Luke Appling interview
Date1987 April 10
DescriptionTwo audio cassettes featuring an interview with Luke Appling conducted by Rod Roberts on the behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on April 10, 1987 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Object numberHF-1994-0001-016
Interviewer
Roberts, Rod
Interviewee
Appling, Luke, 1907-1991
Subject
Appling, Luke, 1907-1991
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Library Call NumberCTA 817
Library Call NumberCTA 818
Collection NumberBA RMA 001 Rod Roberts oral history collection
Dimensions2 audio cassettes
TrannscriptionCassette 1Side One -- Track 1 - Born April 2, 1907 in High Point, North Carolina; three girls and three boys in the family; Appling second child; mother from High Point; father from Atlanta; worked as a wood carver for the furniture industry; mother's maiden name Sappenfield; both mother and father of English extraction; county in Georgia named Appling; moved to Norfolk and Richmond, VA; moved back to Atlanta, then to a farm in Lithia Springs, GA for four years; working on the farm built up his body (00:00:00 to 00:04:44) Track 2 - Getting involved in sports early; father a left-handed first baseman; Appling also was left-handed and then switched to playing right-handed because he wanted to play shortstop; moved back to Atlanta and attended high school; coach Lucien Hope had him hit right-handed (00:04:44 to 00:06:18) Track 3 - Playing different sports in high school; not being allowed to play football (00:06:18 to 00:07:44) Track 4 - Going to Oglethorpe University; Frank Anderson as baseball coach; on having a great team in college, playing Class D clubs and winning; one player getting killed in a car accident but rest of the players signed a baseball contract; Appling bet another student $10 that he could play football and make the second string; intercepted a pass and ran for a touchdown; got another touchdown; only went to college for two years; playing basketball (00:07:44 to 00:12:56) Track 5 - On father not wanting him to play football so cutting off funds; worked out with New Orleans and signed with Atlanta Crackers; hit .326; five or six home runs, doubles, triples; only part of one year in minor leagues; rooming with Sam Langford; player (?) Rios (00:12:56 to 00:17:04) Track 6 - First contract $1000 to sign, and 25% of sale if his contract was sold (00:17:04 to 00:17:46) Track 7 - Chicago Cubs showed interest, but the White Sox bought Appling's contract from Atlanta; playing a night game and having the light shine in your eyes; signing Doug Taitt as well; going to Chicago a couple of weeks before the end of the season (00:17:46 to 00:19:47) Track 8 - White Sox manager Donie Bush; good group of players Art Shires, Bill Cissell, Ted Lyons; Lyons recently passing away, being a great pitcher; Bill Doak glove (00:19:47 to 00:21:27) Track 9 - On Smead Jolley, strong left-handed hitter; fielding in Boston and falling on his face because of a hump in the field; manager Jimmy Dykes taking over the White Sox; playing practical joke; not having a great pitching staff; "Sad" Sam Jones at end of his career (00:21:27 to 00:25:28) Track 10 - On Pat Caraway, underhanded pitcher; Jimmie Foxx hit hardest ball ever hit off Caraway; Babe Ruth hitting hard; Philadelphia Athletics having a good roster of players—Max Bishop; Al Simmons, Mule Haas, Jimmy Dykes, (?) Galloway; Mickey Cochrane, Lefty Grove, George Earnshaw, Eddie Rommel, Bing Miller; Grove fastest pitcher; giving Appling a cigar; baseball has changed a lot (00:25:28 to 00:28:26) Track 11 - On moving up to the Majors; good ball club, Art Shires, Bill Cissell, Greg Mulleavy, Blondy Ryan (00:28:26 to 00:29:52) Side Two -- Track 1 - Tape picks up in the middle of off-the-record story; on not ever playing with a really good ball club; all depending on pitchers; highest we finished was third place; being higher in standings makes for a more interesting season (00:00:00 to 00:01:58) Track 2 - on Moe Berg, spoke five or six languages, worked for government, good steady catcher, friends with Ted Lyons (00:01:58 to 00:02:39) Track 3 - On Lu Blue (00:02:39 00:03:10) Track 4 - On Lew Fonseca as a player, and then manager (00:03:10 to 00:03:47) Track 5 - On "Kid Boots" nickname; Appling broke his ankle in March; White Sox being tight with salaries; negotiating with Harry Grabiner; Appling losing a $5,000 bonus, hit .388, team finished in third place; lawyers and agents have no place in baseball, disputes should be handled through commissioner; holding out on contracts; dialog with Lou Comiskey (00:03:47 to 00:10:16) Track 6 - On ball players keeping salaries and contracts secret (00:10:16 to 00:11:18) Track 7 - On never taking a pay cut; played and worked hard; bonuses in contracts (00:11:18 to 00:12:28) Track 8 - On general managers; current average salaries being higher; clubs losing money; Braves not having to eat (Larry) McWilliams contract (00:12:28 to 00:14:22) Track 9 - On getting Jimmy Dykes, Al Simmons, Mule Haas, Jake Miller and George Earnshaw all at the same time; discussing a current (?) player for the Atlanta Braves; Warren Spahn investing in ranch (00:14:22 to 00:16:05) Track 10 - On meal money of $5.50/$7.50 a day; Connie Mack being allowed to buy cocktails; stomach muscles being tight; getting ulcers (00:16:05 to 00:17:54) Track 11 - On Stan Coveleski; wife being unable to travel; Appling being able to drive at 80 (00:17:54 to 00:19:13) Track 12 - On having three children, two girls and a boy; losing a child at birth; consulting specialists; wife having two miscarriages; Grabiner giving him a hard time about going home (00:19:13 to 00:22:04) Track 13 - On six grandchildren, children and grandchildren living close by (00:22:04 to 00:23:51) Track 14 - On family life during baseball seasons; wife staying home with children; being away from home; sleeping on trains; good ball player and honest (?) Murphy, joining the Mormon Church; players being mischievous on the road (00:23:51 to 00:29:06) Track 15 - On Edd Roush going to a brewery; on not getting involved with drugs (00:29:06 to 00:30:00) Track 16 - On (Dwight) Gooden (00:30:00 to 00:30:35) Cassette 2Side One -- Track 1 - Casual chat; on Zeke Bonura; being Appling's roommate; playing in minor leagues; playing football against each other in college; Bonura never getting married; dating Comiskey's daughter (00:00:0 to 00:02:20) Track 2 - On Jimmy Dykes; on hit, run and steal signs; hitting plate with the bat as a sign; talking to the catcher about signs; batting practice in Yankee Stadium; catcher (George) Dickey; slider pitcher (?) Shea; watching the pitcher carefully to anticipate the pitch; underhanded pitchers; first manager for Atlanta Crackers told him he'd better remember what he said the first time (00:02:20 to 00:09:55) Track 3 - On Chicago paying to get Al Simmons, Jake Miller, Mule Haas, all at once from Philadelphia; on signing high school kids (00:09:55 to 00:12:14) Track 4 - On Simmons; on Philadelphia hecklers (00:12:14 to 00:14:03) Track 5 - On outfielder Frenchy Bordagaray; traded to Brooklyn; Jackie Hayes losing his eye, irrigating sinuses and possibly damaging eyes; eventually losing sight in both eyes; outfielder Moose Solters going blind (00:14:03 to 00:16:28) Track 6 - On center fielder Jocko Conlan becoming an umpire (00:16:28 to 00:17:20) Track 7 - On Muddy Ruel, dad-gum-it expression (00:17:20 to 00:17:48) Track 8 - On Monty Stratton, pitcher; being good friends with Lyons, "Gander" nickname; buying pistol in El Paso to shoot pheasants; shooting jackrabbits; Stratton shot himself in the leg, lost the leg and nearly died (00:17:48 to 00:21:17) Track 9 - On Lou Brissie being wounded in the war (00:21:17 to 00:21:45) Track 10 - On greatest day in baseball being when he was elected to Hall of Fame; on Red Ruffing, getting his kneecap busted by Sloan Vernon "George" Washington, left-handed hitter (00:21:45 to 00:24:07) Track 11 - Greatest fielding, (Bob) Feller was pitching, Sam West caught line drive in right-center (00:24:07 to 00:25:58) Track 12 - On George Case; fastest runner hard to say; player Ossie (?); on going against (Lefty) Grove pitching; Appling getting a couple of hits; pinch-hitter came up; getting ribbed in spring training (tape runs out) (00:25:58 to 00:30:11) Side Two -- Track 1 - On breaking a finger in 1930, working out at 10 a.m. fielding 154 ground balls, 32 pop-ups plus batting practice; having arthritis (00:00:00 to 00:01:36) Track 2 - On playing 21 seasons until 1950; manager Paul Richards wanting him to stay; Appling managing in Memphis (00:01:36 to 00:02:33) Track 3 - On barnstorming with Mickey Harris and (Birdie?) Tebbetts; Appling talking to Yankees Casey Stengel and Phil Rizzuto (00:02:33 to 00:04:24) Track 4 - On watching the Cubs play in World Series and playing against them in spring training; good catchers (Mickey) Cochrane, (Bill) Dickey (00:04:24 to 00:05:29) Track 5 - Interviewer Roberts talking about Leo Durocher picking a fantasy team; more on Cochrane and Dickey; Tebbetts being a good catcher (00:05:29 to 00:06:59) Track 6 - On good first basemen Jimmie Foxx, (Hank) Greenberg, Moose Skowron (00:06:59 to 00:07:58) Track 7 - On good second basemen (Tony) Lazzeri, Charlie Gehringer; (Gil?) Gordon; (Bobby) Doerr (00:07:58 to 00:09:11) Track 8 - On good third basemen Ossie Bluege, Pie Traynor (00:09:11 to 00:10:03) Track 9 - On good shortstops Joe Cronin, (Phil) Rizzuto, a player from the Browns, (Luis) Aparicio, Marty Marion; Appling playing with older brother Johnny "Red" Marion; Marty getting Appling's #4; shortstops need to be intelligent and learn the hitters and the pitchers; giving signs in the field; (Ted) Kazanski and Joe Lonnett using word signs; knowing Tommy Bridges curveball; Mule Haas talking about the curveball (00:10:03 to 00:16:52) Track 11 - On good outfielders (Joe) DiMaggio, (Ted?) Williams as a great hitter, DiMaggio's brother a good fielder, on seeing Babe Ruth play (00:17:27 to 00:18:48) Track 12 - On Babe Ruth's character; on changes in the game and equipment; Appling liking Spaulding featherweight shoes with spikes, getting custom shoes for $25 a pair; always changing shoes; putting feet on metal vibrator after games, still using it (00:18:48 to 00:22:57) Track 13 - On people who should be in Hall of Fame; on writers changing too rapidly; Appling being surprised at being voted into Hall of Fame; (Lefty) Grove being fast pitcher (00:22:57 to 00:25:38) Track 14 - On pitchers throwing at batters, formerly fair game, now not being allowed; hitter (?) Murphy (00:25:38 to 00:28:50) Track 15 - Interviewer Roberts taking photos of Appling; Appling enjoying the game (tape runs out) (00:28:50 to 00:30:35) Public Access NotePlease note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. 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