Luke Easter

Born: 8/4/1915 in Jonestown, MS, USA

Died: 3/29/1979 in Euclid, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1949-08-11 | Final Game: 1954-05-04

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 240 lbs

Full name: Luscious Luke Easter

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Biography

Luke Easter was a notable American baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball during the early 1950s. Born in 1915, he played primarily as a position player from 1949 until his retirement in 1954. Easter's career unfolded during a transformative era in baseball, just after World War II, when the sport was experiencing a surge in popularity and the integration of African American players was reshaping the game. Throughout his time in the league, he showcased his power-hitting abilities, contributing significantly to his teams with a total of 93 home runs and 340 RBIs over the course of 491 games. Easter finished his career with a batting average of .274, demonstrating a solid ability to hit for both average and power. His performance included 472 hits, and while he was not known for his speed on the bases, he did manage to steal one base. Known for his impressive physical presence and formidable swing, Easter played for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians, where he became a fan favorite for his charismatic style and significant contributions to the team's offensive lineup. His legacy is remembered as part of the rich tapestry of baseball history, reflecting the changing dynamics of the sport during his playing years.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
520.0	446.0	103.0	159.0	27.0	16.0	33.0	96.0	74.0	22.0	4.0	0.357	0.450	0.711	1.161

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1946	49.0	43.0	11.0	21.0	2.0	6.0	6.0	9.0	7.0	9.0	0	0.488	0.569	1.233	1.802
1947	255.0	224.0	40.0	63.0	11.0	5.0	7.0	30.0	30.0	6.0	2.0	0.281	0.369	0.469	0.838
1948	216.0	179.0	52.0	75.0	14.0	5.0	20.0	57.0	37.0	7.0	2.0	0.419	0.519	0.888	1.407

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
594	2092	325	577	74	21	104	413	5	226	296	0.276	0.356	0.480	0.836	6217.6

Career AVG .276 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +5.4% above league average.

Career OBP .356 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +5.4% above league average.

Career SLG .480 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — +24.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.836 vs. league average 0.723 across their career seasons — +15.7% 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
1947	HG	NN2	62	223	35	60	11	6	5	36	2	25	0	0.269	.262 (+3%)	.336 (+4%)	.376 (+17%)	.712 (+11%)	394.3
1948	HG	NN2	41	144	34	45	9	3	6	37	2	27	3	0.312	.263 (+19%)	.340 (+26%)	.379 (+43%)	.719 (+35%)	921.3
1949	CLE	AL	21	45	6	10	3	0	0	2	0	8	6	0.222	—	—	—	—	-87.8
1950	CLE	AL	141	540	96	151	20	4	28	107	0	70	95	0.280	.265 (+5%)	.346 (+8%)	.401 (+21%)	.747 (+15%)	1749.0
1951	CLE	AL	128	486	65	131	12	5	27	103	0	37	71	0.270	.260 (+3%)	.336 (-1%)	.385 (+25%)	.721 (+13%)	1100.9
1952	CLE	AL	127	437	63	115	10	3	31	97	1	44	84	0.263	.252 (+4%)	.326 (+3%)	.369 (+39%)	.696 (+22%)	1746.4
1953	CLE	AL	68	211	26	64	9	0	7	31	0	15	35	0.303	.264 (+15%)	.335 (+7%)	.397 (+12%)	.733 (+10%)	393.4
1954	CLE	AL	6	6	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.167	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
6	21	6	10	3	1	1	4	4	0	0.476

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1948	NLC	HG	4	15	5	7	0	1	1	4	2	0	0.467
1948	NWS	HG	2	6	1	3	3	0	0	0	2	0	0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	434	6	3579	273	52	368
3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
OF	124	97	183	16	7	4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1947	HG	1B	2	1	10	2	0	1
1947	HG	OF	61	61	90	10	4	2
1948	HG	1B	5	5	44	1	0	4
1948	HG	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1948	HG	OF	38	36	70	6	3	2
1949	CLE	OF	12	0	9	0	0	0
1950	CLE	1B	128	0	1100	82	11	114
1950	CLE	OF	13	0	14	0	0	0
1951	CLE	1B	125	0	1043	68	14	108
1952	CLE	1B	118	0	940	90	18	87
1953	CLE	1B	56	0	442	30	9	54