PLAYER PROFILE

DICK LEARY

STATISTICS & HISTORY

Dick  Leary  first played pro ball in and around his his hometown, Lennox, Massachusetts. In 1910, he was recruited to play in the fast Central League for Uniontown, but his play was far from impressive. Released at midseason, Leary signed with Troy of the Hudson River League , but was released again at the end of the season. After his unimpressive entry into the professional game, Leary gradually matured over the next three seasons to become the best center in the New York State League. By 1914, his stock had risen to the point that perennial powerhouse Troy traded four outstanding veterans (Chief Muller, Flo Haggerty, Swede Grimstead and Bobby Vance) to Gloversville to acquire Leary. He moved to the Pennsylvania State League  in 1915 were he starred for three seasons until the league went into hiatus during World War I. After the war, Leary returned to action as a player, coach and owner of the Nanticoke franchise. Under his direction the Nans were the surprise winners of the 1919-20 PSL title. Leary sold the franchise at the end of the season and returned to the NYSL to play for Utica the next two seasons. In 1922-23, Leary signed a lucrative deal as player-coach of the independent Rome Manufacturing team. The following season, Leary signed with Camden of the Philadelphia Basketball League. Late in the season, he suffered injuries that essentially ended his playing career. After his playing days, Leary turned to coaching. He had great success at Nanticoke (Pennsylvania) High School. He also coached in the (then a minor league) PSL in the 1930’s. Leary surfaced on the major league scene for the last time in the middle of the 1938-39 season when he took over as coach of the Wilkes-Barre team in the American Basketball League.  The struggling team improved to a 10-10 record under his guidance.

 

DICK LEARY Height: 6:05 Weight: 180 College: None
Richard Nicholas Leary Born:  Jul 14 1887 Died: Jan 2, 1951 Hometown: Lenox, Mass.
REGULAR SEASON RECORD
Year Team League     GA FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS AVG
1906-07 Pittsfield Phoenix Five Indep
1906-07 Great Barrington Indep
1907-08 Great Barrington Indep
1908-09 Great Barrington Indep
1909-10 Lenox Independents Indep
1910-11 Uniontown CBL 17 23 0 46 2.7
1910-11 Troy HRL 9 11 9 31 3.4
1911-12 Pittsfield Indep
1911-12 Hudson NYSL 47 124 35 283 6.0
1912-13 Gloversville NYSL 48 125 53 303 6.3
1913-14 Gloversville NYSL 59 154 106 414 7.0
1914-15 Troy NYSL 27 55 57 167 6.2
1915-16 Nanticoke PSL 42 86 79 18 251 6.0
1916-17 Nanticoke PSL 40 75 122 43 272 6.8
1916-17 Jersey City IBL 1 0 4 4 4.0
1917-18 PlymouthHazleton PSL 46 80 135 23 295 6.4
1917-18 Windsor Namcos Indep
1918-19 Nanticoke Indep
1919-20 Nanticoke PSL 42 65 109 179 .609 16 239 5.7
1919-20 Camden EBL 1 2 2 4 .500 2 6 6.0
1919-20 Utica NYSL 16 48 36 132 8.3
1920-21 Utica NYSL 43 78 176 332 7.7
1921-22 Utica NYSL 36 63 147 273 7.6
1921-22 New York MacDowell MBL 2 3 6 12 6.0
1921-22 Springfield IL 1 1 1 3 3.0
1922-23 Paterson MBL 2 1 12 14 7.0
1922-23 Philadelphia EBL 1 0 3 4 .750 0 3 3.0
1922-23 Rome Manufacturing Co. Indep
1923-24 Camden PBL 32 42 97 193 .503 15 181 5.7
1923-24 Hazleton Professionals Indep
1924-25 Hazleton Professionals AnBL 7 12 21 45 6.4
1924-25 West Philadelphia Shanahan PBL 5 4 18 33 .545 26 5.2
1925-26 Hazleton Professionals Indep
1926-27 Hazleton Professionals Indep
1927-28 Wilkes-Barre PSL 21 27 59 113 5.4
1932-33 Wilkes-Barre PSL 1 0 0 0 0.0
Major League Totals 517 1040 1207 3287 6.4
PLAYOFF RECORD
Year Team League     GA FGM  FTM   FTA  PCT.  AST  PTS AVG
1917-18 Hazleton PSL 3 0 5 5 1.7
1919-20 Nanticoke PSL 4 6 15 27 6.8
Major League Totals 7 6 20 32 4.6
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