Ralph Kiner, baseball player, 369 home runs, 1946-1955

Ralph Kiner

⭐ Hall of Fame 1975

Born: 10/27/1922 in Santa Rita, NM, USA

Died: 2/6/2014 in Rancho Mirage, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1946-04-16 | Final Game: 1955-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Ralph McPherran Kiner

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Biography

Ralph Kiner was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1946 to 1955. Renowned for his exceptional power-hitting ability, Kiner played a total of 1,472 games, during which he amassed 1,451 hits and an impressive 369 home runs. His offensive prowess earned him a place among the game's elite, as he finished his career with 1,015 RBIs and a batting average of .279. Kiner also demonstrated speed on the bases, contributing 22 stolen bases throughout his time in Major League Baseball. A six-time All-Star, Kiner was celebrated not only for his home run totals but also for his significant impact on the game during the post-war era, a period marked by a resurgence in baseball's popularity. He became a cornerstone of the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he played the majority of his career and was known for his powerful left-handed swing. Kiner's contributions to the sport were recognized with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975, solidifying his legacy as one of the great sluggers in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
17.0 17.0 4.0 7.0 1.0 0 1.0 5.0 0 3.0 0 0.412 0.412 0.647 1.059

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1947 17.0 17.0 4.0 7.0 1.0 0 1.0 5.0 0 3.0 0 0.412 0.412 0.647 1.059

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1472 5205 971 1451 216 39 369 1015 22 1011 749 0.279 0.398 0.548 0.946 35424.3

Career AVG .279 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +6.9% above league average.

Career OBP .398 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — +18.5% above league average.

Career SLG .548 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +43.1% above league average.

Career OPS 0.946 vs. league average 0.719 across their career seasons — +31.6% 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
1946 PIT NL 144 502 63 124 17 3 23 81 3 74 109 0.247 .256 (-4%) .328 (+5%) .358 (+20%) .687 (+13%) 1311.9
1947 PIT NL 152 565 118 177 23 4 51 127 1 98 81 0.313 .262 (+19%) .336 (+24%) .376 (+70%) .712 (+48%) 5647.9
1948 PIT NL 156 555 104 147 19 5 40 123 1 112 61 0.265 .263 (avg) .340 (+15%) .379 (+41%) .719 (+29%) 3490.3
1949 PIT NL 152 549 116 170 19 5 54 127 6 117 61 0.310 .262 (+18%) .343 (+26%) .384 (+71%) .727 (+50%) 5901.5
1950 PIT NL 150 547 112 149 21 6 47 118 2 122 79 0.272 .265 (+2%) .346 (+18%) .401 (+47%) .747 (+33%) 4128.3
1951 PIT NL 151 531 124 164 31 6 42 109 2 137 57 0.309 .260 (+18%) .336 (+34%) .385 (+63%) .721 (+49%) 5959.7
1952 PIT NL 149 516 90 126 17 2 37 87 3 110 77 0.244 .252 (-3%) .326 (+18%) .369 (+35%) .696 (+27%) 3117.9
1953 PIT NL 41 148 27 40 6 1 7 29 1 25 21 0.270 .264 (+2%) .335 (+14%) .397 (+17%) .733 (+16%) 466.5
1953 CHC NL 117 414 73 117 14 2 28 87 1 75 67 0.283 .264 (+7%) .335 (+17%) .397 (+33%) .733 (+26%) 466.5
1954 CHC NL 147 557 88 159 36 5 22 73 2 76 90 0.285 .261 (+9%) .333 (+12%) .390 (+25%) .723 (+19%) 2176.2
1955 CLE AL 113 321 56 78 13 0 18 54 0 65 46 0.243 .258 (-6%) .332 (+10%) .393 (+15%) .726 (+13%) 936.5

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 58 0 556 29 11 59
OF 1382 226 2875 80 80 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 PIT OF 140 0 339 6 11 2
1947 PIT OF 152 0 390 8 7 1
1948 PIT OF 154 0 382 6 10 1
1949 PIT OF 152 0 311 12 7 3
1950 PIT OF 150 0 287 13 11 2
1951 PIT 1B 58 0 556 29 11 59
1951 PIT OF 94 0 195 7 7 1
1952 PIT OF 149 0 250 9 8 0
1953 PIT OF 41 0 71 5 0 1
1953 CHN OF 116 0 211 6 8 2
1954 CHN OF 147 147 298 6 9 1
1955 CLE OF 87 79 141 2 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 58
Left Field 1307
Center Field 75

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1951 TSN All-Star OF
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1950 TSN All-Star OF
1950 TSN Player of the Year
1949 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1949 TSN All-Star OF
1948 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1947 Baseball Magazine All-Star LF
1947 TSN All-Star OF

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1952 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 8.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 49.0 336 0
1950 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 91.0 336 1
1949 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 133.0 336 0
1948 Most Valuable Player NL 7th 55.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 101.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player NL 30th 3.0 336 0