Dick Luebke

Richard Raymond Luebke (April 8, 1935 – December 4, 1974) was an American professional baseball player. A pitcher who threw left-handed and batted right-handed, Luebke was born in Chicago, stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg). He spent a decade in minor league baseball and, in his only Major League audition, appeared in ten games as a relief pitcher for the 1962 Baltimore Orioles.

Luebke was in his ninth year as a member of the Oriole farm system when he was recalled late in the 1962 campaign. After a productive season as a left-handed relief pitcher for the Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A International League – ten wins in 17 decisions, and an earned run average of 1.77 with 43 hits allowed in 61 innings pitched[1] – Luebke made his Major League debut on August 10, 1962, at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. In relief of Baltimore starting pitcher Robin Roberts, a future Hall of Famer, Luebke pitched a one-two-three eighth inning, retiring Eddie Bressoud, Carroll Hardy and Carl Yastrzemski in order.[2] He was charged with his only MLB decision on September 7. He faced only one batter, Leon Wagner, who doubled and later scored the winning run in a 5–4 extra-inning win for the Los Angeles Angels.[2] Nevertheless, Luebke performed creditably for Baltimore. In his ten appearances during August and September, he pitched 13+1⁄3 innings, allowed four earned runs, 12 hits and six bases on balls, with seven strikeouts.

During the offseason, however, the Orioles traded Luebke and minor-league infielder Willard Oplinger to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Joe Gaines. Luebke was not listed on the Reds' 40-man spring training roster for 1963,[3] and spent the year with their Triple-A affiliate, the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League, before leaving baseball.[1]

He died at age 39 in San Diego in December 1974.