Luke Sewell
Luke Sewell | |
---|---|
Catcher / Manager | |
Born: Titus, Alabama, U.S. | January 5, 1901|
Died: May 14, 1987 Akron, Ohio, U.S. | (aged 86)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 30, 1921, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 1, 1942, for the St. Louis Browns | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .259 |
Home runs | 20 |
Runs batted in | 698 |
Managerial record | 606–644 |
Winning % | .485 |
Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
Career highlights and awards | |
James Luther "Luke" Sewell (January 5, 1901 – May 14, 1987) was an American
He spent 10 seasons playing with his brother
Baseball career
Born in the rural town of
Sewell served as a reserve catcher, working behind Steve O'Neill until the 1923 season when O'Neill was injured in an auto accident.[2] Sewell then played in a platoon role alongside Glenn Myatt, in which the left-hand hitting Myatt played the team's home games at League Park due to its 290-foot distance to the right field fence, while Sewell played the team's road games.[2] Sewell eventually took over as the Indians number one catcher in the 1926 season, due to his superior defensive skills.[2] He finished the year with only a .238 batting average but, led the American League catchers with 91 assists.[1][6]
In
In
Sewell began the 1934 season with a hand injury and didn't play his first game until June 13.[18][19] Two weeks later, he was struck in the head and knocked unconscious by a pitch thrown by St. Louis Browns pitcher, Bump Hadley.[20] Sewell ended the season with a .237 batting average.[1]
In January 1935, Sewell was traded to the St. Louis Browns, ironically for Bump Hadley.[12] The Browns promptly traded him to the Chicago White Sox on the very same day.[12] His offensive statistics improved with the White Sox, posting a .285 batting average with 67 runs batted in and, finished second among the league's catchers in assists and third in fielding percentage.[1][21] In 1936, Sewell produced career-highs with 5 home runs and 73 runs batted in and, led American League catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[1][22] By the first week of June 1937, Sewell had a .316 batting average to earn a spot as a reserve for the American League team in the 1937 All-Star Game.[23][24] That year, he put up even better numbers than the consistently good ones he had been posting for a decade. On the season, he had a .269 batting average, with a .343 on-base percentage and six triples.[1] Sewell finished the season ranked fifth in voting for the 1937 American League Most Valuable Player Award.[25]
Sewell's batting average dropped to .213 in
Career statistics
In a 20-year major league career, Sewell played in 1,630
Even for the era, Sewell's low
Managing career
After retiring as an active player, Sewell continued to manage the St. Louis Browns.[31] He led them to the 1944 American League pennant – the team's only championship in its 52 years in St. Louis, although they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1944 World Series.[32] That year, he managed such players as Red Hayworth, Vern Stephens, and Jack Kramer, led them to an 89–65 record, and was awarded The Sporting News' Manager of the Year Award.[33] After a seventh-place finish in 1946, Sewell stepped down as the Browns' manager.[34]
In January 1949 Sewell was hired as a pitching coach by the Cincinnati Reds and, in October of that year, he took over as the Reds' manager from Bucky Walters.[35][36] After two unsuccessful seasons with the Reds, he resigned in July 1952 and was replaced by Rogers Hornsby.[37] Sewell's major league managerial record was 606–644, a .485 winning percentage.[31]
In December 1953, Sewell was hired as manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League.[38] He led the team to the league championship in his first season and won the International League Manager of the Year Award.[39] Sewell led the Maple Leafs to a second-place finish in 1955. The team had a .622 winning percentage over his two years as manager. In November 1955, he was named as the manager for the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.[40] In August 1956, Sewell was fired after one season in part due to player discontent over his managerial style.[41]
Sewell died in Akron, Ohio in 1987 at the age of 86.[42]
Managerial record
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
SLB | 1941 | 110 | 55 | 55 | .500 | 6th in AL | – | – | – | – |
SLB | 1942 | 151 | 82 | 69 | .543 | 3rd in AL | – | – | – | – |
SLB | 1943 | 152 | 72 | 80 | .474 | 6th in AL | – | – | – | – |
SLB | 1944 | 154 | 89 | 65 | .578 | 1st in AL | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost World Series (STL) |
SLB | 1945 | 151 | 81 | 70 | .536 | 3rd in AL | – | – | – | – |
SLB | 1946 | 124 | 53 | 71 | .427 | resigned | – | – | – | – |
SLB total | 842 | 432 | 410 | .513 | 2 | 4 | .333 | |||
CIN | 1949 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 7th in NL | – | – | – | – |
CIN | 1950 | 153 | 66 | 87 | .431 | 6th in NL | – | – | – | – |
CIN | 1951 | 154 | 68 | 86 | .442 | 6th in NL | – | – | – | – |
CIN | 1952 | 98 | 39 | 59 | .398 | resigned | – | – | – | – |
CIN total | 408 | 174 | 234 | .426 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
Total | 1250 | 606 | 644 | .485 | 2 | 4 | .333 |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball player–managers
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Luke Sewell statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-684-80697-5.
- ^ "Tommy Sewell statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Joe Sewell statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell minor league statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1926 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ Simons, Herbert (January 1971). The Babe's Phantom 155th Game. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ^ "1927 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1927 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1928 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Luke Sewell Trades and Transactions". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ^ "1933 Washington Senators". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Stump, Al (October 1959). Stumbling Down The Stretch. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ "Gus Mancuso Is Important Cog In Giant Machine". The Telegraph-Herald. Associated Press. September 26, 1933. p. 8. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1933 World Series". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell post-season statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Rain Postpones Opening Battle in Washington". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. April 17, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1934 Luke Sewell batting log". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Sewell Injured As Senators Win". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. June 27, 1934. p. 14. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1935 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1936 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1937 Luke Sewell batting log". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1937 All-Star Game". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1937 American League Most Valuable Player Award ballot". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Dodgers Get Luke Sewell". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. December 20, 1938. p. 6. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Luke Is Likely Indians Manager". The Tuscaloosa News. NEA. April 26, 1939. p. 7. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Replaces Haney as St. Louis Browns' Manager". The St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. June 5, 1941. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell". The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ "Catchers Who Caught No Hitters". The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ a b "Luke Sewell manager record". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "1944 World Series". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Is Named Manager Of the Year". The Victoria Advocate. United Press International. December 26, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Is Out At St. Louis". The Ottawa Citizen. Associated Press. September 2, 1946. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Takes Over Coaching Job". Eugene Register Guard. United Press International. January 4, 1949. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Named Cincinnati Manager". The Calgary Herald. Associated Press. October 24, 1949. p. 21. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Quits Cincy". The Telegraph-Herald. United Press International. July 27, 1952. p. 8. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell minor league manager statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Sewell Voted Top Manager". The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. CP. September 11, 1954. p. 19. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell New Rainiers' Head". Times Daily. Associated Press. November 13, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Suds Fire Manager Luke Sewell". The Spokesman Review. Associated Press. August 15, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Luke Sewell Dies At 86". The Waycross Journal-Herald. Associated Press. May 15, 1987. p. 6. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Luke Sewell managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- Interview with Luke Sewell conducted by Eugene Murdock, March 31, 1974, in Akron, Ohio, in 2 parts (2 hours 15 minutes): Part 1 of 2, Part 2 of 2
- Luke Sewell at Find a Grave