Luke Appling
Luke Appling's ability to put the ball in play made him famous, but it was his knack for convering those balls into hits that landed him in Cooperstown. Although he hit a home run off Warren Spahn in a 1982 old-timers game at age 75, he hit only 45 homers in his career. He was a superb contact hitter, once hitting 14 consecutive foul balls into the stands to get even with an owner who would not give him two extra game passes. Appling led the American League in batting twice, and his .388 average in 1936 remains the highest batting mark by a shortstop in history.
Played For
Chicago White Sox (1930-1950)
Managed
Kansas City Athletics (1967)
All-Time Rankings
Luke Appling ranks #6 among the Top 50 all-time at SS. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1936
Appling batted better than .300 on 16 occasions, winning the batting title twice: in 1943 and in 1936. His .388 average in '36 was the highest AL mark since the offensive explosion of the 1920s. It remains the highest batting average for a shortstop in baseball history. He set career-highs in hits (204), runs (111), RBI (128), slugging (.508), and OBP (.474). he also enjoyed a career-best 27-game hitting streak.
Factoids
In 1936, Luke Appling became the first shortstop to win an American League batting title, and was also the first member of the Chicago White Sox to do so.
Uphill to Cooperstown
Appling garnered more and more support through the years for the Hall of Fame. He finally earned selection in 1964 as a result of a rare run-off election, which ensured that the top vote-getter would be elected.
1953 - 2 votes
1955 - 3 votes
1956 - 14 votes
1958 - 7 votes
1960 - 72 votes
1962 - 48 votes
1964 - 142 votes
1964 (run off) - 189 votes
Where He Played
Shortstop
Born
Lucius Benjamin Appling was born on April 2, 1907, in High Point, NC.
Died
January 3, 1991, Cumming, GA
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: SS
Primary Team: CHA
Major League Debut
September 10, 1930
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1930
Luke Appling
Joe Kuhel
Pinky Higgins
Ben Chapman
Hank Greenberg
Lon Warneke
Tommy Bridges
Lefty Gomez
Dizzy Dean
Nicknames
Old Aches and Pains, Luscious Luke
Uniform Numbers
#5 (1931), #8 (1932), #4 (1933-1950)
Similar Players
Nomar Garciappara, somewhat.
Related Players
Warren Spahn
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1953 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.8% |
1955 |
BBWAA |
3 |
1.2% |
1956 |
BBWAA |
14 |
7.3% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
77 |
28.9% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
72 |
26.8% |
1962 |
BBWAA |
48 |
30.0% |
1964 |
BBWAA |
142 |
70.6% |
1964 |
Run Off |
189 |
84.0% |
|
Milestones
Collected his 2,500th hit in 1948.
Notes
Appling's 27-game hitting streak in 1936 was halted by Red Sox hurler Wes Ferrell on September 3rd. The streak remained a ChiSox record until broken by Albert Belle in 1997.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Appling often complained of aching ankles, pink eye, the flu, and a perpetual sore back. He suffered a broken finger and a broken leg during his long career. Nevertheless, Appling usually led the White Sox in games played and, at age 42, still batted .301. For many years, he held the American League record for total games played at shortstop. Even military service failed to hurt Appling's game. He missed every game in 1944 and all but 17 contests in 1945, yet still hit .362. Because he was a hypocondriac, he earned the nickname "Ol' Aches and Pains."
Hitting Streaks
27 games (1936)
Transactions
August 19, 1930: Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from the Atlanta (Southern Association)... November 9, 1950: Released by the Chicago White Sox.
All-Star Selections
1936 AL
1939 AL
1940 AL
1941 AL
1943 AL
1946 AL
1947 AL
Replaced
Bill Cissell, a speedy middle infielder from Missouri, was the last Chicago shortstop before Appling took over for good in 1932.
Replaced By
Chico Carrasquel, the flashy fielding Venezuelan, who was later replaced by Luis Aparicio.
Best Strength as a Player
Ability to hit for a high average. There's some evidence that Appling was a fine clutch hitter, as well. He consistently drove in more runs than would be expected from a player on his team and with his mediocre power.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His many ailments, both real and imagined.
Learn More about Luke Appling
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