Len Rice
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1944-1945)
Len Rice was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1945 for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 2 seasons. In 42 career games, he hit .223 with 23 hits and 7 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
- 6'0" / 175 lb
- Died
- 6/13/1992 in Sonora, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1944-04-26
- Last Game
- 1945-09-29
Full name: Leonard Oliver Rice
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 103 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | .223 | .259 | .252 | .512 | -340 |
Career AVG .223 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 14.5% below league average.
Career OBP .259 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — 20.8% below league average.
Career SLG .252 vs. league average .356 across their career seasons — 29.1% below league average.
Career OPS .512 vs. league average .684 across their career seasons — 25.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CIN | NL | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1945 | CHN | NL | 32 | 99 | 10 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | .232 | .260 (-11%) | .328 (-18%) | .354 (-26%) | .683 (-22%) | -340.1 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 42 | 103 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | .223 | — | — | — | — | -340 | ||
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 (42 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 21 | 54 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 5 | .222 |
| Away | 21 | 49 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 2 | .224 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945-09-29 | CHC | PIT | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-14 | CHC | PHI | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-09 | CHC | BSN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-08 | CHC | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-05 | CHC | NY1 | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-09-03 | CHC | CIN | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-09-02 | CHC | STL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1945-09-02 | CHC | STL | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-30 | CHC | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945-08-29 | CHC | PIT | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 34 |
Len Rice: the record in brief
The profile opens with Len Rice's first major league game on April 26, 1944; the last one listed came on September 29, 1945. Rice played for the Cincinnati Reds (1944) and the Chicago Cubs (1945). Rice, born on September 2, 1918, in Lead, SD, USA, is listed as a catcher and threw and hit right-handed. Size on record: 6'0" and 175 pounds. Rice's death is recorded on June 13, 1992, in Sonora, CA, USA. Len Rice was the playing name; the full given name is Leonard Oliver.
Across 42 games at the plate, Rice's career line reads 23 hits in 103 at bats for a .223 average, plus 7 RBI. The on-base percentage is .259 and the slugging percentage .252, for an OPS of .512. Set against a .261 league average for the same years, Rice's .223 average sits 14.5% below it. The hits column peaks at 23, in 1945. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .232 in 1945, did not top the league's .260.
The position breakdown shows 34 games, all at catcher. Behind the plate, Rice's fielding totals are 119 putouts, 8 assists and 3 errors.
Frequently Asked Questions about Len Rice
- What years did Len Rice play?
- Len Rice played in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1945.
- Was Len Rice a pitcher?
- No. Len Rice was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Len Rice hit?
- Len Rice hit 0 career home runs with 23 hits.
- What teams did Len Rice play for?
- Len Rice played for 2 teams: the Cincinnati Reds (1944) and the Chicago Cubs (1945).
- What were Len Rice's career stats?
- In 42 games, Len Rice had 23 hits, 7 RBI, 11 runs, and 2 stolen bases, with a .223 batting average.
- What position did Len Rice play?
- Len Rice played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Len Rice and how much did he weigh?
- Len Rice was listed at 6 feet and 175 pounds.
- What was Len Rice's career batting average?
- Len Rice batted .223 over his career, with 23 hits in 103 at bats.
- How many RBI did Len Rice have?
- Len Rice drove in 7 runs in his career.
- Is Len Rice in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Len Rice has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.