1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #46 "Red" Lucas

Sunday, May 16, 2021

#46 "Red" Lucas - Cincinnati Reds

Charles Fred Lucas

Cincinnati Reds

Pitcher

Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 5'9" Weight: 170

Born: April 28, 1902, Columbia, TN

Major League Teams: New York Giants 1923; Boston Braves 1924; Cincinnati Reds 1926-1933; Pittsburgh Pirates 1934-1938

Died: July 9, 1986, Nashville, TN (84)

A steady starting pitcher for parts of 15 big league seasons, as well as a consistently reliable pinch-hitter, Red Lucas led the league three times in complete games and won at least 10 games in nine different seasons. Lucas was an early two-way player, able to successfully pitch and serving as a valuable bat off the bench for his teams. On the mound, his best season came in 1929 when he went 19-12 with a 3.60 ERA while leading the league in complete games (28) and WHIP (1.204). He finished sixth in the N.L. MVP voting that season. Lucas pitched in 396 games over his career, going 157-135 with a 3.72 ERA and 602 strikeouts.

Along with those solid pitching numbers, Lucas was one of the best pinch-hitters of his era. He possessed a lifetime .272 average as a pinch-hitter, going 116 for 426 overall in the role. He fared even better at the plate when not pinch-hitting, having a lifetime average of .281 with 404 hits and 13 home runs. To complete the trifecta of a complete ballplayer, Lucas was an above-average fielder as well, leading the league among all pitchers in four different seasons with a 1.000 fielding percentage. After retiring as a player, Lucas served as a minor league coach and manager between 1939 and 1949. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1965.

Building the Set

March 25, 2021 from Longmont, CO (BBC Emporium) - Card #14

Most adults would celebrate a work promotion with a fancy dinner, or perhaps a quick vacation, or maybe by splurging on a special purchase that had been waiting for a special occasion. When I recently received word of my own work promotion, I gave myself a $100 limit to go shopping on eBay for baseball cards to celebrate. Having recently purchased several star cards for my growing 1965 Topps set, I decided to add a few more cards to this Diamond Stars set. I landed in the store of BBC Emporium on eBay, and found three cards totaling $98 from the seller located in Longmont, Colorado. This Lucas card was $20.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

The Card / Reds Team Set

It's odd the write-up on the back references Lucas as a Reds' pitcher, when he spent the entire 1934 season with the Pirates. The Trading Card Database lists the outdated team designation as an uncorrected error. After eight seasons with the Reds, he was dealt to the Pirates on November 17, 1933 with Wally Roettger for Adam Comorosky and Tony Piet (#72). The tip on the back tells players how to pitch when runners are on base, including when there's a runner on third who attempts to steal home.

This exact card was reprinted and included in the third and final series, released in 1936 with blue ink on the back, and numbered as card #106.

1935 Season

In his second full season with the Pirates, Lucas appeared in 20 games and went 8-6 with a 3.44 ERA. Lucas was the team's fifth starter with Cy Blanton (#57) the ace of the staff and winning 18 games. On May 25th, Lucas was chased from his start early against the Braves following Babe Ruth's (#109) 712th career home run in the first inning. Ruth homered three times against the Pirates that day, with his first off Lucas and then hitting two more off Pirates' reliever Guy Bush in the third and seventh innings. Those were to be the last three home runs of Ruth's career, and Lucas called the final home run, #714, the longest homer he ever saw.