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Discovered by legendary Negro League player and manager Rap Dixon, Leon Day’s first contract of 1934 called for $60 per month. The following season he signed with the Brooklyn Eagles.

Day honed his craft on the mound under the tutelage of Double Duty Radcliffe. With a no-windup delivery and a mid-90s fastball, Day was a force.

Eagles skipper and fellow Cooperstown man Ben Taylor inserted him in the rotation. Day rewarded Taylor’s faith with an All Star season that included 7 wins and 2 saves. That same year he tossed a one-hitter and established himself as one of the best young pitchers in the league.

He went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Day never saw his Hall of Fame plaque and likewise never signed a postcard bearing its image. Shown here is a Day autograph on the back of the HoF plaque of Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige.

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Unassuming and modest, Leon Day was one of the greatest pitchers of his day. The Negro League stalwart made 9 East-West All Star Games according to BaseballReference.com.

His ten campaigns in the Negro Leagues included a .704 winning percentage. Day missed two full seasons while serving his country in World War II. When he returned in 1946, Day was at his best.

As the Newark Eagles Opening Day starter, Day threw a no-hitter agains the Philadelphia Stars. His excellence continued as Day’s league-leading 13 wins complimented a 2.37 ERA. His 15 starts included a league bests in complete games (14) and shutouts (2). His performance helped the Eagles capture the Negro League World Series title.

When he wasn’t pitching, Day could be found playing the infield or the outfield. A career .314 hitter, Day boasted a career 119 OPS+.

According to the Hall of Fame, fellow Cooperstown man Monte Irvin compared Day favorably to Bob Gibson.

“People don’t know what a great pitcher Leon Day was. He was as good or better than Bob Gibson. He was a better fielder, a better hitter, could run like a deer. When he pitched against Satchel, Satchel didn’t have an edge. You thought Don Newcombe could pitch. You should have seen Day! One of the best complete athletes I’ve ever seen.”

Shown here is a check made out to and endorsed by Leon Day. Day was a willing signer through the mail as interest in the Negro League players gained momentum. Notice the August 6, 1990 date on the check and the note “A Future Hall of Famer” written on the bottom left.

An image of Day’s signature endorsing the check can be seen in the next property. He signed it a full five years before his Cooperstown induction.

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Leon Day was largely forgotten until a renewed interest in the Negro Leagues in the 1990s. As more information about Black Baseball emerged, fans and collectors learned of his greatness.

Here is the back of the check complete with Leon Day’s signature endorsing it.

Leon Day was finally given his due when he received the Hall call in 1995. Sadly, Day passed away six days after learning he was elected to Cooperstown.

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Leon Day’s talent was easy to notice and respect. In the 1942 East-West All Star Game, Day saved the day. Summoned to the hill to quiet a threat with two out in the 7th inning, Day retired all seven of the batters he faced, striking out five of them.

In the off-season, Homestead Grays owner Cumberland Posey wrote an article in the Pittsburgh Courier praising Day. According to the Hall of Fame’s website, Posey wrote, “Leon was the best pitcher in Negro Baseball… despite the fact that he was used daily, either as a pitcher, outfielder, or infielder.”

Shown here is an index card signed by Day.

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Born in Virginia in 1916, Leon Day moved with his family to Baltimore before his first birthday. Today few know of his lifelong association with the state of Maryland and how dignitaries in the state helped him gain a Hall of Fame plaque.

After Day’s career, he returned to Baltimore. A quiet man who never sought attention, Day’s Cooperstown candidacy was buoyed by many in the state.

Working to get the word out, Mayor Kurt Schmoke declared January 31, 1992 as Leon Day’s Day in Baltimore. Four months later Maryland governor William Schaefer officially observed a day for the pitcher in Annapolis. The following summer when the Orioles hosted the All Star Game, Day threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

As word of Day and his baseball feats spread, the Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee took notice. He fell one vote short of induction in 1993. Two years later in 1995, the committee ensured Day’s baseball immortality. The work of prominent men in his hometown paid off.

Though Day died six days after receiving word of his Cooperstown induction, he continued to be honored in death. In 1997, the City of Baltimore renamed one of its parks, “Negro League Hall of Famer Leon Day Park“. In 2022 the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame posthumously bestowed Day with the state’s highest sports honor – induction into their Hall.

Shown here is a letter from Sam Sibler, the chairman of the state’s Hall of Fame. In the October 26, 1962 correspondence Sibler informs 16-year MLB vet Bill Nicholson of his selection for the state’s honor.

Nicholson was a four-time National League All Star. Twice he led the Senior Circuit in home runs and RBI. With three 6.0 WAR campaigns, Nicholson’s career WAR stands at 41.9. He earned votes in MVP balloting five seasons, and finished in the top three for the award in 1943 and 1944.

Nicholson’s career 132 OPS+ is equal to Cooperstown’s Tony Gwynn, Rafael Palmeiro, and one point higher than Rod Carew, and Wade Boggs. He left the game with 1,484 career hits, 235 dingers, and 948 RBI.