Luke Appling

Shortstop

Class of 1964

Luke Appling

Shortstop

Class of 1964
Luke Appling was one of the top hitting shortstops of his era.

Games

Birth year

About Luke Appling

He was a line-drive machine for 20 seasons, a man who had more career extra-base hits (587) than strikeouts (528).

Luke Appling had a reputation for nagging injuries, but his career numbers illustrate a player who was remarkably durable and consistent.

Appling broke into the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox in 1930 and became entrenched at shortstop the following season. By 1936, Appling won his first All-Star Game selection en route to a .388 batting average – the top single-season mark ever by a modern-era shortstop. That same season, Appling drove in 128 runs while hitting just six homers – the second-best RBI total ever for anyone with less than 10 home runs in a season.

Appling also had one of the best batting eyes in the game, averaging about 87 walks and just 35 strikeouts per season en route to a career on-base percentage of .399. All this came despite a variety of maladies that earned Appling the nickname "Old Aches and Pains."

"Few were better or more deadly with two strikes than Appling," wrote Arthur Daley of The New York Times. "He just waited for the pitch he wanted and lashed into it. If there was a good pitch he didn’t want, he artistically spoiled it by fouling it off."

Appling finished his career in 1950 with a .310 career batting average, two batting titles, seven All-Star Game selections and 2,749 hits. He played each of his 20 big league seasons with the White Sox and was named the Sox's greatest player by Chicago fans in 1969.

Appling was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964. He passed away on Jan. 3, 1991.

The Basics

Year inducted
1964
Birth Place
High Point, North Carolina
Birth Year
1907
Died
1991, Cumming Georgia

Career at a Glance

Primary Team
Chicago White Sox
Primary Position
Shortstop
Played For
Chicago White Sox, 1930-1943
Chicago White Sox, 1945-1950

Career MLB Stats

Games
2,422
At bats
8,856
Hits
2,749
Walks
1,302
Runs
1,319
Doubles
440
Triples
102
Home Runs
45
RBI
1,116
Stolen Bases
179
Batting Average
.310
Ops
.798
On Base %
.399
Slugging %
.398

Luke Appling Stories

Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees.

Luke Appling elected to Hall of Fame

Luke Appling homers off Warren Spahn in Cracker Jack Old Timers Game at RFK Stadium

Appling reports for duty

Appling’s broken leg sidelines ironman shortstop