Les Peden

Leslie Earl Peden
(Gooch)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1½", Weight 212 lb.
• School Texas A&M University
• Debut April 17, 1953
• Final Game May 6, 1953
• Born September 17, 1923 in Azle, TX USA
• Died February 11, 2002 in Jacksonville, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

After leaving the major leagues, Les Peden became a minor league player-manager with the Des Moines Bruins in the Western League in 1954-1955. In 1956 and 1957 he was a player for the Shreveport Sports and Little Rock Travelers in the Southern Association. In 1958, he was player-manager of the Travelers in the Kansas City A's organization. He led the Panama Winter League record in batting average in the 1958-59 season, with a mark of.390, a record at the time.

When the A's switched Southern Association affiliates, Peden moved back to Shreveport from 1959-1961. Peden moved up to the AAA affiliate Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League in 1962-1963. In 1964, Peden took over the independent Quincy Gems of the Midwest League in mid-year, where he actually pitched in 15 games. Finally leaving playing behind, he managed the Wenatchee Chiefs and was a Chicago Cubs coach in 1965, and moved back to managing with the Cubs AAA Tacoma Cubs of the PCL in 1966. Peden resurfaced in 1978 as skipper of the independent Alexandria Dukes of the Carolina League.

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1954	Des Moines Bruins	Western League	88-66	2nd	Chicago Cubs	League Champs
1955	Des Moines Bruins	Western League	35-45	--	Chicago Cubs	--	Replaced by Burdette Thurlby (2-0) in July
1958	Little Rock Travelers	Southern Association	74-80	6th	Kansas City A's
1959	Shreveport Sports	Southern Association	75-79	5th	Kansas City A's
1960	Shreveport Sports	Southern Association	86-67	2nd	Kansas City A's	none
1961	Shreveport Sports	Southern Association	69-84	7th	Kansas City A's	none
1962	Portland Beavers	Pacific Coast League	74-80	6th	Kansas City A's	none
1963	Portland Beavers	Pacific Coast League	28-28	--	Kansas City A's	--	Replaced by Dan Carnevale (45-56) on June 10
1964	Quincy Gems	Midwest League	26-33	10th	none		Replaced Jim Finigan (16-45) on July 4
1965	Wenatchee Chiefs	Northwest League	66-70	4th	Chicago Cubs
1966	Tacoma Cubs	Pacific Coast League	63-85	11th	Chicago Cubs
1978	Alexandria Dukes	Carolina League	58-75	4th	none