Luke Appling became the White Sox’ all-time hit leader on August 18, 1943 in the first game of a doublheader against the Washington Senators. Facing Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn, Appling singled in the first inning to tie Eddie Collins’ franchise mark. Appling’s single in his next at bat in the third inning put him #1 for good.

The following season Appling’s military service in World War II interrupted his career. After returning, Appling collected 741 more hits for Chicago before retiring in 1950. He finished his career with 2,749 hits, all with the White Sox, and remains the franchise’s all-time leader.

Forty-five years after Appling passed Collins, Harold Baines joined exclusive White Sox company. On July 4, 1988, Baines collected his 1,300th hit for Chicago. The milestone made him the eighth player in franchise history to reach 1,300 hits.

Shown here is the White Sox lineup card from Baines’ milestone game. He signed the card and added the inscription, “8th White Sox player to 1,300 hits. When I retired only Appling, Nellie Fox & Eddie Collins had more.” His inscription connects his milestone to three of the greatest hitters in White Sox history.

Luke Appling enjoyed a 20-year career with the White Sox from 1930-1950. Skilled on both sides of the ball, Appling led the American League in assists in seven seasons.

Offensively he was a force. The two-time batting champ hit .310 for his career, reaching as high as .388 in 1936. A .310 lifetime hitter, Appling hit .300 or better in 16 seasons.

When he retired, Appling held the all-time record for most games played at his position as well as most double plays by a man at that position. He was also the American League record holder for career putouts and assists by a shortstop.

Appling’s records were later broken by fellow White Sox player Luis Aparicio.

In the collection is this government postcard signed in 1949, Appling’s penultimate season as a big league player.

Shown here is the back of the government postcard signed by Luke Appling. The postmark is from Chicago and is dated August 24, 1949.

A quick glance at Baseball Reference shows that Appling’s White Sox played a home game that day. Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics shutout Chicago that day behind a 5-hit shutout by Dick Fowler.

Appling hit third in the lineup and went 0-for-3 with a third-inning walk. Forty-two years old when he signed it, Appling finished the season with a .301 average and a .439 on-base percentage. His performance earned him consideration in MVP voting.

The following season was Appling’s last as a player.

Though Appling’s signature is easy to come by, vintage examples from his playing days are highly desired.

Here Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan lists his All Time White Sox team. Four Hall of Famers make the cut — pitcher Ted Lyons, catcher Ray Schalk, shortstop Luke Appling, and second baseman Eddie Collins.

Interestingly three players associated with throwing the 1919 World Series are also on the list — third baseman Buck Weaver, and outfielders Shoeless Joe Jackson and Hap Felsch.

An outfielder with the White Sox himself, Conlan played for Chicago in 1934 and 1935. During that time he and Appling were teammates. Appling played all 20 of his big league seasons with the White Sox. He remains the franchise leader in plate appearances, hits, and times on base.

Appling remained close to baseball for the remainder of his life. Many remember his remarkable performance in the 1982 Old Timer’s game at Washington’s RFK Stadium. Facing Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn, the 75-year old Appling hit a home run over the wall in left field. Interestingly, Appling never hit more than 8 homers in a season.Click here for a video of Appling’s 1982 blast.

When Luke Appling hung up his spikes and left the playing field his services were still in high demand. He immediately accepted a job as minor league manager of the Memphis Chicks in 1951. The following season Appling was named Minor League Manager of the Year.

Shown here is a letter from 1954, signed by Appling in his capacity as skipper of the Memphis club. The former shortstop found great success in the minors, winning pennants for both Memphis and Indianapolis.

Appling coached in the big leagues with Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Kansas City for whom he had a 40-game stint as manager. He remained in the game into his 80s, coaching and managing in the minors and majors. His final job in baseball was as batting instructor for the Braves, a position he held until 1990.

In the collection is this letter from 1954, written in his capacity as manager of the Memphis Chicks. Though his signature is readily available to collectors, vintage pieces like this are much less common.