John Lyles

John Lyles

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 194 lb.

• Debut 1932
• Final Game 1943
• Born September 16, 1911 in Charleston, MO USA
• Died February 5, 1954 in St. Louis, MO USA

BR page

Biographical Information

John Lyles was a one-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues.

Lyles debuted in 1932 with the Indianapolis ABCs. He started at shortstop for the Homestead Grays in 1934 and batted .261. His next appearance was with the ABCs, batting .227 while manning third base in 1938. He moved to the outfield with the 1939 Cleveland Bears and hit a team-high .325. He started at shortstop for the West in the second 1939 East-West Game. He went 1 for 3 with a run, walk and error in a 10-2 loss.

John batted .391 in 1940 for the New Orleans-St. Louis Stars; had he qualified, he would have been second in the Negro American League. He hit .263 for the same club in 1941 while moving to third base. He was at shortstop with the 1942 Cincinnati Buckeyes, hitting .222, then ended his career with the Cleveland Buckeyes in 1943.

Notable Achievements

• NAL All-Star (1939)

Sources

• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway