Luke Appling

Pro team(s)

Chicago White Sox

Hall of Fame

⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame

Lucius Benjamin "Luke" Appling was born on April 2, 1907, in High Point, North Carolina, and became one of the greatest shortstops in American League history during a 20-year career spent entirely with the Chicago White Sox (1930–1950). "Old Aches and Pains" — his nickname reflecting his seemingly endless catalog of minor physical complaints — hit .388 in 1936 (the highest single-season average ever by a shortstop) and .328 in 1943 to win two AL batting titles, and finished his career with a .310 lifetime average and 2,749 hits. He was a seven-time All-Star and one of the most dependable hitters of the Dead Ball era's twilight and the Live Ball era's golden age, playing through World War II and well into his 40s. Famous for his ability to foul off pitches and wear down pitchers, he once fouled off more than a dozen consecutive pitches to earn a walk — a calculated act of genius. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964. Born in High Point, North Carolina.