Lennie Merullo
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941-1947)
Lennie Merullo was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947 for the Chicago Cubs, a span of 7 seasons. In 639 career games, he hit .240 with 497 hits, 6 home runs, and 152 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
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 166 lb
- Died
- 5/30/2015 in Reading, MA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1941-09-12
- Last Game
- 1947-08-22
Full name: Leonard Richard Merullo
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 639 | 2,071 | 191 | 497 | 92 | 8 | 6 | 152 | 38 | 136 | 174 | .240 | .291 | .301 | .591 | -4,463 |
Career AVG .240 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.
Career OBP .291 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 11.6% below league average.
Career SLG .301 vs. league average .359 across their career seasons — 16.3% below league average.
Career OPS .591 vs. league average .688 across their career seasons — 14.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CHN | NL | 7 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .353 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CHN | NL | 143 | 515 | 53 | 132 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 14 | 35 | 45 | .256 | .253 (+1%) | .323 (-4%) | .349 (-7%) | .672 (-6%) | -471.4 |
| 1943 | CHN | NL | 129 | 453 | 37 | 115 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 7 | 26 | 42 | .254 | .255 (-1%) | .324 (-9%) | .346 (-9%) | .671 (-9%) | -668.6 |
| 1944 | CHN | NL | 66 | 193 | 20 | 41 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 16 | 18 | .212 | .261 (-19%) | .325 (-15%) | .357 (-22%) | .683 (-19%) | -549.2 |
| 1945 | CHN | NL | 121 | 394 | 40 | 94 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 7 | 31 | 30 | .239 | .260 (-9%) | .328 (-10%) | .354 (-16%) | .683 (-13%) | -759.7 |
| 1946 | CHN | NL | 65 | 126 | 14 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 13 | .151 | .256 (-41%) | .328 (-33%) | .358 (-40%) | .687 (-37%) | -732.0 |
| 1947 | CHN | NL | 108 | 373 | 24 | 90 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | 15 | 26 | .241 | .262 (-8%) | .336 (-19%) | .376 (-23%) | .712 (-21%) | -1282.5 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 639 | 2,071 | 191 | 497 | 92 | 8 | 6 | 152 | 38 | 136 | 174 | .240 | — | — | — | — | -4,463 | ||
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 (639 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 327 | 1041 | 93 | 272 | 3 | 85 | .261 |
| Away | 312 | 1028 | 99 | 225 | 3 | 69 | .219 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-08-22 | CHC | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-08-19 | CHC | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-08-19 | CHC | PHI | L | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-17 | CHC | CIN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-17 | CHC | CIN | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1947-08-16 | CHC | CIN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1947-08-15 | CHC | CIN | W | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-13 | CHC | PIT | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-12 | CHC | STL | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947-08-11 | CHC | STL | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 601 | 0 | 1150 | 1808 | 172 | 328 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | CHN | SS | 7 | 0 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| 1942 | CHN | SS | 143 | 0 | 299 | 438 | 42 | 80 |
| 1943 | CHN | SS | 125 | 0 | 218 | 396 | 39 | 68 |
| 1944 | CHN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1944 | CHN | SS | 56 | 0 | 115 | 167 | 19 | 26 |
| 1945 | CHN | SS | 118 | 0 | 209 | 336 | 30 | 49 |
| 1946 | CHN | SS | 44 | 0 | 78 | 131 | 12 | 23 |
| 1947 | CHN | SS | 108 | 0 | 219 | 322 | 29 | 77 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 1 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 601 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University | Villanova | PA | 1937, 1938 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Lennie Merullo (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Lennie Merullo: the record in brief
According to the bio, Lennie Merullo debuted on September 12, 1941 and played a final game on August 22, 1947. Every season row on the page belongs to the Chicago Cubs, from 1941 through 1947. The bio lists Merullo as a shortstop who batted and threw right-handed. The recorded size is 166 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. Merullo was born on May 5, 1917, in Boston, MA, USA. Merullo died on May 30, 2015, in Reading, MA, USA. Lennie Merullo was the playing name; the full given name is Leonard Richard.
The batting record for Merullo: 639 games, 497 hits in 2,071 at bats, and a .240 average, along with 6 home runs, 152 RBI, and 38 stolen bases. Merullo's career OPS of .591 combines a .291 on-base mark with .301 slugging. Over the seasons Merullo played, league hitters batted .259; the .240 career figure is 7.3% below that. The OPS comparison is .591 to a league .688, 14.0% below average. No season topped the 132 hits of 1942. The Lg AVG column puts Merullo's 1942 at .256 against .253, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 1%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lennie Merullo
- What years did Lennie Merullo play?
- Lennie Merullo played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947.
- Was Lennie Merullo a pitcher?
- No. Lennie Merullo was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Lennie Merullo hit?
- Lennie Merullo hit 6 career home runs with 497 hits.
- What teams did Lennie Merullo play for?
- Lennie Merullo played for one team, the Chicago Cubs (1941–1947).
- What were Lennie Merullo's career stats?
- In 639 games, Lennie Merullo had 497 hits, 6 home runs, 152 RBI, 191 runs, and 38 stolen bases, with a .240 batting average.
- What position did Lennie Merullo play?
- Lennie Merullo played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Lennie Merullo and how much did he weigh?
- Lennie Merullo was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 166 pounds.
- How many home runs did Lennie Merullo hit each season?
- Lennie Merullo's home runs by season: 0 in 1941, 2 in 1942, 1 in 1943, 1 in 1944, 2 in 1945, 0 in 1946, and 0 in 1947. His most in one season was 2, in 1942 and 1945.
- What was Lennie Merullo's career batting average?
- Lennie Merullo batted .240 over his career, with 497 hits in 2,071 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lennie Merullo have?
- Lennie Merullo drove in 152 runs in his career.
- Is Lennie Merullo in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lennie Merullo has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.