Lena Blackburne

{{Short description|American baseball player, coach, and manager (1886–1968)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Lena Blackburne

|image=Lena Blackburne.jpg

|width=250

|position=Infielder / Coach / Manager

|birth_date={{birth date|1886|10|23}}

|birth_place=Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|1968|2|29|1886|10|23}}

|death_place=Riverside Township, New Jersey, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 14

|debutyear=1910

|debutteam=Chicago White Sox

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 5

|finalyear=1929

|finalteam=Chicago White Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.214

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=4

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=139

|stat4label=Games managed

|stat4value=232

|stat5label=Managerial record

|stat5value=99–133

|stat6label=Winning %

|stat6value={{winning percentage|99|133}}

|teams=

As player

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1910}}, {{mlby|1912}}, {{mlby|1914}}–{{mlby|1915}})
Cincinnati Reds ({{mlby|1918}})
Boston Braves ({{mlby|1919}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1919}})
Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1927}}, {{mlby|1929}})

As coach

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1927}})
St. Louis Browns ({{mlby|1930}})
Philadelphia Athletics ({{mlby|1933}}–{{mlby|1938}}, {{mlby|1940}}, {{mlby|1942}}–{{mlby|1943}}

As manager

Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1928}}–{{mlby|1929}})

}}

Russell Aubrey "Lena" Blackburne (October 23, 1886 – February 29, 1968) was an American baseball infielder, manager, coach, and scout in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for the creation of his baseball rubbing mud, used to remove the finish on new baseballs and give better grip and control to the pitcher.

Career

Between 1910 and 1929, Blackburne played for the Chicago White Sox (1910, 1912, 1914–1915, 1927, 1929), Cincinnati Reds (1918), Boston Braves (1919) and Philadelphia Phillies (1919). He batted and threw right-handed. Following his playing career, Blackburne managed the White Sox (1928–29) and coached for the White Sox (1927–28), St. Louis Browns (1930) and Philadelphia Athletics (1933–38; 1940–45; 1947–48).{{Cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pblacl101.htm|title = Lena Blackburne}}

Blackburne was a native of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, and moved to Palmyra, New Jersey with his family at a very young age. While living in Palmyra, as a youth, Blackburne played football for the Palmyra Field Club in 1906.

Blackburne broke into the majors with the White Sox in 1910, appearing in part of five seasons, and split the 1919 season with the Braves and Phillies. In an eight-season playing career, Blackburne was a .214 hitter with four home runs and 139 runs batted in in 550 games played. As a fielder, he appeared in 539 games at shortstop (213), third base (180) and second (144) and first (2), and also relieved in one game.

In 1933, he went on to become a coach with the Philadelphia Athletics of Connie Mack. Blackburne stayed with the Athletics as a scout when the club moved to Kansas City. As a manager in the major leagues, he posted a 99–133 record for a .427 winning percentage. He managed the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League for parts of three seasons: 1916, 1921, and 1932. In each case he was hired as a mid-season replacement.

Blackburne died in Riverside Township, New Jersey at age 81, and is buried in Morgan Cemetery on the outskirts of Palmyra, not far from where he lived on Henry and Cinnaminson Avenues.

=Managerial record=

rowspan="2"\|Team	rowspan="2"\|Year	colspan="5"\|Regular season	colspan="4"\|Postseason
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
Games	Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
CWS\|\| {{mlby\|1928}} \|\|80\|\|{{WinLossPct\|40\|40}}\|\| 5th in AL \|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
CWS\|\| {{mlby\|1929}} \|\|152\|\|{{WinLossPct\|59\|93}}\|\| 7th in AL \|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
colspan="2"\|Total \|\|232\|\|{{WinLossPct\|99\|133}}\|\| \|\| {{WinLossPct\|0\|0}} \|\|

References

External links

{{Find a Grave}}
[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102804315 Rubbing Mud story] from National Public Radio
http://www.baseballrubbingmud.com

Category:1886 births

Category:1968 deaths

Category:Baseball coaches from Pennsylvania

Category:Boston Braves players

Category:Chicago White Sox coaches

Category:Chicago White Sox managers

Category:Chicago White Sox players

Category:Cincinnati Reds players

Category:Kansas City Athletics scouts

Category:Little Rock Travelers players

Category:Major League Baseball infielders

Category:Major League Baseball player-managers