George Kell
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| George Kell | ||
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| Third Baseman | ||
| Born: August 23, 1922 Swifton, Arkansas |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| September 28, 1943 for the Philadelphia Athletics |
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| Final game | ||
| September 14, 1957 for the Baltimore Orioles |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Batting average | .306 | |
| Hits | 2054 | |
| Runs batted in | 870 | |
| Teams | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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| Member of the National | ||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Elected | 1983 | |
| Election Method | Veteran's Committee | |
George Clyde Kell (born August 23, 1922 in Swifton, Arkansas) is a baseball Hall of Fame third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943-1946), Detroit Tigers (1947-52), Boston Red Sox (1952-54), Chicago White Sox (1954-56) and Baltimore Orioles (1956-57) in the American League. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he was regarded as the best third baseman in the AL.
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[edit] Playing career
A solid right-handed hitter and a sure-handed fielder, Kell was a 10-time All-Star, batted over .300 nine times and topped the league's third basemen in assists and total chances four times and in fielding percentage seven times. He won his only batting title in 1949 (.343), denying Ted Williams his third Triple Crown; until the final week of the season, Williams had led the batting race. On October 2, 1949, Kell went 2-for-3 while Williams was hitless in two official at bats. Kell's final mark was .3429, Williams's .3427. One year later, Kell batted .340, leading the league with 218 hits and 56 doubles, but lost the batting title to Williams' teammate, Red Sox second baseman Billy Goodman.
In his career, Kell batted .306, with 78 home runs and 870 runs batted in, 881 runs scored, 2054 hits, 385 doubles, 50 triples, 36 stolen bases, a .482 slugging average, and 621 walks for a .367 on base percentage.
George Kell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.
[edit] Broadcasting career
Following his retirement as a player, Kell worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Orioles (1957), CBS television (1958), NBC radio (1962), and the Tigers (1959-1996). From 1975 until his retirement in broadcasting, Kell was joined on Tiger telecasts by fellow Hall of Famer Al Kaline as color commentator.
[edit] Personal
Kell served ten years on the Arkansas State Highway Commission (1973-83). He owns a car dealership, George Kell Motors, in Newport, Arkansas.
Best-selling author Elmore Leonard in the 1990 anthology Cult Baseball Players wrote that Kell was his favorite player. When the novelist threw out the first pitch at a June 15, 1999, Detroit Tigers game, Leonard wore a No. 21 jersey that was presented to him by the Tigers in an homage to Kell.
In February 2007, Kell was cited for hit and run after an accident in Jonesboro, Arkansas. [1] He previously suffered a broken arm and leg in a crash with an 18-wheel truck on Dec. 31, 2004. Kell continues to live in his hometown of Swifton.
[edit] Highlights
- 10-time All-Star (1947-54, 1956-57)
- 8-consecutive .300 seasons (1946-53)
- Led league in batting average (1949)
- Holds record of the fewest strikeouts for a batting champion (13, 1949)
- Twice led the league in hits and doubles (1950-51)
- Hit for the cycle (June 2, 1950)
- Top 10 in AL MVP vote (1947, 1949, 1950)
[edit] See also
- Hitting for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- Chicago White Sox all-time roster
- 1950 Detroit Tigers season
[edit] External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
| Preceded by Ted Williams |
American League Batting Champion 1949 |
Succeeded by Billy Goodman |
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