At 75 years old, luke appling was not only the oldest player on either team, but with just 45 homers among his 2,749 career hits, was the least likely to go deep. And by far the most memorable moment in the cracker jack old timers classic came in its inaugural edition on july 19, 1982. Feb 07, 20 major league baseball returned to washington dc in 1982 when luke appling, at 75 years old, hit a home run at rfk stadium. Major league baseball returned to washington dc in 1982 when luke appling, at 75 years old, hit a home run at rfk stadium. Before the game, al kaline will be presented the most valuable player award for 1983, a rocking chair, and joe cronin, chairman of the american league, will receive the first sporting news pioneer award for his longtime. Despite having only 45 career home runs, old aches and pains, who was 75 years old at the time, managed to hit a homer off warren spahn that cleared the fence in left field. Luke appling homers off warren spahn in cracker jack old timers. At 75 years old, hall of famer luke appling hits a home run to left field in an old timers game at rfk stadium check out. Luke appling hits a home run in the cracker jacks old timers game. The new york yankees are currently the only mlb team to host an oldtimers day. In his 20year career, white sox shortstop luke appling made seven allstar teams and collected 2,749 hits, enough to place him in the hall of fame.
Playing in the inaugural cracker jack oldtimers baseball classic, the seventyfiveyearold legend, who hit only fortyfive career home runs, blasted a dramatic round tripper on a pitch thrown by his fellow hall of famer warren spahn, leading the american. Appling spent time as a minor league manager and major league coach, and briefly managed the kansas city as in 1967. This game, in particular 75yearold luke applings homer off warren spahn, was one of the warmest memories baseball produced in a decade. Luke appling fixture in the white sox infield for 18.
The new york yankees held famous ballpark celebrations to recognize the careers of two of their alltime greats, first for lou gehrig on july 4, 1939 several weeks after he was forced to retire young because of als, and babe ruth in april 1948. When luke appling retired after the 1950 season, he had 2,749 hits over his 20year career for the chicago white sox. On july 19, 1982, luke appling participated in the first annual cracker jack allstar game of old timers at rfk stadium. Thats what happened when hall of famer luke appling homered against warren spahn in the 1982 cracker jack oldtimers classic.
This jersey displays light use and comes with a loa from psadna ac01274 and a loa from noted game used jersey expert dave miedema. Baseball returns to washington dc 1982 luke appling home. In the 1980s though, the cracker jack oldtimers baseball classic regularly brought baseball back to d. Jul 21, 1982 appling was the leadoff batter for the american league in the cracker jack oldtimers baseball classic, and spahn was the starting pitcher for the national league. Dec 29, 2018 in an extremely close vote, the baseball writers elected appling to the hall of fame in 1964. Luke appling homers off warren spahn in cracker jack old. He hit a home run in the cracker jack old timers game in washington, d. It was the first set to promote the july 19, 1982, 1st annual cracker jack old timers classic played at washingtons robert f. On july 19, 1982, luke appling participated in the first annual cracker jack allstar game of old timers at. Dimaggio played for the new york yankees from 1936 to 1951. Warren spahn at the first annual cracker jack old timers baseball classic in. Cracker jack old timers games the national pastime museum.
Appling s plaque at the baseball hall of fame appling was a successful minor league manager after his playing days were over, winning pennants with memphis in the southern association and indianapolis of the american association and being named minor league manager of the. But appling belted a 10 pitch from 63yearold warren sphan, the winningest lefthander ever at the time, over the short leftfield fence. Stadium, and the cracker jack people had created the greatest oldtimers game ever. Luke appling proved that when he hit that homer off warren spahn in the first game. Appling was working as a traveling minor league hitting coach at the time of the cracker jack old timers game and was joined by 30 other players and managers who were either already hall of famers or would be in the future, such as brooks robinson, ernie banks, bob feller, bill mazeroski and robin roberts. On july 19, 1982 at the age of 75 appling added to his long ball total. Luke appling s number 4 was retired by the chicago white sox in 1975. That was the first of nine cracker jack old timers games. Luke appling society for american baseball research. Luke appling homers off warren spahn in cracker jack old timers game at rfk stadium on july 19, 1982 at the age of 75 appling added to his long ball total. On july 19, 1982, 75 year old luke appling hitting a home run off warren spahn in the 1982 cracker jack old timers baseball game. On july 19, 1982, appling played in the initial 1982 cracker jack old timers game 19821990 at rfk stadium in washington, d.
Jul 20, 2012 on july 19, 1982, 75 year old luke appling hitting a home run off warren spahn in the 1982 cracker jack old timers baseball game appling, a hall of fame shortstop with the chicago white sox, was never a power hitter and the left field stands were in football configuration, but the homer was one of the great moments in rfk stadium history. If you cant get enough mystery and mayhem, youll be all about these crime novel adaptations. Lucius benjamin luke appling april 2, 1907 january 3, 1991, nicknamed old aches and. Jan 22, 2004 bold denotes a category in which luke appling led the league year tm g ab r h 2b 3b hr rbi sb cs bb so ba obp slg tb 1930 chw 6 26 2 8 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0. Baseball returns to washington dc 1982 luke appling home run. The third annual cracker jack old timers baseball classic. Later, he worked with the braves as a hitting instructor.
More than 30 years after hanging up his spikes, luke appling went yard at the age of 75 in the 1982 cracker jack old timers baseball classic at rfk stadium in washington, d. Joe dimaggio, luke appling, lou brock signed game program. Warren spahn kicked as high as he could, hank aaron dived after balls and 75yearold luke appling hit a firstinning home run as the american league went all out to defeat the national league, 7. Luke appling hits a home run in the cracker jacks old. Luke appling homers off warren spahn in cracker jack old timers game at rfk stadium. Robinson homered in the latest one, at buffalo last month. But when luke appling first appeared on the baseball writers association of america hall of fame ballot in 1953, he was named on just two of the 264 ballots cast. On july 19, 1982, the first cracker jack oldtimers classic is played at robert f. Between 1982 and 1990, an annual old timers game was played, first in washington, d. Mar 16, 2017 luke appling was 75 years old and knocked the nostalgia out of a pitch by warren spahn, hitting a homer that landed 12 rows beyond the 280foot fence in left field in rfk stadium.
In 2016, fritolay announced that the inserts in the boxes would only contain codes for use in the cracker jack app on android phones. The retired players play in an exhibition game, usually lasting about three innings. Cracker jack old timers games the national pastime. In that game, 75yearold luke appling connected on an offering from the comparatively youthful 61yearold warren spahn. The former infielder led off the first annual cracker jack old timers game with a home. Baseballer 37 years ago today, 75yearold luke appling. He spent his entire 20year career 1930 to 1950 with the white sox and was twice voted the franchises greatest player by the fans. Appling signed his name on the upper left chest above chicago. September 10, 1930 age 23161d, 6,111th in mlb history. One year old espn broadcast the game and the event became pretty bigsome of which is attributed to this moment, which happened in the 1st inning. In 1967, appling served as interim manager for the kansas city athletics. It was known as the cracker jack old timers baseball classic, and it was the brainchild of former atlanta braves vice president dick cecil. In 1982, at the age of 75, he electrified the crowd at a cracker jack old timers game, in washington, d. Luke appling was three months shy of his 37th birthday when he reported for army training at camp lee on jan.
The former infielder led off the first annual cracker jack old timers game with a home run off fellow hall of famer warren spahn. At 75 years old, hall of famer luke appling hits a home run to left field in an old timers game at rfk stadium check out for mo. Mlb special 1st annual cracker jacks old timers classic. Apr 23, 2017 appling was the oldest player in the cracker jack game, which ended with the american league beating the national league 72. Sadly, cracker jack no longer includes prizes in their boxes. A signed copy of the program for the second annual cracker jack old timers baseball classic. The statistics used were obtained free of charge from the baseball databank. Jul 21, 2014 on july 19, 1982, luke appling hits a home run during the cracker jack old timers game at rfk stadium. Luke appling was born on april 2, 1907 in high point, north carolina, usa as lucius benjamin. The transaction and player splits data used here was obtained free of charge from and is ed by retrosheet. Most of these contests are mere preliminaries to regularseason games, but this one stood by itself. September 10, 1930 age 23161d, 6,110th in mlb history.
Luke appling was born on april 2, 1907 in high point, north carolina, usa as lucius benjamin appling. Though the explayers wore the uniforms so familiar to baseball fans, their appearances showed the slights of age. You can see pee wee reese congratulating him at shortstop. He was elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1964. Nov 18, 2002 in 1982, more than thirty years after his retirement, appling was the centerpiece of one of the most touching moments in baseball history. History was bound to be made that night, and luke appling figured hed be part of it. Aug 05, 2017 thereafter, in 1933, cracker jack included a set of 25 pins of popular players of the day as prizes in their boxes. Appling, a happygolucky man and a notorious hypochondriac, was one. Luke appling was a remarkably steady shortstop with an uncanny batting eye. Most of these contests are mere preliminaries to regularseason games, but this one stood by. Defensive regression analysis data used here was obtained with permission from michael humphreys, author of wizardry. At the cracker jack allstar oldtimers game in 1984, the 75yearold appling hit a home run into the seats against 63yearold warren spahn. Another was held in new orleans, and future games this summer will be played in denver and indianapolis.
Appling was the oldest player in the cracker jack game, which ended with the american league beating the national league 72. Stadium, and the cracker jack people had created the greatest. Nearly 30,000 fans poured into rfk on july 19, 1982 to watch baseballs heroes of days gone by. Lucius benjamin luke appling april 2, 1907 january 3, 1991, nicknamed old aches and pains was an american shortstop in major league baseball who played his entire career for the chicago white sox 19301950.
The first, in 1982, proved to be the most noteworthy when 75 yearold luke appling homered off of warren spahn over the short left field fence in rfk stadium. The two teams swapped managers and coaches, including appling. A decade before his arrival, the franchise had been devastated by the black sox scandal, when eight players conspired to fix the 1919 world series and were banned from baseball, and the team did not compete again until the 1950s. Luke appling had the misfortune of playing for the white sox during some of their leanest years.
The 1983 magazine bears the signatures of mlb greats joe dimaggio 19141999, luke appling 19071991, and lou brock b. Luke appling, who opened the first cracker jack game in 1982 with a home run when he was 75, was the first batter monday night. He died on january 3, 1991 in cumming, georgia, usa. I wanted a game where the players would feel competitive once again. The junior circuit wore white uniforms with block american.
A promoter in chicago has tried to emulate the cracker jack idea by taking games on the road. I missed seeing the old guys, and i wanted to stage a real game, not a twoinning affair where everyone hit once, he recalled. Even that sentence reads like a kind of fiction, like something that happened when you created custom historical rosters in a video game. Wilhelm, the reliever converted into a starter for this occasion. On july 19, 1982, luke appling hits a home run during the cracker jack old timers game at rfk stadium. With that one swing, appling turned the cracker jack old timers baseball classic game into a verifiable, boldface blip on the baseball map. Luke appling and the 1982 cracker jack old timers baseball classic. He was elected to the hall of fame in 1964 by the baseball writers.
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