Red Lucas, baseball player, 1923-1938

Red Lucas

Born: 4/28/1902 in Columbia, TN, USA

Died: 7/9/1986 in Nashville, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1923-04-19 | Final Game: 1938-10-01

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Charles Fred Lucas

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Biography

Red Lucas, born in 1902, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a career spanning from 1923 to 1938. He built a solid reputation on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 157-135 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.72. Over the course of his time in the league, Lucas recorded 602 strikeouts and notched 7 saves, showcasing his ability to both start and finish games effectively. His playing style was characterized by a mix of finesse and control, allowing him to navigate through the challenges posed by the hitters of his era. Lucas's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, as the sport was evolving from the deadball era into a time of greater offensive output. Despite the changing dynamics of the game, he consistently delivered strong performances, earning his place among the notable pitchers of his time. His contributions to the teams he played for and his overall impact on the mound remain a testament to his skill and dedication to the sport. Red Lucas remains a respected figure in baseball history, remembered for his resilience and contributions to the game.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
157 135 396 301 204 22 7 2542.0 2736 1051 136 455 602 3.72 0

Career ERA 3.72 vs. league average 4.25 across their career seasons — 12.5% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1923 NY1 NL 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 5.3 9 0 4 3 0.00 — 0.0
1924 BSN NL 1 4 27 4 1 0 0 83.7 112 48 18 30 5.16 4.13 (-25%) 1.4
1926 CIN NL 8 5 39 11 7 1 2 154.0 161 63 30 34 3.68 4.11 (+10%) 1389.8
1927 CIN NL 18 11 37 23 19 4 2 239.7 231 90 39 51 3.38 4.08 (+17%) 3808.7
1928 CIN NL 13 9 27 19 13 4 1 167.3 164 63 42 35 3.39 4.13 (+18%) 25.5
1929 CIN NL 19 12 32 32 28 2 0 270.0 267 108 58 72 3.60 4.60 (+22%) 3205.7
1930 CIN NL 14 16 33 28 18 1 1 210.7 270 126 44 53 5.38 4.80 (-12%) 712.4
1931 CIN NL 14 13 29 29 24 3 0 238.0 261 95 39 56 3.59 4.10 (+12%) 2462.7
1932 CIN NL 13 17 31 31 28 0 0 269.3 261 88 35 63 2.94 4.13 (+29%) 4159.9
1933 CIN NL 10 16 29 29 21 3 0 219.7 248 83 18 40 3.40 3.86 (+12%) 1534.0
1934 PIT NL 10 9 29 21 12 1 0 172.7 198 84 40 44 4.38 4.29 (-2%) -910.2
1935 PIT NL 8 6 20 19 8 2 0 125.7 136 48 23 29 3.44 4.35 (+21%) -41.8
1936 PIT NL 15 4 27 22 12 0 0 175.7 178 62 26 53 3.18 4.59 (+31%) 3734.7
1937 PIT NL 8 10 20 20 9 1 0 126.3 150 60 23 20 4.27 4.34 (+1%) -1142.9
1938 PIT NL 6 3 13 13 4 0 0 84.0 90 33 16 19 3.54 4.35 (+19%) 697.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
907 1439 155 404 61 13 3 190 2 124 133 0.281 0.340 0.347 0.687 -1009.5

Career AVG .281 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .340 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .347 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — 12.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.687 vs. league average 0.741 across their career seasons — 7.3% below 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
1923 NY1 NL 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1924 BSN NL 33 33 5 11 1 0 0 5 0 1 4 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1925 BSN NL 6 20 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 2 4 0.150 — — — — 0.0
1926 CIN NL 66 76 15 23 4 4 0 14 0 10 13 0.303 .279 (+8%) .345 (+11%) .390 (+18%) .735 (+15%) 194.5
1927 CIN NL 80 150 14 47 5 2 0 28 0 12 10 0.313 .282 (+11%) .344 (+7%) .392 (-5%) .736 (+1%) 42.0
1928 CIN NL 39 73 8 23 2 1 0 7 0 4 6 0.315 .280 (+12%) .342 (+2%) .395 (-6%) .737 (-2%) -29.0
1929 CIN NL 76 140 15 41 6 0 0 13 1 13 15 0.293 .289 (+1%) .353 (avg) .415 (-19%) .769 (-10%) -246.7
1930 CIN NL 80 113 18 38 4 1 2 19 0 17 4 0.336 .293 (+14%) .354 (+19%) .429 (+3%) .784 (+10%) 304.0
1931 CIN NL 97 153 15 43 4 0 0 17 0 12 9 0.281 .276 (+2%) .338 (-1%) .388 (-21%) .726 (-12%) -304.1
1932 CIN NL 76 150 13 43 11 2 0 19 0 10 9 0.287 .275 (+4%) .335 (avg) .391 (-1%) .726 (-1%) -32.2
1933 CIN NL 75 122 14 35 6 1 1 15 0 12 6 0.287 .270 (+6%) .329 (+8%) .377 (avg) .707 (+4%) 104.6
1934 PIT NL 68 105 11 23 5 1 0 8 1 6 16 0.219 .278 (-21%) .340 (-23%) .392 (-27%) .733 (-25%) -504.6
1935 PIT NL 47 66 6 21 6 0 0 10 0 7 11 0.318 .279 (+14%) .342 (+14%) .399 (+2%) .742 (+8%) 113.8
1936 PIT NL 69 108 11 26 4 1 0 14 0 8 17 0.241 .283 (-15%) .349 (-16%) .404 (-27%) .753 (-22%) -446.8
1937 PIT NL 59 82 8 22 3 0 0 17 0 7 6 0.268 .276 (-3%) .342 (-5%) .398 (-23%) .740 (-15%) -205.1
1938 PIT NL 33 46 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 3 2 0.109 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 12 0 16 30 2 6
3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
P 396 0 109 516 12 33
SS 3 0 0 3 2 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1923 NY1 P 3 0 1 3 0 0
1924 BSN 3B 2 0 0 1 0 0
1924 BSN P 27 0 5 22 0 1
1925 BSN 2B 6 0 9 21 1 4
1926 CIN 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1926 CIN P 39 0 6 36 0 1
1927 CIN 2B 5 0 7 9 1 2
1927 CIN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1927 CIN P 37 0 7 51 1 2
1927 CIN SS 3 0 0 3 2 0
1928 CIN P 27 0 8 37 0 3
1929 CIN P 32 0 12 63 4 3
1930 CIN P 33 0 8 30 0 2
1931 CIN P 29 0 8 54 1 3
1932 CIN P 31 0 17 55 2 4
1933 CIN P 29 0 3 52 0 5
1934 PIT P 29 0 7 24 2 2
1935 PIT P 20 0 7 23 1 1
1936 PIT P 27 0 8 33 1 4
1937 PIT P 20 0 9 19 0 1
1938 PIT P 13 0 3 14 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 396
Second Base 12
Third Base 2
Shortstop 3
Left Field 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1929 Baseball Magazine All-Star P4
1929 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1933 Most Valuable Player NL 21th 3.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 10.0 80 0
1929 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 29.0 80 0
1927 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 10.0 80 0