| Luke Sewell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sewell in 1924 | |
| Catcher /Manager | |
| Born:(1901-01-05)January 5, 1901 Titus, Alabama, U.S. | |
| Died: May 14, 1987(1987-05-14) (aged 86) Akron, Ohio, U.S. | |
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 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
James Luther "Luke"Sewell (January 5, 1901 – May 14, 1987) was an American professionalbaseball player,coach, andmanager. He played inMajor League Baseball as acatcher for theCleveland Indians (1921–1932, 1939),Washington Senators (1933–1934),Chicago White Sox (1935–1938), and theSt. Louis Browns (1942). Sewell batted and threw right-handed. He was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.[1]
He spent 10 seasons playing with his brotherJoe Sewell, aHall of Fameshortstop. He had another brother namedTommy Sewell, who had one at-bat with theChicago Cubs.[2]
Sewell managed the Browns from 1941 to 1946, initially as aplayer-manager. The Browns won the American League pennant in 1944. He later managed theCincinnati Reds from 1949 to 1952
Born in the rural town ofTitus, Alabama, Sewell grew up wanting to play baseball. He attendedWetumpka High School and graduated from theUniversity of Alabama where, he played for theAlabama Crimson Tide baseball team as aninfielder.[1] He was linked to theCleveland Indians because his brotherJoe Sewell became their startingshortstop in1920.[3] When ClevelandscoutPatsy Flaherty signed Sewell, he insisted that he play as a catcher.[1] He began the1921 season with theColumbus Senators in theAmerican Association but, after only 17minor league games, Sewell made his major league debut with Cleveland on June 30, 1921.[4][5]
Sewell served as a reserve catcher, working behindSteve O'Neill until the1923 season when O'Neill was injured in an auto accident. Sewell then played in aplatoon role alongsideGlenn Myatt, in which the left-hand hitting Myatt played the team'shome games atLeague Park due to its 290-foot distance to the right field fence, while Sewell played the team'sroad games. Sewell eventually took over as the Indians number one catcher in the1926 season, due to his superior defensive skills.[1] He finished the year with only a .238batting average but led the American League catchers with 91assists.[4][6]
In1927, Sewell had a breakout year, hitting for a career-high .294 batting average with 27doubles, 53runs batted in (RBI), and scored 52runs.[4] Sewell questionedBabe Ruth's integrity in a game on June 11,1927. He demanded thatumpires check Ruth's bat after he clouted two straight home runs offGarland Buckeye.[7][8] Although he led the league's catchers with 20errors, he also led the league with 119 assists and 71 baserunnerscaught stealing.[9] Despite the fact that Cleveland finished the season in sixth place, Sewell ranked ninth in voting for the1927 American LeagueMost Valuable Player Award.[10] In1928, he once again led the league's catchers with 117 assists and 60 baserunners caught stealing and ranked 12th in voting for the1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award.[11][12]
In1933, Sewell was traded to theWashington Senators for catcherRoy Spencer.[13] Sewell posted career-highs with 125 hits and 30 doubles, as the Senators, under first-yearplayer-managerJoe Cronin, won 99 games to clinch the American League pennant by nine games over theNew York Yankees.[4][14] During an April game against the Yankees, Sewell made an odddouble play.Lou Gehrig andDixie Walker were on base whenTony Lazzeri hit a ball to deep right field. Gehrig hesitated as he waited to see if the ball would be caught, before heading towardshome plate with Walker right behind him. Sewell caught right fielderGoose Goslin's throw andtagged both runners out with one sweeping motion.[15] Cronin credited Sewell as a major factor in helping the Senators' pitching staff.[16] The Senators lost to theNew York Giants in the1933 World Series.[17] In what would be his only postseason appearance as a player, Sewell posted a .176 batting average (3 for 17), with one stolen base, one run scored, and one RBI during the five-game series.[18]
Sewell began the1934 season with a hand injury and didn't play his first game until June 13.[19][20] Two weeks later, he was struck in the head and knocked unconscious by a pitch thrown bySt. Louis Browns pitcher,Bump Hadley.[21] Sewell ended the season with a .237 batting average.[4]
In January1935, Sewell was traded to the St. Louis Browns, ironically for Bump Hadley.[13] The Browns promptly traded him to the Chicago White Sox on the very same day.[13] His offensive statistics improved with the White Sox, posting a .285 batting average with 67 RBI and, finished second among the league's catchers in assists and third infielding percentage.[4][22] In1936, Sewell produced career-highs with 5 home runs and 73 RBI and, led American League catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing.[4][23] By the first week of June1937, Sewell had a .316 batting average to earn a spot as a reserve for the American League team in the1937 All-Star Game.[24][25] 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 .343on-base percentage and six triples.[4] Sewell finished the season ranked fifth in voting for the1937 American League Most Valuable Player Award.[26]
Sewell's batting average dropped to .213 in1938 and, in December of that year, he was purchased by theBrooklyn Dodgers for $7500.[4][27] In April1939, the 39-year-old Sewell was released by the Dodgers but, promptly signed a contract as a third-string catcher and pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians.[28] The Indians hoped to groom him as an eventual replacement for managerOscar Vitt who had fallen from the graces ofgeneral managerCy Slapnicka.[28] He spent the1940 season as a pitching coach but, when the Indians decided to hireRoger Peckinpaugh as their manager for the1941 season, Sewell accepted the manager's position with the St. Louis Browns, replacingFred Haney.[29] Because of the shortage of major league players during the Second World War, Sewell served as a player-manager during the1942 season, appearing in six games.[4] He played his final game as a player on August 1,1942 at the age of 41.[4]
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In a 20-year major league career, Sewell played in 1,630 games, accumulating 1,393 hits in 5,383 at bats for a .259 career batting average along with 20 home runs, 698 RBI and anon-base percentage of .323.[4] He had a .978 fielding percentage.[4] Sewell had a strong throwing arm, leading American League catchers four times in baserunners caught stealing and four times in assists.[4]
Even for the era, Sewell's lowstrikeout numbers were remarkable. He never struck out more than 27 times in a season, and his career best was just 16 strikeouts in 451 at bats in1936.[4] Sewell held the American League record of 20 seasons as an active catcher untilCarlton Fisk surpassed the record with 24 seasons as an active catcher with theBoston Red Sox (1969, 1971–1980) and theChicago White Sox (1981–1993).[30] Sewell caught threeno-hitters in his career;Wes Ferrell in1931,Vern Kennedy in1935, andBill Dietrich in1938.[31] In his 2001 book,The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, baseball writerBill James ranked Sewell as the fourth best catcher in the American League during his career, behindMickey Cochrane,Bill Dickey, andRick Ferrell, all of whom were inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame.[1]
After retiring as an active player, Sewell continued to manage the St. Louis Browns.[32] He led them to the1944 American League pennant, the team's only championship in its 52 years in St. Louis, although they lost to theSt. Louis Cardinals in the1944 World Series.[33] That year, he managed such players asRed Hayworth,Vern Stephens, andJack Kramer and led them to an 89–65 record. He wonThe Sporting News' Manager of the Year Award.[34] After a seventh-place finish in1946, Sewell stepped down as the Browns' manager.[35]
In January1949, Sewell was hired as a pitching coach by theCincinnati Reds and, in October, he took over as the Reds' manager fromBucky Walters.[36][37] After two unsuccessful seasons with the Reds, he resigned in July1952 and was replaced byRogers Hornsby.[38] Sewell's major league managerial record was 606–644, a .485 winning percentage.[32]
In December1953, Sewell was hired as manager of theToronto Maple Leafs of theInternational League.[39] He led the team to the league championship in his first season and won theInternational League Manager of the Year Award.[40] 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 November1955, he was named as the manager for theSeattle Rainiers of thePacific Coast League.[41] In August1956, Sewell was fired after less than one season in part due to player discontent over his managerial style.[42]
Sewell died inAkron, Ohio in1987 at the age of 86.[43]
| 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 | LostWorld 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 | |||
