JANUARY 3RD: ALL-APPLING

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 3RD

 

For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com

 

LUKE CALLED TO DUTY

1944: The United States military gave American League pitchers a breather by calling White Sox shortstop Luke Appling to duty. “Old Aches and Paines” reported for military duty at Camp Lee, Virginia on this day on the heels of one of the great seasons in franchise history. The 36-year-old Appling won the 1943 American League batting championship with a .328 average and topped the circuit with a .419 on-base percentage while playing in a league-best 155 games at shortstop. “Lucious Luke’s” military tenure cost him all of the 1944 campaign and all but 18 games of the 1945 season. Appling became a regular again in 1946 and responded by hitting at least .301 in each of the next four seasons. Appling closed out his Hall of Fame career by playing in 50 games in 1950.

 

LUKE CALLED HOME

1991: White Sox Hall of Famer Luke Appling died suddenly at age 83, in Cumming, Georgia when he was felled by an abdominal aneurysm. Except for a brief stint in the military in 1944 and 1945, Appling was a pillar at shortstop on the Southside from 1930 to 1950, winning two batting championships and earning a spot on four All-Star teams. His No. 4 was retired in 1975 and Appling, who was known to foul off dozens of pitches during an at bat, still ranks in the franchise’s top 10 in games (first, 2,422), hits (first 2,749), RBIs (second, 1,116), singles (first, 2,162), total bases (second, 3,528) doubles (second, 440), extra-base hits (second, 587), average (seventh, .310), triples (third, 102), at bats (first, 8,856), runs (second, 1,319), walks (second, 1,302) and steals (eighth, 179).

 

 

[Hatchetman]

How about those stats over the age of 40? Must of been on HGH. I wonder how his fielding was at that age.