Dolf Luque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dolf Luque |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 4, 1890 Havana, Cuba |
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| Died: July 3, 1957 (aged 66) Havana, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| May 20, 1914, for the Boston Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 26, 1935, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 194–179 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.24 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,130 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1957 | ||
Adolfo Domingo De Guzmán Luque (born August 4, 1890 – died July 3, 1957) was a famous Cuban baseball player. He was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1935. Luque is a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, and the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.
Luque was a trailblazer in baseball. He was the first Latino pitcher in MLB. He was also the first Latino pitcher to win a World Series game. Plus, he was the first to lead the major leagues in wins and shutouts.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Luque also played winter baseball in the Cuban League. He played there from 1912 to 1945. He was a long-time manager in that league too. After his playing days, he managed baseball teams in Mexico for eight seasons between 1946 and 1956.
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Playing Baseball in the United States
Luque started his MLB career with the Boston Braves in 1914. In 1918, he joined the Cincinnati Reds. He played with them for the next 12 seasons.
World Series Wins and Records
In the famous 1919 World Series, Luque pitched in two games as a relief pitcher. He later played for the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers from 1930 to 1931. Then he joined the New York Giants from 1932 to 1935.
Luque was with the Giants during the 1933 World Series. He pitched in relief and won the fifth and final game. This made him the oldest pitcher, at 43, to win a World Series game. He finished his career with 194 wins and 179 losses. His ERA was 3.24.
Pitching and Batting Skills
Luque became a starting pitcher in 1920. He mostly threw a curveball. In 1923, he had his best year, leading the National League with 27 wins. His ERA that year was an amazing 1.93. He also led the NL in ERA in 1925 with a 2.63.
Luque was also a good hitter for a pitcher. He had a .227 batting average. He hit 5 home runs and had 90 RBI.
Life Beyond the Field
Luque was known for being a good mentor to younger players. After he stopped pitching, he became the pitching coach for the Giants. He coached from 1936 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1945.
As a white Cuban with blue eyes, Luque was able to play in Major League Baseball. This was at a time when many non-white players were not allowed. Between 1911 and 1929, seventeen white Cuban players played in the Major Leagues. Many of them, including Luque, also played in Negro league baseball with integrated teams from Cuba.
Luque was known to have a strong personality. Once, a fan kept yelling at him. His manager, Wilbert Robinson, told him to ignore it. But when the fan started yelling at the manager, Robinson told Luque to "clobber the jerk!" Luque then went and dealt with the heckler.
Managing and Coaching Career
After his playing career, Luque coached for the New York Giants for seven seasons. He helped the Giants win the National League championship in 1936 and 1937.
He also managed teams in the Mexican League. These included the Pericos de Puebla (1946–1947) and the Azules de Veracruz (1948). He also managed the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (1953–1955) and the Leones de Yucatán (1956).
Baseball in Cuba
Luque made his professional debut in Cuba in 1911. He played for the Habana baseball club against the Philadelphia Phillies. He then played against the New York Giants.
He started playing in the Cuban League in the winter of 1912. In 1914/15, he joined Almendares and had his first winning season. The next season, he led the league in wins. In 1917, he tied for the league lead in wins and also led in hitting with a .355 average.
Managerial Success in Cuba
In 1919/20, Luque became a player-manager for Almendares. He led the team to a championship in his first season. This was the first of his seven championships as a manager. He also led the league in wins as a pitcher that year.
Later, his MLB team, the Cincinnati Reds, did not want him to play winter baseball in Cuba. So, Luque sometimes played using different names to get around the ban.
By the 1930s, Luque was back managing Almendares. He helped Almendares win championships in 1939/40, 1941/42, and 1942/43. He also led Cienfuegos to a championship in 1945/46. He won his final championship with Almendares in 1946/47. He continued to manage various teams until 1955/56.
Luque's career pitching record in the Cuban League was 106 wins and 71 losses. He played for 22 years in the Cuban League, which is more than anyone else. He ranks second in wins behind Martín Dihigo.
Legacy and Death
Luque is even mentioned in Ernest Hemingway's famous 1952 novel The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway writes, "Who is the greatest manager, really, Luque or Mike Gonzalez?"
Dolf Luque passed away on July 3, 1957. He is buried in Colon Cemetery, Havana.
See also
In Spanish: Adolfo Luque para niños
- List of Cubans
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
