Len Koenecke

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Leonard George Koenecke

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• Debut April 12, 1932
• Final Game September 15, 1935
• Born January 18, 1904 in Baraboo, WI USA
• Died September 17, 1935 in Toronto, ON CAN

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Len Koenecke died one of the strangest deaths in baseball history. After he was released by the Brooklyn Dodgers on a road trip, Koenecke took a plane from St. Louis. On a flight that evening, the confused Koenecke, who probably had been drinking, tried to take the controls from the hands of the pilot. After a struggle, the pilot hit Koenecke over the head with a fire extinguisher. He was killed instantly. The pilot reported that Koenecke had appeared to be in great distress prior to the take off. The pilot was nevertheless charged with manslaughter in Ontario but eventually acquitted.

Koenecke's main teammates were Sam Leslie, Van Mungo, Lonny Frey, Buzz Boyle and Tony Cuccinello.

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