Mike Lum

From BR Bullpen

Michael Ken-Wai Lum

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

School Brigham Young University
High School Roosevelt High School (Honolulu)

Debut September 12, 1967
Final Game September 30, 1981
Born October 27, 1945 in Honolulu, HI USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Born in Hawaii, Mike Lum was the first American of Japanese ancestry (AJA) to play in the major leagues. He was also one of the earliest big-leaguers of Asian extraction. Bobby Balcena, a Filipino-American, was the first; Japanese pitcher Masanori Murakami played with the San Francisco Giants in 1964-1965). A little-known fact about Lum (but easy to understand when looking at his picture) is that his mother was Japanese and his father was an American serviceman. He was adopted by a Chinese-Hawaiian family.

At Roosevelt High, Lum was also a football star, winning a scholarship to Brigham Young University and attracting the interest of Michigan State. He attended BYU for one semester before deciding to play pro baseball in 1963.

Coming to the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1967, Lum played outfield and first base and was a left-handed pinch-hitting specialist. He was the first Hawaiian to reach the postseason, with the Braves in 1969. He later went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he won a World Series ring in 1976, and Chicago Cubs. He holds the distinction of being the only player ever to pinch hit for Hank Aaron.

Lum also went on to play for the Taiyo Whales of Japanese baseball for one season (1982).