Lou Boudreau, baseball player, 1938-1952

Lou Boudreau

⭐ Hall of Fame 1970

Born: 7/17/1917 in Harvey, IL, USA

Died: 8/10/2001 in Olympia Fields, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-09-09 | Final Game: 1952-08-24

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Louis Boudreau

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Biography

Lou Boudreau, born in 1917, was a distinguished Major League Baseball player who had a significant impact on the game during his career from 1938 to 1952. Playing primarily as a shortstop, Boudreau was known for his exceptional defensive skills and strategic acumen on the field. He participated in 1,646 games and concluded his career with a remarkable batting average of .295, accumulating 1,779 hits, 68 home runs, and 789 RBIs. His offensive prowess was complemented by his speed on the bases, where he successfully stole 51 bases throughout his career. Boudreau's performance earned him recognition as an eight-time All-Star, reflecting his status as one of the premier players of his era. His leadership extended beyond his playing statistics; he also served as a player-manager for the Cleveland Indians, leading the team to a World Series championship in 1948. Boudreau's contributions to baseball were not only defined by his individual achievements but also by his role in fostering the integration and evolution of the game during a transformative period in sports history. His legacy endures as one of the great shortstops of his time, showcasing a blend of offensive skill and defensive excellence that set a standard for future generations.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1646 6029 861 1779 385 66 68 789 51 796 309 0.295 0.380 0.415 0.795 17200.0

Career AVG .295 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +12.5% above league average.

Career OBP .380 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +13.9% above league average.

Career SLG .415 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — +11.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.795 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — +12.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1938 CLE AL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1939 CLE AL 53 225 42 58 15 4 0 19 2 28 24 0.258 .274 (-6%) .342 (-1%) .393 (-8%) .735 (-5%) -186.0
1940 CLE AL 155 627 97 185 46 10 9 101 6 73 39 0.295 .267 (+10%) .335 (+10%) .387 (+14%) .722 (+13%) 1644.0
1941 CLE AL 148 579 95 149 45 8 10 56 9 85 57 0.257 .262 (-2%) .332 (+7%) .373 (+11%) .705 (+9%) 1125.5
1942 CLE AL 147 506 57 143 18 10 2 58 7 75 39 0.283 .253 (+12%) .323 (+17%) .349 (+6%) .672 (+11%) 1358.1
1943 CLE AL 152 539 69 154 32 7 3 67 4 90 31 0.286 .255 (+12%) .324 (+19%) .346 (+12%) .671 (+16%) 1919.7
1944 CLE AL 150 584 91 191 45 5 3 67 11 73 39 0.327 .261 (+25%) .325 (+25%) .357 (+22%) .683 (+23%) 2895.1
1945 CLE AL 97 345 50 106 24 1 3 48 0 35 20 0.307 .260 (+18%) .328 (+14%) .354 (+15%) .683 (+15%) 940.9
1946 CLE AL 140 515 51 151 30 6 6 62 6 40 14 0.293 .256 (+14%) .328 (+5%) .358 (+14%) .687 (+10%) 860.5
1947 CLE AL 150 538 79 165 45 3 4 67 1 67 10 0.307 .262 (+17%) .336 (+15%) .376 (+13%) .712 (+14%) 1625.3
1948 CLE AL 152 560 116 199 34 6 18 106 3 98 9 0.355 .263 (+35%) .340 (+33%) .379 (+41%) .719 (+37%) 4662.1
1949 CLE AL 134 475 53 135 20 3 4 60 0 70 10 0.284 .262 (+8%) .343 (+11%) .384 (-5%) .727 (+2%) 443.6
1950 CLE AL 81 260 23 70 13 2 1 29 1 31 5 0.269 .265 (+1%) .346 (+1%) .401 (-14%) .747 (-7%) -309.3
1951 BOS AL 82 273 37 73 18 1 5 47 1 30 12 0.267 .260 (+3%) .336 (+5%) .385 (+3%) .721 (+4%) 220.6
1952 BOS AL 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 22 1 6 4 0 0 3 1 1 0.273

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1948 WS CLE 6 22 1 6 4 0 0 3 1 1 0.273

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 16 0 79 9 1 6
2B 3 0 3 2 0 1
3B 57 0 47 104 6 18
C 3 0 4 2 0 0
SS 1539 0 3132 4760 223 1180

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1938 CLE 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1939 CLE SS 53 0 103 184 14 31
1940 CLE SS 155 0 277 454 24 116
1941 CLE SS 147 0 296 444 26 97
1942 CLE SS 146 0 281 426 26 107
1943 CLE C 1 0 3 1 0 0
1943 CLE SS 152 0 328 488 25 122
1944 CLE C 1 0 1 1 0 0
1944 CLE SS 149 0 339 516 19 134
1945 CLE SS 97 0 217 289 9 73
1946 CLE SS 139 0 315 405 22 94
1947 CLE SS 148 0 305 475 14 120
1948 CLE C 1 0 0 0 0 0
1948 CLE SS 151 0 297 483 20 119
1949 CLE 1B 6 0 41 3 0 3
1949 CLE 2B 1 0 2 2 0 1
1949 CLE 3B 38 0 34 76 4 13
1949 CLE SS 88 0 176 272 8 78
1950 CLE 1B 8 0 34 5 0 2
1950 CLE 2B 2 0 1 0 0 0
1950 CLE 3B 2 0 3 1 0 0
1950 CLE SS 61 0 118 170 4 44
1951 BOS 1B 2 0 4 1 1 1
1951 BOS 3B 15 0 10 27 2 5
1951 BOS SS 52 0 80 153 12 45
1952 BOS 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1952 BOS SS 1 0 0 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 3
First Base 16
Second Base 3
Third Base 57
Shortstop 1539

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1948 Most Valuable Player
1948 TSN All-Star SS
1948 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1948 TSN Player of the Year
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1947 TSN All-Star SS
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign IL 1937

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 10.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 324.0 336 22
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 168.0 336 1
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 37.0 336 0
1945 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 70.0 336 0
1944 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 84.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 40.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 34.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 17th 10.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 119.0 336 1