Ken Keltner

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Ken Keltner
Third Baseman
Born: October 31, 1916
Died: December 12, 1991 (aged 75)
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
October 2, 1937
for the Cleveland Indians
Final game
May 25, 1950
for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average     .276
Home runs     163
RBI     852
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • All star 1940-1944, 1946, 1948

Kenneth Fredrick Keltner (October 31, 1916 – December 12, 1991) was an American third baseman in Major League who played his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, until his final season when he played 13 games as a Boston Red Sox. Keltner is notable for making 7 All-Star teams in the 11 full years he played; some believe it was due to the lack of good hitting at third base at the time. He batted and threw right-handed.

Keltner is also noted for ending Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak on July 17, 1941. Keltner caught two of Joe's line drives in the game, one on a very difficult hard-hit ball.

A great fielder, known for ranging to his right, Keltner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In the first-ever one-game playoff in the American League, in 1948, the Indians defeated the Red Sox 8-3 behind knuckleballer Gene Bearden, with the help of Keltner's single, double, and 3-run homer over the Green Monster in Fenway Park in the 4th inning. The Indians went on to win the 1948 World Series as well, 4-2 over the Boston Braves. When he left the Indians, he was in the Top 5 in many of their all-time hitting records.

In a 13-season career (1937-1950 except for 1945), he was a .276 lifetime batter with 163 career home runs and 852 RBIs in 1526 games. Keltner accumulated 39 stolen bases in his career and 737 runs scored. He had 69 triples all-time, 308 doubles, and 1570 hits in total, in 5683 at bats.

Keltner was the subject of a brief campaign for the Baseball Hall of Fame. While he was never a popular candidate, his candidacy gave rise to the Keltner List of writer Bill James - a list of questions designed to guide thinking on the Hall of Fame.

He died in his home state of Wisconsin at the age of 75. The cause was a heart attack, according to family members.

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Cleveland Indians 1948 World Series roster