Leonard Franklin Slye was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in USA. His parents' name was Andrew and Mattie Syle. His family lived in a tenement building (apartment on rent) on 2nd Street. (Riverfront Stadium was built at this place in 1970 and Leonard joked that he had been born at second base.) His father, Andrew Syle was not happy with his job and city life. So,Andy Slye and his brother Will built a 12-by-50-foot houseboat from salvage lumber. Then, in July 1912, the Slye family floated on the Ohio River towards Portsmouth, Ohio. The Syles family wanted a more stable life in Portsmouth. So, they bought land on which they could built a home.