Lou Lucier

Louis Joseph Lucier

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 160 lb.
• High School Grafton High School
• Debut April 23, 1943
• Final Game June 13, 1945
• Born March 23, 1918 in Northbridge, MA USA
• Died October 18, 2014 in Millbury, MA USA

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Biographical Information

Right-hander Lou Lucier was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Bees in 1937 after the young pitcher had graduated from Grafton High School with a stellar pitching record and assigned him to the Beaver Falls Bees of the class D Pennsylvania State Association. He appeared in four outings, pitched 14 innings and had a 1-0 record before leaving the club for personal reasons and returning to his home in Grafton, MA.

After high school and before signing to play professional baseball, Lou had worked in the Mills around his home area, playing semipro ball with various town teams. In the 1938-1940 time span, Lou had built a reputation as a pitcher who was a winner and had proved it by leading his Woonsocket, RI teammates to the Rhode Island State Semi-Pro Championship in 1940. All this good pitching and a lot of sales talk from Boston Red Sox Scout L.E. "Jap" Haskell, along with help from Joe Cronin and Tom Yawkey got Lucier to sign and play with the Canton Terriers of the class C Middle Atlantic League in 1941.

Lucier put together the best numbers of his seven-year minor league career with a 23-5 record in 36 games and a 1.39 ERA while pitching 247 innings. This showing got Lou moved up to the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1942, where as Cronin and Yawkey had promised... the money was a lot better... but then again the hitters were a lot tougher. Lou threw a 13-9 number and a 2.45 ERA at the AA (then the highest classification of the minors) league in 33 games and 206 innings.

All this work got Lou his major league debut on April 23, 1943 with the Boston Red Sox and he appeared in 16 games with a 3-4 record and a 3.89 ERA before being sent back to Louisville for the remainder of the year. He had time to win six and lose five for the AA team, with a 3.22 ERA in 14 games before the season ended.

1944 was not Lou's best year; he did go 7-3 for Louisville but fell to a 1-5 right behind that show with the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League. Lou was also with the Red Sox and appeared in three games with no decisions. He was then sent to the Philadelphia Blue Jays in an unknown transaction where he managed to pick up no decisions but did rack up a 13.50 ERA. Lou ended his big league run with the re-named Phillies in 1945 with an 0-1 record in 13 games, giving him major league career numbers of 3 wins and 5 losses with a 3.81 ERA while appearing in 33 games.

Lucier would finish out his professional baseball career in 1946 with no decisions for the Jersey City Giants of the International League nor the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association but did come up with a good finish with the Providence Chiefs of the class B New England League, with a 6-3 record and a 3.00 ERA. Lucier finished out his minor league career with a 66-35 record in 153 outings while pitching 855 innings.

After baseball, Lucier went back to work at his old job in the Mills of Massachusetts until his retirement. As of March 2012, Louis Joseph Lucier is 94 years of age and alive and well in his native Northbridge, MA.

Related Sites

• Lou Lucier at the SABR Bio Project
• [BR Minors page