Posted By:
Ryan ChristoffI personally collect cards of Luque and am trying to get one of every card he appears on (tougher than you might think). If you have any rarer issues for sale or trade, please contact me.
I am a fan of Luque for a number of reasons, but perhaps more for his fiery character and competitive edge than his playing ability. He reminds me of a combination of John McGraw, Ty Cobb, Earl Weaver, and Bob Gibson. And Al Hrabosky. His machismo was almost comical, which I find somewhat endearing in a way. Sort of like the Chicken Hawk from the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons.
He was only 5' 7" but, like McGraw, always ready for a fight. When he was playing for the Reds he once charged the Giants bench and punched Casey Stengel in the face because he heard taunts coming from the Giants dugout. There are several stories about him pulling a gun on a player including one when he was a manager and the starting pitcher for the day came to him and told him he didn't feel like pitching. Luque pulled a gun on him and explained that it was in his best interest to make his scheduled start, which the pitcher of course did.
He was a headhunter as a pitcher, and I guess I've got a soft spot in my heart for guys who aren't afraid to throw at your melon. He taught Sal Maglie how to use the brushback effectively when Maglie played for a team he managed in Cuba in the 1940's. He was a legendary manager in his homeland after his brilliant pitching career ended.
In the majors, he won 194 games including a season with 27 wins, 8 losses and a 1.93 ERA. He won 2 World Series rings, first with the 1919 Reds and then recorded a win as a 43 year-old on the mound for the final out to clinch the 1933 series for the Giants. A total of 9.3 shutout World Series innings.
Because his winters were spent playing in Cuba, where many pitchers also played the field on non-pitching days, he became a decent hitter. With over 1,000 Major League at-bats he recorded a .227 lifetime average (just 33 points behind Bill Mazeroski).
Sorry to ramble, but those are a few reasons why his cards might be more desirable than seemingly similar players.
-Ryan