George Kell | |
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Third baseman | |
Born: Swifton, Arkansas, U.S. | August 23, 1922|
Died: March 24, 2009 Swifton, Arkansas, U.S. | (aged 86)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 28, 1943, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 14, 1957, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .306 |
Hits | 2,054 |
Home runs | 78 |
Runs batted in | 870 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1983 |
Election method | Veterans Committee |
George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1943 to 1957, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers where, he became a perennial All-Star player, and won the American League (AL) batting championship in 1949.
A ten-time All-Star player, Kell hit .300 or higher in nine seasons, producing a career batting average of .306 and led the league’s third basemen in fielding percentage seven times over a major league playing career that spanned 15 seasons.[1] While lacking home run power, Kell was an outstanding contact hitter. He struck out only 287 times in 6,702 at-bats during his career, averaging just 26 strikeouts per 162 games.
Kell began his baseball career with the Philadelphia Athletics and later played for the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. After his playing career, Kell became a Detroit Tigers television play by play announcer for 37 years. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.[2]