Lester Lockett
Left Fielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Lester Lockett was a left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Stars. In 312 career games, he hit .287 with 333 hits, 11 home runs, and 192 RBI. Lester Lockett was a 3-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV β Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact β is 1,035.
- 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
- Left Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 185 lb
- Died
- 10/4/2005 in Chicago, IL, USA
- Awards
- 3Γ All-Star
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
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.
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 312 | 1,162 | 179 | 333 | 49 | 18 | 11 | 192 | 16 | 83 | 8 | .287 | .337 | .388 | .725 | 1,035 |
Career AVG .287 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons β +8.7% above league average.
Career OBP .337 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons β near league average.
Career SLG .388 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons β near league average.
Career OPS .725 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons β near 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 | SL2 | NAL | 6 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .421 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1938 | BBB | NAL | 9 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | .032 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1939 | CAG | NAL | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .077 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1941 | BBB | NAL | 26 | 93 | 22 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .333 | .262 (+27%) | .332 (+14%) | .373 (+12%) | .705 (+13%) | 206.5 |
| 1942 | BBB | NAL | 12 | 45 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .289 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CAG | NAL | 16 | 54 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .204 | .253 (-20%) | .323 (-20%) | .349 (-5%) | .672 (-12%) | 0.0 |
| 1943 | BBB | NAL | 40 | 158 | 17 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 10 | 0 | .259 | .255 (+1%) | .324 (-7%) | .346 (+1%) | .671 (-3%) | -100.0 |
| 1943 | CC | NAL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 | β | β | β | β | -100.0 |
| 1944 | BBB | NAL | 28 | 94 | 12 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .213 | .261 (-19%) | .325 (-23%) | .357 (-23%) | .683 (-23%) | -340.3 |
| 1945 | BBB | NAL | 26 | 98 | 13 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .265 | .260 (+2%) | .328 (-8%) | .354 (+1%) | .683 (-4%) | -87.4 |
| 1946 | BBB | NAL | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .286 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1946 | CIC | NAL | 17 | 57 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .211 | .256 (-18%) | .328 (-13%) | .358 (-41%) | .687 (-28%) | 0.0 |
| 1947 | BEG | NN2 | 67 | 253 | 41 | 81 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 5 | 24 | 0 | .320 | .262 (+22%) | .336 (+14%) | .376 (+8%) | .712 (+11%) | 517.2 |
| 1948 | BEG | NN2 | 58 | 235 | 41 | 85 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 53 | 4 | 16 | 1 | .362 | .263 (+37%) | .340 (+18%) | .379 (+41%) | .719 (+30%) | 1181.8 |
| Career · 14 seasons | 312 | 1,162 | 179 | 333 | 49 | 18 | 11 | 192 | 16 | 83 | 8 | .287 | — | — | — | — | 1,278 | ||
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 (284 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 178 | 613 | 111 | 218 | 13 | 93 | .356 |
| Away | 105 | 361 | 60 | 89 | 3 | 46 | .247 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-07-10 | LCB | KCM | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-26 | BLG | LCB | W | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-25 | BLG | LCB | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-24 | BLG | LCB | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-19 | BLG | NY6 | W | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-06-19 | BLG | NY6 | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-06-12 | BLG | CAG | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-11 | BLG | CAG | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949-06-10 | BLG | CAG | W | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949-06-06 | BLG | BIR | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2B | 21 | 20 | 44 | 61 | 8 | 11 |
| 3B | 108 | 103 | 112 | 163 | 23 | 14 |
| OF | 171 | 163 | 286 | 23 | 10 | 3 |
| SS | 13 | 13 | 22 | 39 | 3 | 3 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | SL2 | 2B | 6 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 4 | 3 |
| 1938 | BBB | SS | 9 | 9 | 17 | 32 | 3 | 2 |
| 1939 | CAG | 2B | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| 1939 | CAG | SS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | BBB | 3B | 23 | 22 | 20 | 29 | 5 | 1 |
| 1941 | BBB | OF | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | BBB | 3B | 12 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 4 |
| 1942 | CAG | 2B | 11 | 11 | 30 | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| 1942 | CAG | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | CAG | OF | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1942 | CAG | SS | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1943 | BBB | 3B | 16 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 5 | 0 |
| 1943 | BBB | OF | 27 | 26 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943 | CC | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | BBB | OF | 27 | 24 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1945 | BBB | 3B | 7 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 1945 | BBB | OF | 21 | 20 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1946 | BBB | OF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946 | CIC | 3B | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 1946 | CIC | OF | 9 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | BEG | 1B | 5 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1947 | BEG | 2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | BEG | 3B | 42 | 41 | 38 | 68 | 8 | 7 |
| 1947 | BEG | OF | 21 | 20 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | BEG | OF | 58 | 58 | 101 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 5 |
| Second Base | 21 |
| Third Base | 108 |
| Shortstop | 13 |
| Left Field | 150 |
| Center Field | 12 |
| Right Field | 9 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative β closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Lester Lockett: the record in brief
The season rows for Lester Lockett begin in 1937. Lockett played for the St. Louis Stars (1937), the Birmingham Black Barons (1938 to 1946), the Chicago American Giants (1939 through 1942), the Cincinnati Clowns (1943), the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns (1946), and the Baltimore Elite Giants (1947 through 1948). Lockett played primarily as a left fielder and batted and threw right-handed. Born on March 25, 1912, in Princeton, IN, USA, Lockett was listed at 185 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame. The bio records the death on October 4, 2005, in Chicago, IL, USA.
In 312 games and 1,162 at bats, Lockett batted .287 with 333 hits; the totals also include 11 homers and 192 runs batted in. On-base and slugging figures of .337 and .388 give Lockett a career OPS of .725. Over the seasons Lockett played, league hitters batted .264; the .287 career figure is 8.7% above that. Lockett collected a career-high 85 hits in 1948.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lester Lockett
- Was Lester Lockett a pitcher?
- No. Lester Lockett was a position player (Left Fielder).
- How many home runs did Lester Lockett hit?
- Lester Lockett hit 11 career home runs with 333 hits.
- What teams did Lester Lockett play for?
- Lester Lockett played for 5 teams: the St. Louis Stars (1937), the Birmingham Black Barons (1938, 1941β1946), the Chicago American Giants (1939, 1942), the Cincinnati-Indianapolis Clowns (1943, 1946), and the Baltimore Elite Giants (1947β1948).
- Did Lester Lockett win an MVP award?
- No. Lester Lockett did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Lester Lockett win?
- Lester Lockett was selected to 3 All-Star Games.
- What were Lester Lockett's career stats?
- In 312 games, Lester Lockett had 333 hits, 11 home runs, 192 RBI, 179 runs, and 16 stolen bases, with a .287 batting average.
- What position did Lester Lockett play?
- Lester Lockett played primarily as a left fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lester Lockett and how much did he weigh?
- Lester Lockett was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lester Lockett hit each season?
- Lester Lockett's home runs by season: 0 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 0 in 1939, 1 in 1941, 1 in 1942, 2 in 1943, 0 in 1944, 0 in 1945, 0 in 1946, 1 in 1947, and 6 in 1948. His most in one season was 6, in 1948.
- What was Lester Lockett's career batting average?
- Lester Lockett batted .287 over his career, with 333 hits in 1,162 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lester Lockett have?
- Lester Lockett drove in 192 runs in his career.
- Is Lester Lockett in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lester Lockett has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- How many All-Star Games did Lester Lockett make?
- Lester Lockett was selected to 3 All-Star Games.