Luke Hamlin

Lewis Dennison Hamlin
(Hot Potato)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 168 lb.
• Debut September 18, 1933
• Final Game September 26, 1944
• Born July 3, 1904 in Ferris Center, MI USA
• Died February 18, 1978 in Clare, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Hamlin featured in an ad for a baseball-themed board game when he played in Toronto in 1945

The Brooklyn Dodgers finished third in 1939 and Luke Hamlin was one of the chief reasons for the surprising climb. A 20-game winner in Brooklyn had been a rare thing in recent years and Luke supplied that, winning exactly 20 and dropping 13 with an ERA of 3.63. He finished fifth in winning percentage and allowed 255 hits in the 270 innings he pitched, allowing opposing batters a batting average of only .248, fourth-lowest in the National League. Luke's main difficulty in 1939 was keeping the home run or "Gopher" ball away from the hitters... He yielded 27 homers.

Luke spent nine years in the major leagues between 1933 and 1944 with four clubs including the Dodgers and also the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Athletics, winning 73 and losing 76 with a 3.74 ERA.

Hamlin also spent a good deal of time in the minors between 1928 and 1950, winning 213 games and losing 147 with a sound 3.14 ERA. He won 20 games or more in four seasons with 1943 being his best season when he went 21-8 with a 2.14 ERA for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League.

Hamlin spent six seasons in the International League and in 1955 he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame. Luke's baseball career encompassed four decades, 1928-1950, a feat in itself.

In 1949, he was the last of five managers of the Leesburg Dodgers, an independent team in the Florida State League. That was his only managerial stint.

Notable Achievements

• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1939)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1939)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1938 & 1939)