Leon Durham was a professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues for 10 seasons. He was primarily a first baseman and outfielder, and he played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.
Durham was born on July 31, 1957, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Woodward High School in Cincinnati, where he played baseball and basketball. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 1976 MLB Draft, but he did not sign with the team.
Instead, Durham attended college at Jackson State University in Mississippi, where he played baseball and football. He was drafted again in 1978, this time by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the draft. He signed with the Cubs and began his professional baseball career.
Durham made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 1980. He played in 65 games that season and hit .278 with 8 home runs and 32 RBI. He quickly became a fan favorite in Chicago, and he was known for his power hitting and his ability to play multiple positions.
Durham played for the Cubs for seven seasons, from 1980 to 1987. He had some of his best seasons with the team, including 1982, when he hit .312 with 22 home runs and 90 RBI. He was named to the National League All-Star team that year, and he finished 10th in the MVP voting.
In 1984, Durham helped lead the Cubs to the National League Championship Series. He hit .375 in the series, but the Cubs lost to the San Diego Padres in five games. Durham was also a key player for the Cubs in 1985, when he hit .281 with 23 home runs and 96 RBI.
Durham was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1988. He played in 92 games for the Reds that season, hitting .261 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He was traded again in 1989, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in just 21 games for the Cardinals before being released in August of that year.
Durham retired from baseball after the 1989 season. He finished his career with a .277 batting average, 147 home runs, and 530 RBI. He was a two-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, and he was known for his power hitting and his versatility on the field.
After his playing career, Durham worked as a coach and a scout for several Major League teams. He also struggled with addiction and legal issues, including a 1990 arrest for cocaine possession. He has since turned his life around and has become an advocate for addiction recovery and mental health awareness.
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