Bill Lucas (baseball)

William DeVaughn Lucas (January 25, 1936 – May 5, 1979) 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 in early May 1979. A member of the Braves' organization for 23 years, he was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2006.

Lucas was born in Jacksonville, Florida. A graduate of Florida A&M University, he served as an officer in the United States Army. He then signed as an infielder with the 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 sales and promotions during the team's relocation to Atlanta before he switched to the player development department in 1967. Lucas was named the director of the Braves' farm system in 1972 and promoted to GM responsibilities on September 17, 1976. At the time, Braves were in last place in the National League West Division, 30 ¹⁄₂ games out of the division lead. Lucas' official title was vice president of player personnel, but owner Ted Turner gave him all the duties of a general manager.

With players like Dale Murphy coming up through Lucas' minor league system, and the selection of Bob Horner as the top pick in the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft, the Braves began assembling the team that would win the 1982 division title.

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