Lionel Decuir
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Lionel Decuir was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Tigers, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Kansas City Monarchs. In 40 career games, he hit .178 with 19 hits, 1 home runs, and 8 RBI. Lionel Decuir was an All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 160 lb
- Died
- 4/14/1977 in New Orleans, LA, USA
- Awards
- All-Star
Full name: Lionel Joseph Decuir
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 107 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 2 | .178 | .241 | .234 | .475 | -88 |
Career AVG .178 vs. league average .273 across their career seasons — 34.9% below league average.
Career OBP .241 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 29.0% below league average.
Career SLG .234 vs. league average .393 across their career seasons — 40.5% below league average.
Career OPS .475 vs. league average .733 across their career seasons — 35.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | CT | NAL | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1937 | PC | NN2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1939 | KCM | NAL | 19 | 46 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .109 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1940 | KCM | NAL | 19 | 56 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | .250 | .267 (-6%) | .335 (-7%) | .387 (-12%) | .722 (-10%) | -88.5 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 40 | 107 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 2 | .178 | — | — | — | — | -88 | ||
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 (35 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 20 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4 | .163 |
| Away | 15 | 24 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940-09-02 | KCM | BIR | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-09-01 | KCM | BIR | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-08-18 | KCM | IN8 | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1940-08-18 | KCM | IN8 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-08-04 | KCM | BIR | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-08-04 | KCM | BIR | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-08-02 | KCM | IN8 | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-28 | KCM | CAG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-14 | KCM | CV9 | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940-07-04 | KCM | BIR | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 35 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Center Field | 1 |
Lionel Decuir: the record in brief
The season rows for Lionel Decuir begin in 1937. By club, Decuir's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Tigers (1937), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1939 to 1940). Decuir, a catcher by primary position, batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 5'8" and 160 pounds. Decuir was born on December 21, 1914, in New Orleans, LA, USA. The bio records the death on April 14, 1977, in New Orleans, LA, USA. The given name on file is Lionel Joseph Decuir.
Across 40 games at the plate, Decuir's career line reads 19 hits in 107 at bats for a .178 average, adding 1 home run and 8 runs batted in. Decuir's career OPS of .475 combines a .241 on-base mark with .234 slugging. Decuir's .178 average ran 34.9% below the .273 that the league posted over the same seasons. The highest hit total in a season was 14, in 1940. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .250 in 1940, did not top the league's .267.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lionel Decuir
- Was Lionel Decuir a pitcher?
- No. Lionel Decuir was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Lionel Decuir hit?
- Lionel Decuir hit 1 career home run with 19 hits.
- What teams did Lionel Decuir play for?
- Lionel Decuir played for 3 teams: the Cincinnati Tigers (1937), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1937), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1939–1940).
- Did Lionel Decuir win an MVP award?
- No. Lionel Decuir did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Lionel Decuir win?
- Lionel Decuir was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
- What were Lionel Decuir's career stats?
- In 40 games, Lionel Decuir had 19 hits, 1 home runs, 8 RBI, 12 runs, and 3 stolen bases, with a .178 batting average.
- What position did Lionel Decuir play?
- Lionel Decuir played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lionel Decuir and how much did he weigh?
- Lionel Decuir was listed at 5 feet 8 inches and 160 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lionel Decuir hit each season?
- Lionel Decuir's home runs by season: 0 in 1937, 0 in 1939, and 1 in 1940. His most in one season was 1, in 1940.
- What was Lionel Decuir's career batting average?
- Lionel Decuir batted .178 over his career, with 19 hits in 107 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lionel Decuir have?
- Lionel Decuir drove in 8 runs in his career.
- Is Lionel Decuir in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lionel Decuir has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Lionel Decuir make?
- Lionel Decuir was selected to 1 All-Star Game.