George Kell, baseball player, 1943-1957

George Kell

⭐ Hall of Fame 1983

Born: 8/23/1922 in Swifton, AR, USA

Died: 3/24/2009 in Swifton, AR, USA

MLB Debut: 1943-09-28 | Final Game: 1957-09-14

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: George Clyde Kell

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Biography

George Kell, born in 1922, was a distinguished Major League Baseball player who made a significant impact on the sport during his career from 1943 to 1957. A skilled position player, Kell was known for his exceptional batting prowess, finishing his career with a .306 batting average over 1,795 games. He recorded 2,054 hits, 78 home runs, and 870 RBIs, showcasing his ability to contribute both as a consistent hitter and a reliable run producer. Throughout his time in the league, he demonstrated speed on the basepaths, accumulating 51 stolen bases, a notable achievement for a player of his era. Kell's career was highlighted by his selection as an All-Star ten times, underscoring his status as one of the premier third basemen of his generation. His excellence on the field earned him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, solidifying his legacy within the sport. Playing primarily during the post-war period, Kell's career coincided with a time of transition in baseball, as the game began to integrate and evolve in the wake of World War II. His contributions not only reflected his personal talent but also served as an inspiration for future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1795 6702 881 2054 385 50 78 870 51 621 287 0.306 0.367 0.414 0.781 12294.7

Career AVG .306 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +17.8% above league average.

Career OBP .367 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — +10.4% above league average.

Career SLG .414 vs. league average .378 across their career seasons — +9.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.781 vs. league average 0.711 across their career seasons — +9.9% 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
1943 PHA AL 1 5 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0.200 — — — — 0.0
1944 PHA AL 139 514 51 138 15 3 0 44 5 22 23 0.268 .261 (+3%) .325 (-8%) .357 (-13%) .683 (-11%) -1131.9
1945 PHA AL 147 567 50 154 30 3 4 56 2 27 15 0.272 .260 (+4%) .328 (-7%) .354 (avg) .683 (-3%) -521.9
1946 PHA AL 26 87 3 26 6 1 0 11 0 10 6 0.299 .256 (+16%) .328 (+15%) .358 (+9%) .687 (+12%) 179.6
1946 DET AL 105 434 67 142 19 9 4 41 3 30 14 0.327 .256 (+27%) .328 (+13%) .358 (+23%) .687 (+18%) 179.6
1947 DET AL 152 588 75 188 29 5 5 93 9 61 16 0.320 .262 (+22%) .336 (+15%) .376 (+9%) .712 (+12%) 1540.1
1948 DET AL 92 368 47 112 24 3 2 44 2 33 15 0.304 .263 (+15%) .340 (+9%) .379 (+6%) .719 (+7%) 514.8
1949 DET AL 134 522 97 179 38 9 3 59 7 71 13 0.343 .262 (+31%) .343 (+24%) .384 (+22%) .727 (+23%) 2517.9
1950 DET AL 157 641 114 218 56 6 8 101 3 66 18 0.340 .265 (+28%) .346 (+16%) .401 (+20%) .747 (+18%) 2500.1
1951 DET AL 147 598 92 191 36 3 2 59 10 61 18 0.319 .260 (+22%) .336 (+15%) .385 (+4%) .721 (+9%) 1212.8
1952 DET AL 39 152 11 45 8 0 1 17 0 15 13 0.296 .252 (+17%) .326 (+10%) .369 (avg) .696 (+5%) 133.8
1952 BOS AL 75 276 41 88 15 2 6 40 0 31 10 0.319 .252 (+26%) .326 (+19%) .369 (+23%) .696 (+21%) 133.8
1953 BOS AL 134 460 68 141 41 2 12 73 5 52 22 0.307 .264 (+16%) .335 (+14%) .397 (+21%) .733 (+18%) 1714.7
1954 BOS AL 26 93 15 24 3 0 0 10 0 15 3 0.258 .261 (-1%) .333 (+8%) .390 (-26%) .723 (-10%) -92.8
1954 CHW AL 71 233 25 66 10 0 5 48 1 18 12 0.283 .261 (+9%) .333 (-3%) .390 (avg) .723 (-1%) -92.8
1955 CHW AL 128 429 44 134 24 1 8 81 2 51 36 0.312 .258 (+21%) .332 (+17%) .393 (+9%) .726 (+13%) 1231.2
1956 CHW AL 21 80 7 25 5 0 1 11 0 8 6 0.312 .258 (+21%) .331 (+12%) .397 (+4%) .728 (+7%) 107.0
1956 BAL AL 102 345 45 90 17 2 8 37 0 25 31 0.261 .258 (+1%) .331 (-6%) .397 (-2%) .728 (-3%) 107.0
1957 BAL AL 99 310 28 92 9 0 9 44 2 25 16 0.297 .257 (+15%) .323 (+9%) .391 (+6%) .715 (+7%) 458.2

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 85 68 557 22 2 53
2B 1 0 1 1 0 1
3B 1692 323 1825 3303 166 306
OF 10 3 7 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1943 PHA 3B 1 0 1 3 0 0
1944 PHA 3B 139 0 167 289 20 25
1945 PHA 3B 147 0 186 345 20 32
1946 PHA 3B 26 0 36 57 2 5
1946 DET 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1946 DET 3B 105 0 105 210 5 22
1947 DET 3B 152 0 167 333 20 25
1948 DET 3B 92 0 108 146 8 15
1949 DET 3B 134 0 154 271 11 23
1950 DET 3B 157 0 186 315 9 30
1951 DET 3B 147 0 175 310 20 34
1952 DET 3B 39 0 38 78 5 7
1952 BOS 3B 73 0 75 138 9 14
1953 BOS 3B 124 0 114 231 10 23
1953 BOS OF 7 0 4 0 0 0
1954 BOS 3B 25 25 31 49 7 5
1954 CHA 1B 32 32 253 8 1 27
1954 CHA 3B 31 27 19 48 3 4
1954 CHA OF 2 2 3 0 0 0
1955 CHA 1B 24 13 133 5 1 12
1955 CHA 3B 105 102 83 165 6 8
1955 CHA OF 1 1 0 0 0 0
1956 CHA 1B 4 4 19 3 0 4
1956 CHA 3B 18 17 17 28 0 0
1956 BAL 1B 2 0 4 1 0 0
1956 BAL 2B 1 0 1 1 0 1
1956 BAL 3B 97 93 97 165 7 19
1957 BAL 1B 22 19 146 5 0 10
1957 BAL 3B 80 59 66 122 4 15

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 85
Second Base 1
Third Base 1690
Left Field 10
Right Field 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1952 TSN All-Star 3B
1951 TSN All-Star 3B
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1950 TSN All-Star 3B
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1949 TSN All-Star 3B
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1947 TSN All-Star 3B
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star 3B
1946 TSN All-Star 3B

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1953 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 1.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 30.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 127.0 336 0
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 80.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 14.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 132.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 12.0 336 0
1944 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 6.0 336 0