Luke Easter (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luke Easter |
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Easter circa 1953, at Yankee Stadium.
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: August 4, 1915 Jonestown, Mississippi |
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| Died: March 29, 1979 (aged 63) Euclid, Ohio |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NgL: 1947, for the Homestead Grays | |||
| MLB: August 11, 1949, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 4, 1954, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 93 | ||
| Runs batted in | 340 | ||
| Teams | |||
Negro leagues
Major League Baseball
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Luscious "Luke" Easter (born August 4, 1915 – died March 29, 1979) was a famous baseball player. He played in both the Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Negro leagues. Luke was known for his powerful hitting. He was a tall and strong player, standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and weighing 240 pounds (109 kg). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
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Luke Easter's Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Luke Easter was born in Jonestown, Mississippi. His parents were James and Maude Easter. After his mother passed away in 1922, his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, his father worked in a glass factory. Before this move, the Easters were farmers in the Mississippi Delta.
Luke went to high school with another future Negro league star, Quincy Trouppe. However, Luke left school in the ninth grade. For a few years, he worked different jobs, like shining shoes and making hats.
Playing for the St. Louis Titanium Giants
Even though Luke was a great player, St. Louis did not have a Negro league team. So, in 1937, he joined the best local team, the St. Louis Titanium Giants. This was a semiprofessional team. The players were African-Americans who worked for the National Lead Company. They worked at the factory during the week. They often got time off to practice baseball. Then, they played games for the company on weekends.
Luke earned $20 a week from his factory job. He also made an extra $10 to $20 on weekends playing baseball. Luke was known for hitting incredibly long home runs. He played with the Giants for five years. During this time, their team was very strong. They even beat teams from the Negro American League in exhibition games in 1940.
Joining the Army and Moving to Professional Leagues
In 1941, Luke planned to join the United States Army. But he was in a car accident that broke his leg. He finally joined the Army in June 1942. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He left the Army in July 1943. After that, he worked in factories that supported the war effort.
After World War II ended in 1945, Luke tried out for two Negro National League teams. These were the Kansas City Monarchs and the Chicago American Giants. Both teams thought he was too big and clumsy to be a good player. But the manager of the American Giants, Candy Jim Taylor, sent him to Abe Saperstein. Saperstein was famous for starting the Harlem Globetrotters.
Abe Saperstein was starting a new touring baseball team called the Cincinnati Crescents. He signed Luke Easter. After a successful season in 1946, Luke was sold to the Homestead Grays.
Luke Easter's Career in the Negro and Major Leagues
Luke Easter was a strong player for the Grays in 1947. He became even better in 1948. That year, he had a .363 batting average. He also tied for the most home runs in the league. He led the league in runs batted in (RBIs). He helped the Grays win the 1948 Negro World Series.
His amazing play caught the eye of Bill Veeck. Veeck owned the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball. He bought Luke's contract from the Grays.
Playing for the Cleveland Indians
In 1949, Luke got a knee injury during spring training. This kept him from joining the Major League team right away. He started the year playing in the Pacific Coast League for the San Diego Padres. Even with his knee injury, he was still a star. A coach named Jimmie Reese said, "Easter is the only player I ever saw who can hit a baseball as far as Babe Ruth." Luke batted .363 again. He also hit 25 home runs and had 80 RBIs.
The Indians were very impressed. They called Luke up to play a few games at the end of the 1949 season. In 1950, they even traded their All-Star first baseman, Mickey Vernon. This opened up the first base position for Luke.
As a 34-year-old rookie, Luke continued to hit with great power. He was among the top players in the league for home runs and RBIs. He also led the league in times he was hit by pitch. He kept playing well in 1951 and 1952. In 1952, he finished 13th in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
However, ongoing knee and ankle problems, along with his age, started to affect his career. He played in only 68 Major League games in 1953. He spent part of that year in Triple-A baseball. He played his last six Major League games in 1954.
Later Career and Retirement
Luke Easter continued to play professionally in Triple-A. Even though his leg injuries made him limp, he still played regularly. He played for teams like the Ottawa Athletics, Charleston Senators, Buffalo Bisons, and Rochester Red Wings. In 1957, he won the International League's MVP award with the Bisons.
He finally retired as a player in 1963 when he was 48 years old. After retiring, he worked as a coach for several years. The Rochester Red Wings and the Buffalo Bisons both retired his uniform numbers (36 and 25) to honor him.
In 2008, Luke Easter was added to the International League Hall of Fame.
Luke Easter's Famous Home Runs
Luke Easter was most famous for his incredibly powerful home runs. People often called them "Easter Eggs."
- On July 18, 1948, while playing for the Homestead Grays, Luke hit a home run into the center field bleachers at New York's Polo Grounds. This was the first time any player had done that during a game. It was estimated to be 490 feet (149 meters) long!
- During his first season with the Cleveland Indians, he hit the longest home run ever at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. This ball flew 477 feet (145 meters) over the scoreboard in right field. Only Mickey Mantle matched this feat in 1960.
- Later in his career, with the Buffalo Bisons, he became the first player to hit a home run over the center field scoreboard at Buffalo's home park, Offermann Stadium. He did this twice in 1957! One of these was estimated to be 500 feet (152 meters).
Once, a fan told Luke that they had seen his longest home run in person. Luke reportedly replied, "If it came down, it wasn't my longest." This shows how powerful his hits truly were!
After His Baseball Career
While playing for the Red Wings, Luke Easter also started coaching. After he stopped playing, he continued to coach. Future Major League players like Boog Powell, Curt Blefary, and Pete Ward said that Luke was a very positive influence on their careers.
After his coaching days, Luke returned to the Cleveland area. In 1964, he started working for the Aircraft Workers Alliance. He eventually became the chief union leader for TRW in Euclid, Ohio.
Luke Easter's Passing and Tributes
Luke Easter passed away on March 29, 1979, in Euclid, Ohio.
In 1980, a park in Cleveland was renamed Luke Easter Park in his memory. A statue of Luke Easter was also placed at the park to honor him.
