1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #106 "Red" Lucas

Sunday, April 14, 2024

#106 "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

April 9, 2024 from Wenonah, NJ (Gar Miller Cards) - Card #106

On April 7th, I received an e-mail fro Gar Miller, hobby icon, informing me and other customers he had recently updated his inventory of vintage baseball cards for sale at garmillercards.com. In need of some vintage cardboard, and wanting to see if Miller had any Diamond Stars cards I needed, I decided to check out the new inventory. This high-number Lucas card was reasonably priced, so I added it, a few cards needed for our 1969 Topps set and a few random Phillies-related cards to my cart and submitted my order. Given the proximity of Miller to our house, the cards were here in two days.

I'm now down to 13 cards needed for my version of a 1934-36 Diamond Stars master set. I have set a goal of wrapping up the set (and this blog) at some point hopefully in 2025.

Variations Available

1 - 1936 / blue back / 1935 statistics / 1935 copyright

The Card / Reds Team Set

This is the second Lucas card in the set, with the first version appearing at card #46 and issued in 1935 with 1934 statistics. It's odd the write-up on the back references Lucas as a Reds' pitcher, when he spent the entire 1934 and 1935 seasons 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.

1936 Season

Lucas was 15-4 with a 3.18 ERA for the Pirates, appearing in 27 games and making 22 starts. He was the club's fourth starter behind Bill Swift, Cy Blanton and Jim Weaver, and Lucas' 12 complete games were one more than Weaver's. At the plate, Lucas batted .241 with four doubles and 14 RBIs.