Luke Sewell, baseball player, 1921-1942

Luke Sewell

Born: 1/5/1901 in Titus, AL, USA

Died: 5/14/1987 in Akron, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1921-06-30 | Final Game: 1942-08-01

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: James Luther Sewell

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Luke Sewell was a prominent American baseball player who made significant contributions to the game during his career from 1921 to 1942. Born in 1901, Sewell played primarily as a position player, showcasing his versatility and reliability on the field. Over the course of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball, he participated in 1,630 games, accumulating 1,393 hits and driving in 696 runs. Sewell's offensive performance included 20 home runs and a batting average of .259, alongside 65 stolen bases, which highlighted his ability to contribute both at the plate and on the basepaths. Sewell was selected as an All-Star once during his career, a testament to his skills and impact during an era marked by fierce competition and evolving styles of play. He was known for his solid defensive abilities and leadership on the field, making him a respected figure among teammates and opponents alike. His career spanned a transformative period in baseball, bridging the gap between the deadball era and the more offensive-minded approaches of the post-World War II years. Luke Sewell's legacy is remembered not just for his statistics but also for his contributions to the teams he played for, solidifying his place in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
13.0 11.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 0 0 2.0 2.0 0 1.0 0.364 0.462 0.455 0.917

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1935 13.0 11.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 0 0 2.0 2.0 0 1.0 0.364 0.462 0.455 0.917

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1630 5383 653 1393 272 56 20 696 65 486 307 0.259 0.323 0.341 0.665 -10181.9

Career AVG .259 vs. league average .280 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career OBP .323 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career SLG .341 vs. league average .395 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.665 vs. league average 0.738 across their career seasons — 9.9% 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
1921 CLE AL 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1922 CLE AL 41 87 14 23 5 0 0 10 1 5 8 0.264 .285 (-7%) .345 (-10%) .397 (-19%) .743 (-15%) -222.9
1923 CLE AL 10 10 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1924 CLE AL 63 165 27 48 9 1 0 17 1 22 13 0.291 .283 (+2%) .345 (+12%) .389 (-8%) .734 (+1%) 139.3
1925 CLE AL 74 220 30 51 10 2 0 18 6 33 18 0.232 .288 (-20%) .349 (-4%) .407 (-27%) .756 (-16%) -600.8
1926 CLE AL 126 433 41 103 16 4 0 46 9 36 27 0.238 .279 (-15%) .345 (-13%) .390 (-25%) .735 (-19%) -1640.9
1927 CLE AL 128 470 52 138 27 6 0 53 4 20 23 0.294 .282 (+4%) .344 (-5%) .392 (-4%) .736 (-4%) -504.7
1928 CLE AL 122 411 52 111 16 9 3 52 3 26 27 0.270 .280 (-4%) .342 (-7%) .395 (-5%) .737 (-6%) -572.5
1929 CLE AL 124 406 41 96 16 3 1 39 6 29 26 0.236 .289 (-18%) .353 (-19%) .415 (-28%) .769 (-24%) -2045.7
1930 CLE AL 76 292 40 75 21 2 1 43 5 14 9 0.257 .293 (-13%) .354 (-17%) .429 (-18%) .784 (-18%) -1057.5
1931 CLE AL 108 375 45 103 30 4 1 53 1 36 17 0.275 .276 (-1%) .338 (+1%) .388 (-1%) .726 (avg) -12.7
1932 CLE AL 87 300 36 76 20 2 2 52 4 38 24 0.253 .275 (-8%) .335 (+1%) .391 (-10%) .726 (-5%) -217.8
1933 WSN AL 141 474 65 125 30 4 2 61 7 48 24 0.264 .270 (-2%) .329 (+2%) .377 (-6%) .707 (-2%) -139.5
1934 WSN AL 72 207 21 49 7 3 2 21 0 22 10 0.237 .278 (-15%) .340 (-8%) .392 (-16%) .733 (-13%) -464.1
1935 CHW AL 118 421 52 120 19 3 2 67 3 32 18 0.285 .279 (+2%) .342 (-2%) .399 (-10%) .742 (-6%) -528.6
1936 CHW AL 128 451 59 113 20 5 5 73 11 54 16 0.251 .283 (-12%) .349 (-5%) .404 (-13%) .753 (-9%) -841.5
1937 CHW AL 122 412 51 111 21 6 1 61 4 46 18 0.269 .276 (-3%) .342 (avg) .398 (-10%) .740 (-6%) -415.3
1938 CHW AL 65 211 23 45 4 1 0 27 0 20 20 0.213 .272 (-22%) .341 (-17%) .392 (-38%) .734 (-28%) -1056.7
1939 CLE AL 16 20 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 0.150 — — — — 0.0
1942 SLA AL 6 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.083 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
5 17 1 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.176

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1933 WS WS1 5 17 1 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.176

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 7 0 57 3 0 4
2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
C 1562 0 5444 1084 150 138
OF 9 0 20 3 1 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1921 CLE C 3 0 7 4 0 0
1922 CLE C 39 0 108 21 5 2
1923 CLE C 7 0 5 5 2 0
1924 CLE C 57 0 171 42 9 5
1925 CLE C 66 0 216 54 8 13
1925 CLE OF 2 0 6 0 0 0
1926 CLE C 125 0 437 91 9 3
1927 CLE C 126 0 402 119 20 14
1928 CLE C 118 0 430 117 16 13
1929 CLE C 124 0 433 81 18 11
1930 CLE C 76 0 283 49 9 5
1931 CLE C 104 0 384 61 9 5
1932 CLE C 84 0 306 50 8 8
1933 WS1 C 141 0 516 61 6 12
1934 WS1 1B 6 0 57 3 0 4
1934 WS1 2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1934 WS1 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1934 WS1 C 50 0 143 23 1 6
1934 WS1 OF 7 0 14 3 1 1
1935 CHA C 112 0 399 83 6 10
1936 CHA C 126 0 461 87 9 12
1937 CHA C 118 0 502 72 9 11
1938 CHA C 65 0 205 55 4 7
1939 CLE 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 CLE C 15 0 24 4 1 0
1942 SLA C 6 0 12 5 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1558
First Base 7
Second Base 1
Third Base 1
Left Field 4
Right Field 5

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL 1919, 1920, 1921

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1937 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 22.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 7.0 80 0
1928 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 6.0 64 0
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 13.0 64 0