Cleveland Indians History: Luke Easter Killed During Robbery

Luke Easter was a power hitting first baseman, first during his time in the Negro Leagues, then with the Cleveland Indians. His life came to an end on this day in 1979, when he was killed during a robbery.

During his time in the Negro Leagues, Luke Easter was known for his tremendous power. He hit a ball to the center field bleachers of the old Polo Grounds, a feat that was accomplished only twice by MLB players. During his time with the Cleveland Indians, he had what was considered to be the longest homer hit in the history of Municipal Stadium, a 477 foot bomb.

After his time in the Majors came to an end, Easter played in the minors for another decade. He became a fan favorite in Buffalo, as he continued to hit home run after home run. When he retired in 1964 at 48 years old, Easter had belted 269 minor league homers, establishing himself as one of the great International League power hitters.

Following some time as a coach, he became the chief union steward at TRW. As part of his duties, he would cash payroll checks for the employees, bringing back their pay for them. Usually, he went with a police escort, but on this day in 1979, he decided not to. That would prove to be a terrible mistake.

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As Easter exited the bank, he was accosted by two robbers, who shot him in the chest with a sawed off shotgun as he was robbed. Easter died on his way to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The two suspects attempted to flee the area, and ended up in a police chase before they crashed. Instead of surrendering, they began a shootout with police, which ended when both perpetrators were wounded.

It was a sad end for Easter, a player who was universally beloved by his teammates. He had his issues, as he gambled and was not considered completely honest. But, as a player who did not begin to play professionally until he was 32 years old, he was a star, a power hitter the likes of which the game had not seen. He was also considered a positive influence, helping to develop players like Boog Powell and Curt Belfrey.

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Luke Easter was a legendary player due to his amazing power. Unfortunately, on this day in 1979, the Cleveland Indians star was killed in a robbery.