Jack Lelivelt

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#ba0021
bgcolor2=#0f437c
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Jack Lelivelt


position=Outfielder
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=November 14, 1885
deathdate=death date and age|1941|1|10|1885|12|16
debutdate=June 24
debutyear=1909
debutteam=Washington Senators
finaldate=June 13
finalyear=1914
finalteam=Cleveland Naps
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.301
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=2
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=126
teams=
*Washington Senators (1909-1911)
*New York Highlanders (1912)
*New York Yankees (1913)
*Cleveland Naps (1913-1914)
highlights=

John Frank Lelivelt (born November 14, 1885 in Chicago, Illinois, died January 20, 1941 in Seattle, Washington) was an American outfielder who played for the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders, New York Yankees and Cleveland Naps. While playing for the Rochester Hustlers, he set the International League record for the longest hitting streak with a 42-game hitting streak in by|1912 [cite web| title=Lelivelt hit everywhere he played | work=minorleaguebaseball.com | url=http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070615&content_id=260434&vkey=news_l117&fext=.jsp&sid=l117 | accessdate=2007-06-17] . The record was broken by Brandon Watson in by|2007.

Playing career

Early years

Lelivelt made his major league debut with the Washington Senators in by|1909. He saw his most playing time during his years in Washington. However, his batting average would increase after he left the Senators.

Record hitting streak

He started the 1912 season with the Rochester Hustlers. The Hustlers had won pennants each of the three previous years [cite web| title=Finals were ugly with Cavs | work=democratandchronicle.com | url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/SPORTS0101/706160306/1007/SPORTS | accessdate=2007-06-17] . After his record hitting streak, the first-place Hustlers sold Lelivelt and Tommy McMillen to the New York Highlanders. Lelivelt had a .351 batting average with 33 doubles for the Hustlers [cite web| title=Finals were ugly with Cavs | work=democratandchronicle.com | url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/SPORTS0101/706160306/1007/SPORTS | accessdate=2007-06-17] . The Toronto Maple Leafs passed the Hustlers in the standings. The city of Rochester would not have another International League champion until 1928. The record hitting streak was lost to history until the 2007 version of the "International League Record Book" recognized the hitting streak. Previous versions of the book would list the longest hitting streak as 36 games by Bill Sweeney in by|1935 [cite web| title=Finals were ugly with Cavs | work=democratandchronicle.com | url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070616/SPORTS0101/706160306/1007/SPORTS | accessdate=2007-06-17] .

Later years

Lelivelt played from 1912 until 1914 as a part-time player. Despite having a .301 career major league average, he never was a full-time player. In 1914, several Naps players split time between the Cleveland Naps and the American Association Cleveland Bearcats in an effort to prevent the Federal League from moving a team to Cleveland [cite web| title=Lelivelt hit everywhere he played | work=minorleaguebaseball.com | url=http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070615&content_id=260434&vkey=news_l117&fext=.jsp&sid=l117 | accessdate=2007-06-17] . Lelivelt was one of those players. He would play in the minor leagues until retiring as a player in 1925.

Managerial career

Lelivelt became a player-manager for the Western League's Omaha franchise. His Seattle Rainiers teams won Pacific Coast League titles in 1939 and 1940. Except for 1937, he managed every year until his death in January 1941.

References

External links