:Lee Pfund

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Lee Pfund

|image=Lee Pfund.jpg

|position=Pitcher

|birth_date={{Birth date|1919|10|10}}

|birth_place=Oak Park, Illinois

|death_date={{death date and age|2016|6|2|1919|10|18}}

|death_place=Carol Stream, Illinois

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 21

|debutyear=1945

|debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=July 5

|finalyear=1945

|finalteam=Brooklyn Dodgers

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=3–2

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=5.20

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=27

|teams=

Brooklyn Dodgers ({{baseball year|1945}})

}}

Le Roy Herbert Pfund (October 10, 1919 – June 2, 2016) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and college baseball and college basketball coach.

Early life

Pfund was born in Oak Park, Illinois.

Baseball career

On November 1, 1944, he was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers from the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1944 rule 5 draft, and played for the Dodgers in 1945. The 25-year-old rookie right-hander stood {{convert|6|ft|1|in|abbr=on}} and weighed {{convert|185|lb|abbr=on}}. Pfund was one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. He made his major league debut in relief against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on April 21, 1945, when professional baseball teams conducted spring training in the north. His first major league win came in his first start, on May 14, 1945, as the Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–1 at Ebbets Field.

Season and career totals for 15 games include a 3–2 record, 10 games started, 2 complete games, 2 games finished, and an ERA of 5.20 in 62.1 innings pitched. Pfund went 4-for-22 (.182) in batting with a double and 2 walks, had 4 runs batted in and scored 2 runs. Even though he pitched 62.1 innings in 1945, Pfund tied for ninth among National League hurlers with 5 hit batsmen. By contrast, it took the other five pitchers who were tied with him for ninth an average of 191.2 innings to hit the same number of batters. A knee injury curtailed hopes of returning to the majors.

College career

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Lee Pfund

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

|birth_date={{Birth date|1919|10|18}}

|birth_place=Oak Park, Illinois

|death_date={{death date and age|2016|6|2|1919|10|18}}

|death_place=Carol Stream, Illinois

| player_positions =

| coach_years1 = 1948–1959
1961–1974

| coach_team1 = Wheaton College (baseball)

| coach_years2 = 1951–1975

| coach_team2 = Wheaton College (basketball)

| overall_record =

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = NCAA Division II (1957)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

In 1948, Pfund was hired to coach the baseball team while still at the college studying for his bachelor's degree. He was hired to also coach the basketball program in 1951. He was employed at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois for nearly 39 years, as a professor of physical education, baseball coach, basketball coach, and executive director of the Alumni Association (1975–87). He led the basketball team to a championship with the 1957 NCAA College Division basketball tournament, the first basketball tournament for the NCAA College Division (now referred to as NCAA Division II).

Pfund was the winningest coach in Wheaton history for both men's basketball (362) and baseball (249){{cite web|url=http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2016/5/31/wheaton-remembers-lee-pfund.aspx|title=Wheaton College Remembers Former Coach and Administrator Le Roy (Lee) Pfund '49 (1919-2016)|publisher=|accessdate=June 5, 2016}} In 1977, he received the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater award from the Wheaton Alumni Association. In 1985, he was inducted into the Wheaton Athletics Department's Hall of Honor. In the opening weeks of each season every year since 1996, the Wheaton men's basketball program has hosted the Lee Pfund Classic basketball tournament. In 2000, Lee Pfund Gymnasium opened as a practice and recreation space in the Sports and Recreation Complex on the Wheaton campus.[http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160605/news/160609357/ Legendary Wheaton College coach remembered for sportsmanship, faith, updated: 6/5/2016 9:56 PM, accessed 6/6/2016] In April 2012, Lee Pfund Stadium – outfitted with lights, new dugouts, a new backstop, and artificial turf – opened in Carol Stream, Illinois, where it is the home of the Wheaton baseball program. On April 30, 2016, Pfund's jersey number 17 — the number he wore as skipper of the baseball team at Wheaton — was retired.

Pfund was inducted into the Illinois State Basketball Coaches Association “Hall of Fame”.{{cite web|url=http://athletics.wheaton.edu/sports/2007/6/24/LegionField.aspx?id=44|title=Lee Pfund Stadium at Legion Field|publisher=|accessdate=June 5, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://athletics.wheaton.edu/sports/2010/10/25/pfund_classic.aspx|title=Lee Pfund Classic|publisher=|accessdate=June 5, 2016}} He died on June 2, 2016, at the age of 96.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160603/sports/160609454/|title=Wheaton College legend Pfund dies|date=June 3, 2016|publisher=|accessdate=June 5, 2016}} Pfund's son, Randy, was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and later general manager of the Miami Heat.

References

External links

{{Baseballstats |mlb=120499 |espn= |br=p/pfundle01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm=pfund-001ler }}
[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Ppfunl101.htm Retrosheet]

Category:1919 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:Major League Baseball pitchers

Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players

Category:Albany Cardinals players

Category:Decatur Commodores players

Category:Knoxville Smokies players

Category:Mobile Bears players

Category:Columbus Red Birds players

Category:St. Paul Saints (AA) players

Category:Montreal Royals players

Category:Elmira Pioneers players