Bill Lucas
Encyclopedia
William DeVaughn Lucas was the first African-American general manager
in Major League Baseball
as front-office boss of the Atlanta Braves
from mid-September 1976 until his death at age 43 in May 1979. His official title was vice president of player personnel, but owner Ted Turner
gave him all the duties of a general manager.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida
, Lucas was a graduate of Florida A&M University
and served as an officer in the United States Army
. An infielder
, he signed with the then-Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and played for six seasons in the club's farm system, batting
.273 in 655 games. He joined the Braves front office in 1965, working in the sales and promotions department initially before switching to the player development department in 1967
. He was named the director of the Braves' farm system in 1972
, and was promoted to GM responsibilities on September 17, 1976.
He died unexpectedly of a massive cerebral hemorrhage in 1979 after spending 23 years with the Braves organization. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2006. Bill Lucas was the former brother-in-law of Hall of Fame outfielder and Braves legend Henry Aaron
.
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as front-office boss of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
from mid-September 1976 until his death at age 43 in May 1979. His official title was vice president of player personnel, but owner Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
gave him all the duties of a general manager.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Lucas was a graduate of Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...
and served as an officer in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. An infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, he signed with the then-Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and played for six seasons in the club's farm system, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.273 in 655 games. He joined the Braves front office in 1965, working in the sales and promotions department initially before switching to the player development department in 1967
1967 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: National League, 2-1 ; Tony Pérez, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Arizona State...
. He was named the director of the Braves' farm system in 1972
1972 in baseball
-Labor strife and more moving:1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were...
, and was promoted to GM responsibilities on September 17, 1976.
He died unexpectedly of a massive cerebral hemorrhage in 1979 after spending 23 years with the Braves organization. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2006. Bill Lucas was the former brother-in-law of Hall of Fame outfielder and Braves legend Henry Aaron
Henry Aaron
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron , nicknamed "Hammer," "Hammerin' Hank," and "Bad Henry," is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball career spanned the years 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time...
.