Luke Appling
Shortstop · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1930-1950)
Luke Appling was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1950 for the Chicago White Sox, a span of 21 seasons. In 2,422 career games, he hit .310 with 2,749 hits, 45 home runs, and 1,116 RBI. Luke Appling was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964 and was a 7-time All-Star. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 25,114.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 183 lb
- Died
- 1/3/1991 in Cumming, GA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1930-09-10
- Last Game
- 1950-10-01
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1964 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 7× All-Star
Full name: Lucius Benjamin Appling
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,422 | 8,856 | 1,319 | 2,749 | 440 | 102 | 45 | 1,116 | 179 | 1,302 | 528 | .310 | .399 | .398 | .798 | 25,114 |
Career AVG .310 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — +15.1% above league average.
Career OBP .399 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — +18.2% above league average.
Career SLG .398 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .798 vs. league average .722 across their career seasons — +10.5% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | CHA | AL | 6 | 26 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .308 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1931 | CHA | AL | 96 | 297 | 36 | 69 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 9 | 29 | 27 | .232 | .276 (-16%) | .338 (-10%) | .388 (-19%) | .726 (-15%) | -717.2 |
| 1932 | CHA | AL | 139 | 489 | 66 | 134 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 63 | 9 | 40 | 36 | .274 | .275 (avg) | .335 (-2%) | .391 (-4%) | .726 (-3%) | -278.7 |
| 1933 | CHA | AL | 151 | 612 | 90 | 197 | 36 | 10 | 6 | 85 | 6 | 56 | 29 | .322 | .270 (+19%) | .329 (+15%) | .377 (+17%) | .707 (+16%) | 2010.3 |
| 1934 | CHA | AL | 118 | 452 | 75 | 137 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 61 | 3 | 59 | 27 | .303 | .278 (+9%) | .340 (+13%) | .392 (+3%) | .733 (+8%) | 809.0 |
| 1935 | CHA | AL | 153 | 525 | 94 | 161 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 71 | 12 | 122 | 40 | .307 | .279 (+10%) | .342 (+28%) | .399 (-3%) | .742 (+11%) | 1977.7 |
| 1936 | CHA | AL | 138 | 526 | 111 | 204 | 31 | 7 | 6 | 128 | 10 | 85 | 25 | .388 | .283 (+37%) | .349 (+35%) | .404 (+26%) | .753 (+30%) | 3770.5 |
| 1937 | CHA | AL | 154 | 574 | 98 | 182 | 42 | 8 | 4 | 77 | 18 | 86 | 28 | .317 | .276 (+15%) | .342 (+19%) | .398 (+10%) | .740 (+14%) | 1987.8 |
| 1938 | CHA | AL | 81 | 294 | 41 | 89 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 42 | 17 | .303 | .272 (+11%) | .341 (+15%) | .392 (-11%) | .734 (+1%) | 238.4 |
| 1939 | CHA | AL | 148 | 516 | 82 | 162 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 56 | 16 | 105 | 37 | .314 | .274 (+15%) | .342 (+26%) | .393 (-6%) | .735 (+9%) | 1542.2 |
| 1940 | CHA | AL | 150 | 566 | 96 | 197 | 27 | 13 | 0 | 79 | 3 | 69 | 35 | .348 | .267 (+30%) | .335 (+25%) | .387 (+14%) | .722 (+19%) | 2441.2 |
| 1941 | CHA | AL | 154 | 592 | 93 | 186 | 26 | 8 | 1 | 57 | 12 | 82 | 32 | .314 | .262 (+20%) | .332 (+20%) | .373 (+5%) | .705 (+12%) | 1715.1 |
| 1942 | CHA | AL | 142 | 543 | 78 | 142 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 53 | 17 | 63 | 23 | .262 | .253 (+3%) | .323 (+6%) | .349 (-3%) | .672 (+1%) | 258.8 |
| 1943 | CHA | AL | 155 | 585 | 63 | 192 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 80 | 27 | 90 | 29 | .328 | .255 (+28%) | .324 (+29%) | .346 (+17%) | .671 (+23%) | 3035.7 |
| 1945 | CHA | AL | 18 | 57 | 12 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 7 | .368 | .260 (+41%) | .328 (+45%) | .354 (+48%) | .683 (+47%) | 470.6 |
| 1946 | CHA | AL | 149 | 582 | 59 | 180 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 55 | 6 | 71 | 41 | .309 | .256 (+20%) | .328 (+17%) | .358 (+5%) | .687 (+11%) | 1440.9 |
| 1947 | CHA | AL | 139 | 503 | 67 | 154 | 29 | 0 | 8 | 49 | 8 | 64 | 28 | .306 | .262 (+17%) | .336 (+15%) | .376 (+9%) | .712 (+12%) | 1346.0 |
| 1948 | CHA | AL | 139 | 497 | 63 | 156 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 10 | 94 | 35 | .314 | .263 (+19%) | .340 (+24%) | .379 (-7%) | .719 (+8%) | 1338.9 |
| 1949 | CHA | AL | 142 | 492 | 82 | 148 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 58 | 7 | 121 | 24 | .301 | .262 (+15%) | .343 (+28%) | .384 (+3%) | .727 (+14%) | 2111.1 |
| 1950 | CHA | AL | 50 | 128 | 11 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 12 | 8 | .234 | .265 (-12%) | .346 (-13%) | .401 (-20%) | .747 (-17%) | -384.4 |
| Career · 20 seasons | 2,422 | 8,856 | 1,319 | 2,749 | 440 | 102 | 45 | 1,116 | 179 | 1,302 | 528 | .310 | — | — | — | — | 25,114 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (2422 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1224 | 4393 | 645 | 1380 | 22 | 573 | .314 |
| Away | 1198 | 4463 | 673 | 1370 | 23 | 537 | .307 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-10-01 | CHW | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-10-01 | CHW | SLA | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-09-30 | CHW | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-27 | CHW | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-26 | CHW | CLE | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-24 | CHW | SLA | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-24 | CHW | SLA | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-09-23 | CHW | SLA | W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950-09-17 | CHW | MIN | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-09-16 | CHW | PHA | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 13 | 0 | 91 | 12 | 0 | 16 |
| 2B | 40 | 0 | 87 | 127 | 8 | 20 |
| 3B | 88 | 0 | 98 | 186 | 21 | 15 |
| SS | 2218 | 0 | 4398 | 7218 | 643 | 1424 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | CHA | SS | 6 | 0 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| 1931 | CHA | 2B | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1931 | CHA | SS | 76 | 0 | 147 | 232 | 42 | 37 |
| 1932 | CHA | 2B | 30 | 0 | 62 | 110 | 6 | 16 |
| 1932 | CHA | 3B | 14 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 6 | 2 |
| 1932 | CHA | SS | 85 | 0 | 195 | 287 | 37 | 66 |
| 1933 | CHA | SS | 151 | 0 | 314 | 534 | 55 | 107 |
| 1934 | CHA | 2B | 8 | 0 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 4 |
| 1934 | CHA | SS | 110 | 0 | 243 | 341 | 34 | 55 |
| 1935 | CHA | SS | 153 | 0 | 335 | 556 | 39 | 93 |
| 1936 | CHA | SS | 137 | 0 | 320 | 471 | 41 | 119 |
| 1937 | CHA | SS | 154 | 0 | 280 | 541 | 49 | 111 |
| 1938 | CHA | SS | 78 | 0 | 149 | 258 | 20 | 37 |
| 1939 | CHA | SS | 148 | 0 | 289 | 461 | 39 | 78 |
| 1940 | CHA | SS | 150 | 0 | 307 | 436 | 37 | 83 |
| 1941 | CHA | SS | 154 | 0 | 294 | 473 | 42 | 95 |
| 1942 | CHA | SS | 141 | 0 | 269 | 418 | 38 | 77 |
| 1943 | CHA | SS | 155 | 0 | 300 | 500 | 36 | 115 |
| 1945 | CHA | SS | 17 | 0 | 37 | 56 | 7 | 7 |
| 1946 | CHA | SS | 149 | 0 | 252 | 505 | 39 | 99 |
| 1947 | CHA | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1947 | CHA | SS | 129 | 0 | 232 | 422 | 35 | 86 |
| 1948 | CHA | 3B | 72 | 0 | 84 | 163 | 15 | 13 |
| 1948 | CHA | SS | 64 | 0 | 133 | 210 | 20 | 50 |
| 1949 | CHA | SS | 141 | 0 | 253 | 450 | 26 | 95 |
| 1950 | CHA | 1B | 13 | 0 | 91 | 12 | 0 | 16 |
| 1950 | CHA | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950 | CHA | SS | 20 | 0 | 37 | 50 | 3 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 13 |
| Second Base | 40 |
| Third Base | 88 |
| Shortstop | 2218 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1943 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1940 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1940 | TSN All-Star | SS |
| 1937 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1936 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | SS |
| 1936 | TSN All-Star | SS |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1948 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 43.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1946 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 26.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 2nd | 215.0 | 336 | 5 |
| 1940 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 10th | 54.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1939 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 33th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1937 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 5.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1936 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 2nd | 65.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1935 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 7.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1933 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 1.0 | 80 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Luke Appling (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Luke Appling
Luke Appling: the record in brief
September 10, 1930 and October 1, 1950 bracket Luke Appling's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Appling spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Chicago White Sox. Appling played primarily as a shortstop and both batted and threw right-handed. The bio adds a birth date on April 2, 1907, in High Point, NC, USA and a listed size of 5'10" and 183 pounds. Appling's death is recorded on January 3, 1991, in Cumming, GA, USA. On the record, Luke Appling was born Lucius Benjamin Appling.
Appling finished with 2,749 hits from 8,856 at bats in 2,422 games, which works out to .310, along with 45 home runs, 1,116 runs batted in, and 179 stolen bases. Appling's career OPS of .798 combines a .399 on-base mark with .398 slugging. The league as a whole hit .270 across Appling's seasons, which puts the .310 career mark 15.1% above average. The OPS comparison is .798 to a league .722, 10.5% above average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Luke Appling
- What years did Luke Appling play?
- Luke Appling played in Major League Baseball from 1930 to 1950.
- Was Luke Appling a pitcher?
- No. Luke Appling was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Luke Appling hit?
- Luke Appling hit 45 career home runs with 2,749 hits.
- Is Luke Appling in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Luke Appling was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
- What teams did Luke Appling play for?
- Luke Appling played for one team, the Chicago White Sox (1930–1943, 1945–1950).
- Did Luke Appling win an MVP award?
- No. Luke Appling did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Luke Appling win?
- Luke Appling was selected to 7 All-Star Games.
- What were Luke Appling's career stats?
- In 2,422 games, Luke Appling had 2,749 hits, 45 home runs, 1,116 RBI, 1,319 runs, and 179 stolen bases, with a .310 batting average.
- What position did Luke Appling play?
- Luke Appling played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Luke Appling and how much did he weigh?
- Luke Appling was listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 183 pounds.
- How many home runs did Luke Appling hit each season?
- Luke Appling's home runs by season: 0 in 1930, 1 in 1931, 3 in 1932, 6 in 1933, 2 in 1934, 1 in 1935, 6 in 1936, 4 in 1937, 0 in 1938, 0 in 1939, 0 in 1940, 1 in 1941, 3 in 1942, 3 in 1943, 1 in 1945, 1 in 1946, 8 in 1947, 0 in 1948, 5 in 1949, and 0 in 1950. His most in one season was 8, in 1947.
- What was Luke Appling's career batting average?
- Luke Appling batted .310 over his career, with 2,749 hits in 8,856 at bats.
- How many RBI did Luke Appling have?
- Luke Appling drove in 1,116 runs in his career.
- How many All-Star Games did Luke Appling make?
- Luke Appling was selected to 7 All-Star Games.