Tommy Leach - Later Years

Later Years

After his playing career was over, Leach managed in the minor leagues, was signed as an infield coach for the minor league Atlanta Crackers in 1929, and did some scouting for the Boston Braves. Leach was considered for a few managerial positions including manager of the New York Yankees as well as the Chicago entry of the Federal League. He eventually retired in Florida where he went into the citrus business. Tommy was the oldest participant included in Lawrence Ritter's famous The Glory of Their Times collection, having been born in 1877 and being 86 when Ritter interviewed him. Leach, as part of his interview with Ritter for the book recounted an anecdote concerning Dummy Hoy. It seems the two roomed together in 1899, and Leach said of Hoy: "We got to be good friends. He was a real fine ballplayer. When you played with him in the outfield, the thing was that you never called for a ball. You listened for him and if he made this little squeaky sound, that meant he was going to take it." Leach went on to say, "We hardly ever had to use our fingers to talk, though most of the fellows did learn the sign language, so that when we got confused or something we could straighten it out with our hands." As a result of this and similar experiences, some historians credit Hoy with umpires using hand signals for balls and strikes and safe and out calls.

In the fall of 1960, Leach appeared on the television program I've Got A Secret alongside Boston American Freddy Parent, as a commemoration of participating in the first World Series in 1903.