Luke Easter
Positions: First Baseman and Rightfielder
Bats: Left • Throws: Right
6-4, 240lb (193cm, 108kg)
Born: August 4, 1915 in Jonestown, MS
Died: March 29, 1979 (Aged 63-237d) in Euclid, OH
Buried: Highland Park Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
Debut: August 11, 1949 (Age 34-007d, 8,219th in MLB history)
vs. CHW 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: May 4, 1954 (Age 38-273d)
vs. PHA 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Luscious Luke Easter
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Luke Easter the 6’4″ 240-lb Negro League veteran was 34 when the Indians promoted him from the minors, his best years were in the Nego Leagues.
In 1950, they thought so highly of the lefthanded hitter that they traded Mickey Vernon, a once and future AL batting champ, making Easter their everyday first baseman. He hit 28 home runs as a rookie; one, a 477-foot shot, is considered the longest ever hit at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. In 1952, he hit 31 homers (his ML career high), one less than the AL leader, teammate Larry Doby; however, Easter’s 7.1 HR percentage topped the AL. He continued playing Triple-A ball into his late forties. He hit 247 years homeruns in the minor leagues.
Working as a bank messenger in 1979, he was shot to death by holdup men.
Notable Events and Chronology for Luke Easter Career
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