Charlie Keller, baseball player, 189 home runs, 1939-1952

Charlie Keller

Born: 9/12/1916 in Middletown, MD, USA

Died: 5/23/1990 in Frederick, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-04-22 | Final Game: 1952-09-14

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Charles Ernest Keller

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Charlie Keller, born in 1916, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1939 to 1952. Renowned for his powerful left-handed bat and keen batting eye, Keller played primarily as an outfielder and left a significant mark in Major League Baseball during the post-Depression era. He participated in 1,170 games, amassing 1,085 hits and demonstrating consistent offensive prowess with a career batting average of .286. Keller's ability to drive in runs was evident as he recorded 760 RBIs and hit 189 home runs, establishing himself as a key offensive contributor for his teams. Throughout his career, Keller was selected to the All-Star team five times, a testament to his skill and popularity among fans and peers alike. He also showcased his speed on the bases, finishing with 45 stolen bases, which complemented his overall offensive game. Keller's impact extended beyond his individual statistics; he was a crucial player during an era of baseball that saw the sport continue to evolve, setting the stage for future generations of players. His legacy remains a celebrated part of baseball history, reflecting both his contributions on the field and his enduring influence in the game.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
70.0 56.0 14.0 12.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 7.0 13.0 5.0 0 0.214 0.371 0.429 0.800

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 8.0 0 1.0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1946 70.0 56.0 14.0 12.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 7.0 13.0 5.0 0 0.214 0.371 0.429 0.800

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1946 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 8.0 0 1.0 0 0 0.00

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1170 3790 725 1085 166 72 189 760 45 784 499 0.286 0.410 0.518 0.928 25963.4

Career AVG .286 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +9.5% above league average.

Career OBP .410 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — +22.7% above league average.

Career SLG .518 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — +38.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.928 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +31.2% 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
1939 NYY AL 111 398 87 133 21 6 11 83 6 81 49 0.334 .274 (+22%) .342 (+31%) .393 (+27%) .735 (+29%) 2602.9
1940 NYY AL 138 500 102 143 18 15 21 93 8 106 65 0.286 .267 (+7%) .335 (+23%) .387 (+31%) .722 (+27%) 3041.6
1941 NYY AL 140 507 102 151 24 10 33 122 6 102 65 0.298 .262 (+14%) .332 (+25%) .373 (+55%) .705 (+41%) 4372.2
1942 NYY AL 152 544 106 159 24 9 26 108 14 114 61 0.292 .253 (+15%) .323 (+29%) .349 (+47%) .672 (+38%) 4439.5
1943 NYY AL 141 512 97 139 15 11 31 86 7 106 60 0.271 .255 (+6%) .324 (+22%) .346 (+52%) .671 (+37%) 3884.4
1945 NYY AL 44 163 26 49 7 4 10 34 0 31 21 0.301 .260 (+15%) .328 (+25%) .354 (+62%) .683 (+45%) 1240.8
1946 NYY AL 150 538 98 148 29 10 30 101 1 113 101 0.275 .256 (+7%) .328 (+23%) .358 (+49%) .687 (+36%) 4157.4
1947 NYY AL 45 151 36 36 6 1 13 36 0 41 18 0.238 .262 (-9%) .336 (+20%) .376 (+46%) .712 (+34%) 990.9
1948 NYY AL 83 247 41 66 15 2 6 44 1 41 25 0.267 .263 (+1%) .340 (+9%) .379 (+10%) .719 (+10%) 500.9
1949 NYY AL 60 116 17 29 4 1 3 16 2 25 15 0.250 .262 (-5%) .343 (+14%) .384 (-1%) .727 (+6%) 213.9
1950 DET AL 50 51 7 16 1 3 2 16 0 13 6 0.314 .265 (+18%) .346 (+31%) .401 (+42%) .747 (+37%) 370.1
1951 DET AL 54 62 6 16 2 0 3 21 0 11 12 0.258 .260 (-1%) .336 (+10%) .385 (+13%) .721 (+12%) 148.8
1952 NYY AL 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
19 72 18 22 3 2 5 18 7 11 0.306

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1943 WS NYA 5 18 3 4 0 1 0 2 2 5 0.222
1942 WS NYA 5 20 2 4 0 0 2 5 1 3 0.200
1941 WS NYA 5 18 5 7 2 0 0 5 3 1 0.389
1939 WS NYA 4 16 8 7 1 1 3 6 1 2 0.438

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1019 0 2235 46 46 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 NYA OF 105 0 213 5 7 1
1940 NYA OF 136 0 317 5 11 2
1941 NYA OF 137 0 328 7 7 2
1942 NYA OF 152 0 321 10 5 1
1943 NYA OF 141 0 338 8 2 0
1945 NYA OF 44 0 110 4 0 0
1946 NYA OF 149 0 324 4 7 0
1947 NYA OF 43 0 85 2 3 0
1948 NYA OF 66 0 126 1 3 0
1949 NYA OF 31 0 41 0 1 0
1950 DET OF 6 0 10 0 0 0
1951 DET OF 8 0 22 0 0 0
1952 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 874
Right Field 144

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1940 Baseball Magazine All-Star RF

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Maryland College Park MD 1935, 1936

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 17.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 31.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 15.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 126.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 22th 7.0 336 0