BUCK LEONARD - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED CHECK 01/05/1989 - HFSID 290091

BUCK LEONARD
He pays an electric bill of $82.83
Check signed: "Walter Leonard", 6x2¾. Rocky Mount, North Carolina, 1989 January 5. Check #1777, drawn on the joint account of Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Leonard at Planters Bank, payable "Public Utilities" for $82.83. Entirely filled out by Leonard. Memo: "Lights". Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (1907-1997), a lefthanded power hitter, teamed with legendary slugging catcher Josh Gibson to lead the Homestead Grays to nine consecutive Negro National League championships from 1937 through 1945. The duo was dubbed the "Thunder Twins" by the black press: Leonard was called a black Lou Gehrig, Gibson a black Babe Ruth. While Gibson slugged tape measure home runs, the pull-hitting Leonard, who feasted on fastballs, demonstrated his smooth, powerful stroke by hitting line drives off and over the walls. Leonard was equally smooth and consistent at first base. He was a smart fielder who always made the right play, and a team leader. Leonard, whose Negro League career began in 1933, was offered a Major League contract in 1952, but he felt he was too old to accept. Still, he starred in the Mexican League through 1955. Leonard and Gibson were both enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1972. Bank processing stamps on verso. Fine condition. A portion of the screen image has been obscured to protect sensitive information. The original check does not contain these concealing marks.