Lou Louden

Louis Oliver Louden
(Tommy)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 172 lb.

• Debut 1942
• Final Game 1948
• Born August 19, 1919 in West Point, VA USA
• Died August 31, 1989 in Newark, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Lou Louden was a Negro League catcher for nine years and made four All-Star teams.

Louden debuted in 1942, hitting .250 for the New York Cubans, for whom he would spend his entire Negro League career. He batted .275 in 1943, .265 in 1944, .222 in 1945 and .250 in 1946. He was the third catcher for the East in the first 1946 East-West Game, following Josh Gibson and Leon Ruffin. He went 0 for 1 in a 6-3 win.

Louden hit .290 in 1947 while splitting the New York catcher's job with Ray Noble. Louis backed up Johnny Hayes in the first 1947 East-West Game and went 1 for 1 with a RBI in a 5-2 win. In the second East-West Game that year, he went 0 for 2 before Bob Romby pinch-hit for him in a 8-2 loss. He was 3 for 8 in the 1947 Negro World Series, in which the Cubans won their only Negro World Series title, beating the Cleveland Buckeyes. That winter, he hit .304 for the Ponce Lions of the Puerto Rican League.

Louden hit .315 in 1948 and also managed New York for part of the season. He went 0 for 3 in the first 1948 East-West Game, being replaced by Bill Cash in a 3-0 loss. In a 6-1 win in game two, he was 0 for 1 after replacing Cash. He remained with the Cubans in 1949-1950. In the 1950 East-West Game, Louden hit 5th for the East and went 1 for 5 with a run in a 5-3 loss; it was the only one of his six All-Star appearances in which he played the whole game.

In the winter of 1950-1951, Louden was 4 for 18 with a double for Cienfuegos in the Cuban Winter League, backing up Noble. He went 11 for 49 with 4 doubles and 10 walks for the 1951 Charros de Jalisco. In 1952-1953, he played for Winnipeg of the Manitoba-Dakota League, hitting .252 the latter year. Out of baseball for three years, the 38-year-old returned with the 1957 El Paso Texans, going 14 for 72 with a double and 13 walks. His .993 fielding percentage was second-best among Southwestern League backstops.

Louden was noted for his hustling style of play. He had trouble with alcoholism and showed up to games drunk sometimes, but still played effectively behind the plate.

Notable Achievements

• 3-time NNL All-Star (1946-1948)
• Won one Negro World Series with the New York Cubans in 1947

Sources

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros
• 1958 Baseball Guide

Related Sites

• BR Minors page