Russ Bauers

Russell Lee Bauers
born Leonard Alfred Lundquist

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
• High School Oconto Falls High School
• Debut August 20, 1936
• Final Game May 6, 1950
• Born May 10, 1914 in Townsend, WI USA
• Died January 21, 1995 in Hines, IL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Russ Bauers showed a great deal of promise in his first full season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 13-6 with a 2.88 ERA in 1937. His career was derailed by a string of non-baseball related occurrences: he accidentally burned his pitching hand, hurt his leg roughhousing with teammates and was injured in a car accident.

He was born in a small village in the back woods of Wisconsin. The name on his birth certificate from 1914 was Leonard Alfred Lundquist, but he was baptized Russel Lee Lundquist, and took his adoptive father's name when his mother re-married in 1917, leading to the name by which he was known. When he was in high school and semi-pro ball, his last name was sometimes spelled phonetically as Bowers in newspaper accounts. He signed his first pro contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1935.

Bauers served in the Army during World War II. After returning, he was released by the Pirates due to a back injury. He was then picked up by the Chicago Cubs and went 2-1 with a 3.53 ERA for them in 1946. After that season, he returned to the minors, only making one more big league appearance, with the St. Louis Browns in 1950. He retired from baseball in 1954.

Notable Achievements

• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1938)

Related Sites

• Russ Bauers at the SABR Bio Project