Joshua William Lueke (born December 5, 1984) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
. He has played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
and
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
, and in
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
(NPB) for the
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...
. His impending retirement from professional baseball was announced prior to the upcoming 2022-2023 winter season of the
Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
.
Professional career
Texas Rangers
Lueke was drafted by the
Texas Rangers in the 16th round of the
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the f ...
. He played for the
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Color ...
,
Clinton LumberKings
The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Lea ...
, and
Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California. They played in the Class A – Advanced California League. They played their home games at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facing ...
.
Seattle Mariners
On July 9, 2010, Lueke was traded to the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
along with
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak (born December 5, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewer ...
and fellow prospects Matt Lawson and
Blake Beavan
Blake William Beavan (born January 17, 1989) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A first-round draft pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers, Beavan was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2010 in a package of prospects fo ...
for
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for four teams, most notably the Philadelphia Philli ...
and
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe (born June 7, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detr ...
.
On April 3, 2011, he made his Major League debut for the Mariners against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. He threw two-thirds of an inning giving up four runs on two hits. He also had two walks and two strikeouts.
Tampa Bay Rays
On November 27, 2011, Lueke and a player to be named later were traded to the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
in exchange for
John Jaso
John Edward Jaso (; born September 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Jaso mostly served as a designated hitter and catcher throughout his career, but had to stop catching due to concussion issues. He played in Ma ...
.
On March 16, 2013, the Rays optioned Lueke to their Triple-A team, the
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in ...
.
On May 10, 2013, Lueke was recalled to join the Rays major league club. He pitched 1 innings in his season debut against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
, striking out two. Lueke was recalled by the Rays on September 1, 2013.
Lueke was designated for assignment on June 7, 2014. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A on June 9.
Foreign & Independent Leagues
On February 4, 2015, Lueke signed with the
Delfines del Carmen
The Delfines del Carmen (English: Carmen Dolphins) were a Mexican Baseball League expansion club based in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. They played their home games at the Estadio Resurgimiento in Ciudad del Carmen.[Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...]
.
Lueke played with the
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...
of
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
On March 22, 2018, Lueke signed with the
Generales de Durango
The Generales de Durango (English: Durango Generals) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) that was established in November 2016. The team is based in Durango, the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Durango. ...
of the
Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. On April 21, Lueke was traded to the
Acereros de Monclova
The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Monclova, which has a capacity of 11,000 people. The Acere ...
of the
Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
.
On February 26, 2019, Lueke was traded to the
Pericos de Puebla
The Pericos de Puebla (English: "Puebla Parrots") are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Puebla, Mexico.
History
The state of Puebla came upon baseball in the early 1920s when returning Poblanos that had come from militar ...
. He was released on May 22, 2019. On May 27, 2019, Lueke signed with the
Long Island Ducks
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partne ...
of the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
. On June 27, 2019, his contract was purchased by the
Leones de Yucatán
The Leones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The team play its home games at Parque Kukulcán Alamo in Mérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in , , , ...
of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
.
Lueke did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
In 2021, Lueke posted a 2.17 ERA and earned 12 saves for
Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...
, operating as the team's
closer. He became a free agent following the season.
On January 13, 2022, Lueke signed with the
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna
The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cotton Farmers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Torreón, Coahuila.
History Early years
The team was established in 1940 under the name Algodoneros de Uni ...
of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
for the 2022 season. The
Algodoneros released Lueke on September 23, 2022. He finished with the second-most saves in the league for the season, with 22.
Retirement
Lueke informed
Algodoneros general manager Francisco "Chipper" Méndez that he was to retire following the winter season of the
Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
. Lueke signed with the
Charros de Jalisco
The Charros de Jalisco ( en, Jalisco Horsemen) are a professional baseball team in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, Mexican Pacific League based in Zapopan, Jalisco. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco y Atletismo, Estadi ...
on August 2, 2022 for his final season.
Legal history
While in the Rangers organization Lueke was arrested following a May 2008 incident and charged with having committed rape and non-consensual
sodomy
Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...
. During the investigation Lueke lied to the police by denying he had sexual contact with the victim (an assertion proven false by DNA testing), and he pleaded
no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...
to lesser charges of false imprisonment with violence and was sentenced to 42 days in jail, time served prior to making bail. An additional 20 days were discounted due to good behavior and Lueke received three years of felony probation.
After the July 9, 2010 trade that sent Lueke to the Seattle Mariners, team president
Chuck Armstrong
Charles G. Armstrong is an American attorney and former officer of the United States Navy, best known for his 28-year tenure as president of the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball club, a position from which he stepped down on January 31, 20 ...
denied having any knowledge of Lueke's criminal past, and stated if he had known, he would have stopped the deal with Texas.
Up to that point, the Mariners organization had a long history of supporting groups who oppose violence against women, running a campaign called "Refuse to Abuse"
and had previously suspended and traded reliever
Julio Mateo
Julio Cesar Mateo (born August 2, 1977) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. The 6’0 tall 220 lb Mateo bats and throws right-handed. He was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on May 15, .
Professional car ...
, who was accused of beating his wife.
After an interview with Lueke, Mariners GM
Jack Zduriencik
John A. “Jack” Zduriencik (; born January 11, 1951) is an American radio broadcaster and former professional baseball executive, scout, and player. He currently works as a radio host for KDKA-FM, which is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates ...
reported that he was "satisfied with the interview and it's an issue that's behind us."
Former Mariners pitching coach
Rick Adair
Michael Richard Adair (born January 19, 1958) is a former pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles and a former minor league baseball player. He was succeeded as pitching coach by Bill Castro.
Playing career
As a player, Adair played college b ...
later told reporters that he had informed Zduriencik of Lueke's legal troubles, and that Rangers GM
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels (born August 24, 1977) is an American baseball executive senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He recently served as the President of Baseball Operations for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (M ...
had made a standing offer to take Lueke back on the night of the trade.
Adair had been the Rangers minor league pitching coordinator in 2008, when Lueke was charged.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lueke, Josh
1984 births
Living people
Acereros de Monclova players
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
American sportspeople convicted of crimes
Bakersfield Blaze players
Baseball players from Kentucky
Clinton LumberKings players
Delfines de Ciudad del Carmen players
Durham Bulls players
Frisco RoughRiders players
Generales de Durango players
Hickory Crawdads players
Leones de Yucatán players
Leones del Escogido players
American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
Long Island Ducks players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Mexican League baseball pitchers
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Northern Kentucky Norse baseball players
Peoria Javelinas players
Pericos de Puebla players
Seattle Mariners players
Spokane Indians players
Sportspeople from Covington, Kentucky
Tacoma Rainiers players
Tampa Bay Rays players
Tokyo Yakult Swallows players
Toros del Este players
West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players