He was a pitcher who contributed to his teams in several positions over the years. Red Lucas was one of the most recent
two-way players, serving as a prolific pinch hitter throughout his career. As a pitcher, Lucas batted seventh in the lineup for the Reds on September 7, 1933, and was the last Reds pitcher to bat higher than ninth until
Jason Marquis batted eighth in May 2015. Lucas posted a .281
batting average with 155
runs, 3
home runs, 190
RBI and 124
bases on balls in his major league career. Defensively, he was better than average, recording a .981
fielding percentage as a pitcher and a .977 fielding percentage overall. After his major league career, Lucas spent several seasons managing and occasional pitching in the minor leagues. He served as a minor league manager in 1941 with
Grand Rapids (
Michigan State League) and in 1942 Newport (Tenn.) of the Appalachian League. Lucas was a player/coach for the
Nashville Vols in 1944 and 1945. He managed the Class D
Lumberton Cubs of the
Tobacco State League in 1947. In 1948, Lucas was the manager of the Decatur Ill. club in the
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. His nickname, "The Nashville Narcissus," was coined by Colonel Bob Newhall, a reporter for the old
Cincinnati Tribune, who may have thought the young pitcher was a blooming star. He died in
Nashville, Tennessee on July 9, 1986. ==References==