Hall of Fame Signed Baseball - Luke Appling

I just completed a trade with Dion from the blog "Dion's Autograph Collection" where I sent him several signed cards in exchange for the above Luke Appling signed baseball.

Appling (b. 1907 - d. 1991) was born in High Point, NC, not too far from where I grew up.  He played in the majors from 1930 to 1943; 1945 to 1950, all for the White Sox.  He had 2,749 career hits, 45 home runs and a career .310 batting average.

He was a 7-time All Star and finished as high as 2nd in the MVP voting (twice - 1936 and 1943), losing to Lou Gehrig (36) and Spud Chandler (43).  He was the AL Batting Champion in 1936 (.388) and 1943 (.328).  He was also very tough to strike out.  The most he ever struck out in a season was 41 times.  He had one other season where he struck out 40 times.

Appling was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964 when he received 70% of the initial vote and 94% in the runoff vote. 

He is my 92nd Hall of Famer.  The ball is a Bart Giamatti ONL ball, which is kind of odd, since Appling spent his entire career in the AL.  Dion got the ball at Braves Spring Training a long time ago, so that explaing the ONL ball.  I really like it, though, as I believe it is my first Giamatti ball.

Hall of Fame Spotlight - Luke Appling

Plaque photo borrowed from www.baseballhall.org

White Sox great Luke Appling (b. 1907 - d. 1991) played in the majors from 1930 to 1943 and 1945 to 1950 (all for the White Sox). He was a very talented shortstop and is widely considered one of the best of all time. When he retired, he had career numbers of: 2,749 hits, 45 home runs and a .310 batting average. As a shortstop, especially in that era, he was a great hitter. He was a 2-time batting champion. He wasn't the best fielding shortstop around, each season he was around the top 3 in errors committed. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers' association in 1964 on 94% of the run-off ballot.

What makes him a Hall of Famer?

• 2-time batting champ (1936 - .388 and 1943 - .328)
• His .388 batting average in 1936 was the highest ever for a shortstop in the 20th century and the first time an American League shortstop won a batting crown
• Had 13 full seasons where he batted over .300
• At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in games played and double plays by a shortstop. Both records would end up being broken by Luis Aparicio.
• Was a 7-time All Star (1936, 39, 40, 41, 43, 46 and 47)
  

Should he be a Hall of Famer?

• Never won a World Series
• Never won an MVP award, but came close twice by finishing second in 1936 and 1943
• Did not reach 3,000 hits. Could have reached it had he not missed half of the 1938 season with a broken leg or missing the 1944 and most of the 1945 seasons because of World War II.
• He has the worst fielding percentage of any player since 1910 with at least 1,900 games played
• He was known to complain constantly about numerous nagging injuries, earning the nickname 'Old Aches and Pains'
• Appeared on 8 Hall of Fame ballots (including the winning run-off ballot in 1964) and averaged 32.45% of the vote

The Verdict?

YES, Appling is a Hall of Famer. He is considered one of the best-hitting shortstops of all time. His defensive numbers are suspect, but as a hitter, he was very good, especially for his position. He shouldn't be penalized too much for not winning a World Series, he played on some light-hitting White Sox teams during his tenure there. Sadly, he never reached the postseason at all in his time there.

Baseballs autographed by Appling average around $80 each, while an autographed photo would possibly cost you around $20.