Les Fusselman
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1952-1953)
Les Fusselman was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1953 for the St. Louis Cardinals, a span of 2 seasons. In 43 career games, he hit .169 with 12 hits, 1 home runs, and 3 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
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 195 lb
- Died
- 5/21/1970 in Cleveland, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1952-04-16
- Last Game
- 1953-06-12
Full name: Lester Leroy Fusselman
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 71 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .169 | .169 | .268 | .437 | -418 |
Career AVG .169 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 34.6% below league average.
Career OBP .169 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — 49.0% below league average.
Career SLG .268 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 30.2% below league average.
Career OPS .437 vs. league average .715 across their career seasons — 38.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | SLN | NL | 32 | 63 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .159 | .252 (-37%) | .326 (-51%) | .369 (-31%) | .696 (-41%) | -418.2 |
| 1953 | SLN | NL | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 43 | 71 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .169 | — | — | — | — | -418 | ||
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 (43 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 18 | 37 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | .216 |
| Away | 25 | 34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .118 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-06-12 | STL | NY1 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-30 | STL | ATL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-28 | STL | CIN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-19 | STL | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-17 | STL | NY1 | L | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-10 | STL | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-09 | STL | CIN | W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-06 | STL | BRO | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-05-03 | STL | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1953-04-25 | STL | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 43 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | IL | 1940 |
Les Fusselman: the record in brief
Les Fusselman played a first major league game on April 16, 1952 and a last one on June 12, 1953. Fusselman's only club in the season tables is the St. Louis Cardinals. The bio lists Fusselman as a catcher who batted and threw right-handed. Fusselman is listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 195 pounds. The birth record reads March 7, 1921, in Pryor, OK, USA. Fusselman's death is recorded on May 21, 1970, in Cleveland, OH, USA. Fusselman's full given name, per the bio, is Lester Leroy Fusselman.
Fusselman collected 12 hits in 71 at bats across 43 games, good for a .169 batting average, along with 1 home run and 3 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .169 and .268 give Fusselman a career OPS of .437. Fusselman's .169 average ran 34.6% below the .258 that the league posted over the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 38.9% below league average (.437 against .715). The highest hit total in a season was 10, in 1952. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .159 in 1952, did not top the league's .252.
Frequently Asked Questions about Les Fusselman
- What years did Les Fusselman play?
- Les Fusselman played in Major League Baseball from 1952 to 1953.
- Was Les Fusselman a pitcher?
- No. Les Fusselman was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Les Fusselman hit?
- Les Fusselman hit 1 career home run with 12 hits.
- What teams did Les Fusselman play for?
- Les Fusselman played for one team, the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1953).
- What were Les Fusselman's career stats?
- In 43 games, Les Fusselman had 12 hits, 1 home runs, 3 RBI, and 6 runs, with a .169 batting average.
- What position did Les Fusselman play?
- Les Fusselman played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Les Fusselman and how much did he weigh?
- Les Fusselman was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds.
- How many home runs did Les Fusselman hit each season?
- Les Fusselman's home runs by season: 1 in 1952 and 0 in 1953. His most in one season was 1, in 1952.
- What was Les Fusselman's career batting average?
- Les Fusselman batted .169 over his career, with 12 hits in 71 at bats.
- How many RBI did Les Fusselman have?
- Les Fusselman drove in 3 runs in his career.
- Is Les Fusselman in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Les Fusselman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.