Leo Cardenas

Born: 12/17/1938 in Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba

MLB Debut: 1960-07-25 | Final Game: 1975-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Leonardo Lazaro Cardenas

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Biography

Leo Cardenas, born in 1938, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball who enjoyed a successful career from 1960 until his retirement in 1975. Cardenas played in a total of 1,941 games, during which he accumulated 1,725 hits, 118 home runs, and 689 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .257. Known for his versatility and solid defensive skills, he was a key figure during an era that saw significant changes in the game, particularly in the evolving role of shortstops. Over the course of his career, Cardenas was selected as an All-Star five times, reflecting his status as one of the premier players of his time. He also showcased speed on the bases, recording 39 stolen bases, which added another dimension to his offensive game. His contributions were particularly notable during the 1960s and early 1970s, a period marked by fierce competition and the emergence of new talents in the sport. Cardenas's legacy endures as a testament to the skill and athleticism that defined his era in baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1941	6707	662	1725	285	49	118	689	39	522	1135	0.257	0.311	0.367	0.679	-2023.7

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	PIV
1960	CIN	NL	48	142	13	33	2	4	1	12	0	6	32	0.232	-460.5
1961	CIN	NL	74	198	23	61	18	1	5	24	1	15	39	0.308	491.1
1962	CIN	NL	153	589	77	173	31	4	10	60	2	39	99	0.294	482.8
1963	CIN	NL	158	565	42	133	22	4	7	48	3	23	101	0.235	-1466.0
1964	CIN	NL	163	597	61	150	32	2	9	69	4	41	110	0.251	-683.5
1965	CIN	NL	156	557	65	160	25	11	11	57	1	60	100	0.287	1657.3
1966	CIN	NL	160	568	59	145	25	4	20	81	9	45	87	0.255	582.3
1967	CIN	NL	108	379	30	97	14	3	2	21	4	34	77	0.256	-128.8
1968	CIN	NL	137	452	45	106	13	2	7	41	2	36	83	0.235	-345.7
1969	MIN	AL	160	578	67	162	24	4	10	70	5	66	96	0.280	919.4
1970	MIN	AL	160	588	67	145	34	4	11	65	2	42	101	0.247	-741.8
1971	MIN	AL	153	554	59	146	25	4	18	75	3	51	69	0.264	761.0
1972	LAA	AL	150	551	25	123	11	2	6	42	1	35	73	0.223	-1715.8
1973	CLE	AL	72	195	9	42	4	0	0	12	1	13	42	0.215	-970.5
1974	TEX	AL	34	92	5	25	3	0	0	7	1	2	14	0.272	-229.2
1975	TEX	AL	55	102	15	24	2	0	1	5	0	14	12	0.235	-175.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
9	27	1	5	1	1	0	1	1	9	0.185

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1970	ALCS	MIN	3	11	1	2	0	0	1	1	1	0.182
1969	ALCS	MIN	3	13	0	2	0	1	0	0	7	0.154
1961	WS	CIN	3	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	3	0	1	2	0	0
3B	69	48	52	124	7	14
SS	1843	1783	3218	5303	259	1036

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1960	CIN	SS	47	43	76	128	9	32
1961	CIN	SS	63	46	83	133	6	21
1962	CIN	SS	149	147	273	443	21	84
1963	CIN	SS	157	152	270	420	20	84
1964	CIN	SS	163	163	336	436	32	87
1965	CIN	SS	155	155	292	440	19	92
1966	CIN	SS	160	160	279	446	15	87
1967	CIN	SS	108	108	190	316	15	57
1968	CIN	SS	136	129	221	388	29	66
1969	MIN	SS	160	159	310	570	32	126
1970	MIN	SS	160	158	280	487	17	91
1971	MIN	SS	153	152	266	445	11	89
1972	CAL	SS	150	149	241	471	22	82
1973	CLE	3B	5	3	3	13	2	4
1973	CLE	SS	67	56	87	154	9	33
1974	TEX	3B	21	17	17	35	0	1
1974	TEX	SS	10	4	9	19	2	2
1975	TEX	2B	3	0	1	2	0	0
1975	TEX	3B	43	28	32	76	5	9
1975	TEX	SS	5	2	5	7	0	3

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Second Base	3
Third Base	69
Shortstop	1843
Designated Hitter	4

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1971	TSN All-Star	SS
1965	Gold Glove	SS

Award Voting History

Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max
1971	Most Valuable Player	AL	21th	5.0	336
1969	Most Valuable Player	AL	12th	27.0	336
1965	Most Valuable Player	NL	21th	7.0	280