Les Burke
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1923-1926)
Les Burke was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1926 for the Detroit Tigers, a span of 4 seasons. In 194 career games, he hit .259 with 131 hits and 47 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 168 lb
- Died
- 5/6/1975 in Danvers, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1923-05-02
- Last Game
- 1926-09-15
Full name: Leslie Kingston Burke
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 | 506 | 73 | 131 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 47 | 7 | 46 | 32 | .259 | .327 | .320 | .647 | -895 |
Career AVG .259 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — 8.7% below league average.
Career OBP .327 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 5.7% below league average.
Career SLG .320 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 18.8% below league average.
Career OPS .647 vs. league average .741 across their career seasons — 12.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | DET | AL | 7 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .100 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1924 | DET | AL | 72 | 241 | 30 | 61 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 22 | 20 | .253 | .283 (-11%) | .345 (-7%) | .389 (-16%) | .734 (-12%) | -451.9 |
| 1925 | DET | AL | 77 | 180 | 32 | 52 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 17 | 8 | .289 | .288 (avg) | .349 (+2%) | .407 (-13%) | .756 (-6%) | -142.7 |
| 1926 | DET | AL | 38 | 75 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 3 | .227 | .279 (-19%) | .345 (-13%) | .390 (-38%) | .735 (-26%) | -300.6 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 194 | 506 | 73 | 131 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 47 | 7 | 46 | 32 | .259 | — | — | — | — | -895 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (195 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 120 | 291 | 43 | 78 | 0 | 29 | .268 |
| Away | 75 | 214 | 30 | 53 | 0 | 17 | .248 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926-09-15 | DET | MIN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926-09-15 | DET | MIN | W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-13 | DET | NYY | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-13 | DET | NYY | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-11 | DET | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-09 | DET | CLE | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926-09-08 | DET | CLE | W | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-07 | DET | CHW | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-06 | DET | CHW | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926-09-06 | DET | CHW | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 126 |
| Third Base | 9 |
| Shortstop | 8 |
Les Burke: the record in brief
The profile opens with Les Burke's first major league game on May 2, 1923; the last one listed came on September 15, 1926. All of the seasons listed were played for the Detroit Tigers. Burke, a second baseman by primary position, hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Burke is listed at 5 feet, 9 inches and 168 pounds. Burke was born on December 18, 1902, in Lynn, MA, USA. The bio records the death on May 6, 1975, in Danvers, MA, USA. Burke's full given name, per the bio, is Leslie Kingston Burke.
Across 194 games at the plate, Burke's career line reads 131 hits in 506 at bats for a .259 average, adding 47 runs batted in. Burke got on base at a .327 rate and slugged .320 (.647 OPS). Burke's .259 average ran 8.7% below the .284 that the league posted over the same seasons. No season topped the 61 hits of 1924. Burke drove in a season-high 24 runs in 1925. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .289 in 1925, did not top the league's .288.
Frequently Asked Questions about Les Burke
- What years did Les Burke play?
- Les Burke played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1926.
- Was Les Burke a pitcher?
- No. Les Burke was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Les Burke hit?
- Les Burke hit 0 career home runs with 131 hits.
- What teams did Les Burke play for?
- Les Burke played for one team, the Detroit Tigers (1923–1926).
- What were Les Burke's career stats?
- In 194 games, Les Burke had 131 hits, 47 RBI, 73 runs, and 7 stolen bases, with a .259 batting average.
- What position did Les Burke play?
- Les Burke played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Les Burke and how much did he weigh?
- Les Burke was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 168 pounds.
- What was Les Burke's career batting average?
- Les Burke batted .259 over his career, with 131 hits in 506 at bats.
- How many RBI did Les Burke have?
- Les Burke drove in 47 runs in his career.
- Is Les Burke in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Les Burke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.