Rube Lutzke
Third Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1923-1927)
Rube Lutzke was a third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1927 for the Cleveland Guardians, a span of 5 seasons. In 572 career games, he hit .249 with 468 hits, 4 home runs, and 223 RBI.
- 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
- Third Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- Died
- 3/6/1938 in Granville, WI, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1923-04-18
- Last Game
- 1927-09-13
Full name: Walter John Lutzke
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 572 | 1,876 | 216 | 468 | 87 | 18 | 4 | 223 | 23 | 179 | 196 | .249 | .319 | .321 | .641 | -3,884 |
Career AVG .249 vs. league average .283 across their career seasons — 12.0% below league average.
Career OBP .319 vs. league average .346 across their career seasons — 7.7% below league average.
Career SLG .321 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 18.4% below league average.
Career OPS .641 vs. league average .740 across their career seasons — 13.4% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | CLE | AL | 143 | 511 | 71 | 131 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 65 | 9 | 59 | 57 | .256 | .282 (-9%) | .344 (-2%) | .390 (-14%) | .734 (-8%) | -586.5 |
| 1924 | CLE | AL | 106 | 341 | 37 | 83 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 38 | 46 | .243 | .283 (-14%) | .345 (-5%) | .389 (-19%) | .734 (-13%) | -637.2 |
| 1925 | CLE | AL | 81 | 238 | 31 | 52 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 29 | .218 | .288 (-24%) | .349 (-15%) | .407 (-34%) | .756 (-25%) | -969.8 |
| 1926 | CLE | AL | 142 | 475 | 42 | 124 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 6 | 34 | 35 | .261 | .279 (-7%) | .345 (-9%) | .390 (-11%) | .735 (-11%) | -865.8 |
| 1927 | CLE | AL | 100 | 311 | 35 | 78 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 22 | 29 | .251 | .282 (-11%) | .344 (-11%) | .392 (-21%) | .736 (-17%) | -824.3 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 572 | 1,876 | 216 | 468 | 87 | 18 | 4 | 223 | 23 | 179 | 196 | .249 | — | — | — | — | -3,884 | ||
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 (573 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 281 | 916 | 107 | 245 | 1 | 122 | .267 |
| Away | 292 | 959 | 109 | 223 | 3 | 105 | .233 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927-09-13 | CLE | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-10 | CLE | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-09 | CLE | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-08 | CLE | BOS | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-06 | CLE | SLA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1927-09-05 | CLE | SLA | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-05 | CLE | SLA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-04 | CLE | CHW | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1927-09-03 | CLE | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1927-09-02 | CLE | CHW | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 13 |
| Third Base | 554 |
| Shortstop | 2 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Rube Lutzke (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Rube Lutzke: the record in brief
Between the debut on April 18, 1923 and the final game on September 13, 1927, Rube Lutzke built the record summarized on this page. All of the seasons listed were played for the Cleveland Indians. Lutzke played primarily as a third baseman and both batted and threw right-handed. Born on November 17, 1897, in Milwaukee, WI, USA, Lutzke was listed at 5 feet, 11 inches and 175 pounds. Lutzke's death is recorded on March 6, 1938, in Granville, WI, USA. On the record, Rube Lutzke was born Walter John Lutzke.
The batting record for Lutzke: 572 games, 468 hits in 1,876 at bats, and a .249 average, adding 4 home runs, 223 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. The on-base percentage is .319 and the slugging percentage .321, for an OPS of .641. Over the seasons Lutzke played, league hitters batted .283; the .249 career figure is 12.0% below that. By OPS the gap is 13.4% below league average (.641 against .740). The hits column peaks at 131, in 1923. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .261 in 1926, did not top the league's .279.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rube Lutzke
- What years did Rube Lutzke play?
- Rube Lutzke played in Major League Baseball from 1923 to 1927.
- Was Rube Lutzke a pitcher?
- No. Rube Lutzke was a position player (Third Baseman).
- How many home runs did Rube Lutzke hit?
- Rube Lutzke hit 4 career home runs with 468 hits.
- What teams did Rube Lutzke play for?
- Rube Lutzke played for one team, the Cleveland Indians (1923–1927).
- What were Rube Lutzke's career stats?
- In 572 games, Rube Lutzke had 468 hits, 4 home runs, 223 RBI, 216 runs, and 23 stolen bases, with a .249 batting average.
- What position did Rube Lutzke play?
- Rube Lutzke played primarily as a third baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Rube Lutzke and how much did he weigh?
- Rube Lutzke was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 175 pounds.
- How many home runs did Rube Lutzke hit each season?
- Rube Lutzke's home runs by season: 3 in 1923, 0 in 1924, 1 in 1925, 0 in 1926, and 0 in 1927. His most in one season was 3, in 1923.
- What was Rube Lutzke's career batting average?
- Rube Lutzke batted .249 over his career, with 468 hits in 1,876 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rube Lutzke have?
- Rube Lutzke drove in 223 runs in his career.
- Is Rube Lutzke in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rube Lutzke has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.