Looking Back: Red Lucas Remembered
"Pinch hitters get better with age," Lucas once said in an interview. "I was blessed with good eyes. As long as you can see the ball, you can hit it."
Lucas was born on April 28, 1902 on the family farm outside Columbia, Tenn. When World War I came along, his family moved to Nashville and he took a job at the government powder plant in Old Hickory. Lucas was playing semi-pro baseball on Sundays and some time in the Nashville City League for amateurs. He batted left-handed, but pitched with his right arm.
Lucas signed his first professional contract in 1920 with Bartow, a Class D club in the Florida State League. He was shortly released and wound up in Rome of the Georgia State League. In 1921, Lucas pitched for three teams. He began that season in Jackson then Greenwood of the Mississippi State League. After the playoffs, he was sent to the Nashville Vols (Southern Association) where he was 2-0 appearing in four games.
The 1922 season would be a breakout year for Lucas. He was the top pitcher for the Vols appearing in 39 games (all starts) to record a 20-18 record. Lucas' ERA was 4.63 in 282 innings pitched while striking out 75 batters. He also played 10 games in the outfield and for the year batted .306 (47-for-153). Lucas collected two home runs. His nickname was "The Nashville Narcissus."
After that season with the Vols, Lucas was sold to the New York Giants. But after looking at the five-foot-nine, 170-pounder, Giants manager John McGraw decided Lucas was too small and sent him to San Antonio of the Texas League. His record for that season was 18-9 record in 37 games, a 4.05 ERA and 211 innings pitched. Lucas did receive a call up to the Giants at the end of the season pitching 5.1 innings in three relief appearances with no decisions.
In 1924, the Boston Braves picked up Lucas. He appeared in 27 games (four starts) and was 1-4 in 83.2 innings with a 5.16 ERA. Lucas was sent to Seattle of the Pacific Coast League in 1925. He went 9-5 with a 2.83 ERA. At the end of the season, Lucas was sold to the Cincinnati Reds.
Lucas would become the ace of the Reds staff for five years. In 1927, he came close to recording a no-hitter against the Dodgers' Dazzy Vance. In the sixth inning Hank DeBerry stroked a grounder between the legs of Reds second baseman Hughie Critz. The official scorer gave the DeBerry a hit. The Reds argued that it should have been scored an error. The Reds won the game, 3-0 with Lucas allowing only one "controversial" hit.
Lucas did not have a good fastball, but relied on control, a great curveball, a changeup and a pitch he called a "loose" forkball. In 1929, 1931 and 1932, Lucas led the National League starters in complete games. His endurance was evident as he pitched 17 innings in a 1928 game against St. Louis in a 5-4 victory. And he pitched a 15-inning game in 1933 to defeat the Giants, 1-0.
At the plate, Lucas liked take the first pitch. In his first year in Cincinnati, he batted .303 with four triples. Lucas became the Reds top pinch hitter. Two of his career home runs came as a pinch hitter. Lucas played for the Reds eight years (1926-33). He finished his career in Pittsburgh (1934-38). While pitching for the Pirates in 1935, he faced Babe Ruth who was in his last season with the Boston Braves. On May 25, Ruth clubbed three home runs-the final home runs of his career. These were numbers 712, 713 and 714. Lucas was on the mound when No. 712 left the stadium.
Legendary sports writer, Grantland Rice, gave tribute to Lucas with one of his poems:
Just a ball player-that's all, he can field, he can pitch, he can hit,
He's a pip on an infield ball; he can take his turn in the pit.
He isn't a Grove or a Cobb, but shove him whenever you will,
He'll turn in a first-class job,
At pitching or punching the pill.
Not a bad guy in the clinch,
Just to have hanging around,
Taking his cut in the pinch.
Taking his cut on the mound.
Any old spot in the skit,
Calling for bludgeon or ball,
Headliner?-Hardly a bit.
Just a ball player-that's all.
One accomplishment Lucas achieved was going the distance in 250.3 innings without being relieved from August 13, 1931 to July 15, 1932. This modern record still stands today and will unlikely be matched.
In the book The Ball Players a summary of Lucas career is written:
"Lucas broke in as a pitcher, but lacked a good fastball, so efforts were made to convert him into an infielder to take advantage of his hitting ability. His exceptional control eventually made him a top NL right-hander, but his reputation as a good-hitting pitcher far overshadowed his accomplishments on the mound. He won 109 games for the perennial second-division Reds from 1926 through 1933, with highs of 18 in 1927 and 19 in 1929. In 1933 he walked only 18 in 220 innings, and his 1.61 bases on balls per nine innings places him 20th all-time.
"For his career he completed 68% of 301. His career batting average was .281 and his 114 pinch hits and 437 pinch at-bats (a, 261 average) were ML records for many years."
On January 14, 1939, the Pirates released Lucas. He became a minor league manager in 1941 with Grand Rapids (Michigan State League) and in 1942 Newport (Tenn.) of the Appalachian League. Lucas was a player coach for the Nashville Vols in 1944 and 1945. In 1948, Lucas was the manager in Decatur Ill. of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League.
In April 1929, Lucas was in Nashville pitching in an exhibition game against the Vols. The Nashville Banner reported:
"A local boy has sealed ethereal heights in baseball will perform before the home folks in behalf of Jack Hendricks' clan. He is Charles Fred ("Red") Lucas, start member of the Reds mound staff. It is no secret that Jack Hendricks' is leaning on Lucas this year. "Red" was one of the greatest pitchers in the majors in 1927 and helped the Reds last season despite the fact that he was out for a long time after having his wrist broken on May 16, at which time he had won seven straight games. Lucas is one of the most outstanding athletes ever developed in Nashville who has won national recognition."
In 15 years, Lucas' major league totals include a record of 157-135; 396 games (302 starts); a 3.72 ERA; 204 complete games; 22 shutouts and 2,542 innings pitched. His 114 pinch its ranks eleventh all-time with Lenny Harris' 212 pinch hits tops the list.
After retiring from baseball, Lucas returned to Nashville and was a truck weight inspector and served several years as a deputy sheriff. Lucas was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965 and passed away in Nashville on April 28, 1986 at age 84. He is buried in Nashville's Spring Hill Cemetery.
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