early in the playoffs. Later, in the decisive game of the championship series, Leonard pitched three innings to help Wareham beat Chatham 4-3 for the title.
After the Cape
Leonard was picked by the Blue Jays in the eighth round of the 2002 draft. An injury hurt his draft stock and forced him to miss the 2003 season. He pitched in 2004 in Class A, but never got his velocity back and was released the next year.
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