Luke Appling, baseball player, 1930-1950

Luke Appling

⭐ Hall of Fame 1964

Born: 4/2/1907 in High Point, NC, USA

Died: 1/3/1991 in Cumming, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1930-09-10 | Final Game: 1950-10-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 183 lbs

Full name: Lucius Benjamin Appling

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Biography

Luke Appling, born in 1907, was a prominent American baseball player who enjoyed a storied career in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1950. Primarily known for his exceptional skills as a shortstop, Appling played a total of 2,422 games, during which he established himself as one of the era's most consistent hitters. He amassed 2,749 hits and posted a remarkable batting average of .31, demonstrating his prowess at the plate. Over his career, Appling also contributed 45 home runs and 1,116 RBIs, while showcasing his speed with 179 stolen bases. His offensive capabilities and defensive reliability earned him seven All-Star selections, marking him as one of the elite players of his time. Appling's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, which included the late stages of the deadball era and the onset of World War II. Known for his outstanding batting eye and keen understanding of the game, he was a key figure for the Chicago White Sox, where he spent the entirety of his 20-year career. Appling's ability to consistently get on base and navigate the challenges of his era solidified his legacy as a Hall of Fame player, influencing future generations in the art of hitting and fielding. His contributions to the game extended beyond statistics, as he exemplified the dedication and skill that defined baseball during a pivotal time in its history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2422 8856 1319 2749 440 102 45 1116 179 1302 528 0.310 0.399 0.398 0.798 24866.9

Career AVG .310 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.

Career OBP .399 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +18.2% above league average.

Career SLG .398 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.798 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — +10.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1930 CHW AL 6 26 2 8 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0.308 — — — — 0.0
1931 CHW AL 96 297 36 69 13 4 1 28 9 29 27 0.232 .276 (-16%) .338 (-10%) .388 (-19%) .726 (-15%) -851.4
1932 CHW AL 139 489 66 134 20 10 3 63 9 40 36 0.274 .275 (avg) .335 (-2%) .391 (-4%) .726 (-3%) -354.1
1933 CHW AL 151 612 90 197 36 10 6 85 6 56 29 0.322 .270 (+19%) .329 (+15%) .377 (+17%) .707 (+16%) 2010.3
1934 CHW AL 118 452 75 137 28 6 2 61 3 59 27 0.303 .278 (+9%) .340 (+13%) .392 (+3%) .733 (+8%) 809.0
1935 CHW AL 153 525 94 161 28 6 1 71 12 122 40 0.307 .279 (+10%) .342 (+28%) .399 (-3%) .742 (+11%) 1977.7
1936 CHW AL 138 526 111 204 31 7 6 128 10 85 25 0.388 .283 (+37%) .349 (+35%) .404 (+26%) .753 (+30%) 3770.5
1937 CHW AL 154 574 98 182 42 8 4 77 18 86 28 0.317 .276 (+15%) .342 (+19%) .398 (+10%) .740 (+14%) 1987.8
1938 CHW AL 81 294 41 89 14 0 0 44 1 42 17 0.303 .272 (+11%) .341 (+15%) .392 (-11%) .734 (+1%) 238.4
1939 CHW AL 148 516 82 162 16 6 0 56 16 105 37 0.314 .274 (+15%) .342 (+26%) .393 (-6%) .735 (+9%) 1542.2
1940 CHW AL 150 566 96 197 27 13 0 79 3 69 35 0.348 .267 (+30%) .335 (+25%) .387 (+14%) .722 (+19%) 2441.2
1941 CHW AL 154 592 93 186 26 8 1 57 12 82 32 0.314 .262 (+20%) .332 (+20%) .373 (+5%) .705 (+12%) 1715.1
1942 CHW AL 142 543 78 142 26 4 3 53 17 63 23 0.262 .253 (+3%) .323 (+6%) .349 (-3%) .672 (+1%) 258.8
1943 CHW AL 155 585 63 192 33 2 3 80 27 90 29 0.328 .255 (+28%) .324 (+29%) .346 (+17%) .671 (+23%) 3035.7
1945 CHW AL 18 57 12 21 2 2 1 10 1 12 7 0.368 .260 (+41%) .328 (+45%) .354 (+48%) .683 (+47%) 470.6
1946 CHW AL 149 582 59 180 27 5 1 55 6 71 41 0.309 .256 (+20%) .328 (+17%) .358 (+5%) .687 (+11%) 1440.9
1947 CHW AL 139 503 67 154 29 0 8 49 8 64 28 0.306 .262 (+17%) .336 (+15%) .376 (+9%) .712 (+12%) 1346.0
1948 CHW AL 139 497 63 156 16 2 0 47 10 94 35 0.314 .263 (+19%) .340 (+24%) .379 (-7%) .719 (+8%) 1338.9
1949 CHW AL 142 492 82 148 21 5 5 58 7 121 24 0.301 .262 (+15%) .343 (+28%) .384 (+3%) .727 (+14%) 2111.1
1950 CHW AL 50 128 11 30 3 4 0 13 2 12 8 0.234 .265 (-12%) .346 (-13%) .401 (-20%) .747 (-17%) -421.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 13 0 91 12 0 16
2B 40 0 87 127 8 20
3B 88 0 98 186 21 15
SS 2218 0 4398 7218 643 1424

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1930 CHA SS 6 0 12 17 4 1
1931 CHA 2B 1 0 4 1 1 0
1931 CHA SS 76 0 147 232 42 37
1932 CHA 2B 30 0 62 110 6 16
1932 CHA 3B 14 0 13 22 6 2
1932 CHA SS 85 0 195 287 37 66
1933 CHA SS 151 0 314 534 55 107
1934 CHA 2B 8 0 21 16 1 4
1934 CHA SS 110 0 243 341 34 55
1935 CHA SS 153 0 335 556 39 93
1936 CHA SS 137 0 320 471 41 119
1937 CHA SS 154 0 280 541 49 111
1938 CHA SS 78 0 149 258 20 37
1939 CHA SS 148 0 289 461 39 78
1940 CHA SS 150 0 307 436 37 83
1941 CHA SS 154 0 294 473 42 95
1942 CHA SS 141 0 269 418 38 77
1943 CHA SS 155 0 300 500 36 115
1945 CHA SS 17 0 37 56 7 7
1946 CHA SS 149 0 252 505 39 99
1947 CHA 3B 2 0 1 1 0 0
1947 CHA SS 129 0 232 422 35 86
1948 CHA 3B 72 0 84 163 15 13
1948 CHA SS 64 0 133 210 20 50
1949 CHA SS 141 0 253 450 26 95
1950 CHA 1B 13 0 91 12 0 16
1950 CHA 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1950 CHA SS 20 0 37 50 3 13

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 13
Second Base 40
Third Base 88
Shortstop 2218

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1943 TSN All-Star SS
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1940 TSN All-Star SS
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1936 TSN All-Star SS

Featured In Rankings

#20
Top 20 Shortstops in MLB Baseball History
Ranked 20 of 20
→

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 3.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 8.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 43.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 26.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 215.0 336 5
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 54.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 33th 1.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 5.0 80 0
1936 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 65.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 7.0 80 0
1933 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 1.0 80 0