Ron Kittle

Born: 1/5/1958 in Gary, IN, USA

MLB Debut: 1982-09-02 | Final Game: 1991-08-13

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Ronald Dale Kittle

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Biography

Ron Kittle was a professional baseball player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1991. Born in 1958, Kittle emerged as a standout position player, known primarily for his power-hitting ability during the late 20th century. Over the course of his career, he played in 843 games and recorded 648 hits, including 176 home runs and 460 runs batted in (RBIs). With a batting average of .239, Kittle showcased his ability to change the dynamics of a game with his slugging prowess. He also contributed on the base paths, accumulating 16 stolen bases throughout his career. Kittle's early career was marked by notable achievements, including being named the Rookie of the Year and earning the TSN Rookie Player of the Year honors. He was selected as an All-Star once, highlighting his status among the game's elite during his playing days. Kittle's playing style embodied the power hitters of his era, contributing to an offensive environment that increasingly favored home runs and long-ball hitters. His legacy remains a part of the rich tapestry of baseball history, reflecting the power-centric approach that defined the game in the 1980s.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
843	2708	356	648	100	3	176	460	16	236	744	0.239	0.306	0.473	0.779	4080.8

Career AVG .239 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.

Career OBP .306 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.

Career SLG .473 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — +21.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.779 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — +9.4% 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
1982	CHW	AL	20	29	3	7	2	0	1	7	0	3	12	0.241	—	—	—	—	0.0
1983	CHW	AL	145	520	75	132	19	3	35	100	8	39	150	0.254	.260 (-3%)	.324 (-3%)	.389 (+29%)	.714 (+15%)	1349.2
1984	CHW	AL	139	466	67	100	15	0	32	74	3	49	137	0.215	.259 (-17%)	.322 (-9%)	.384 (+18%)	.707 (+6%)	438.7
1985	CHW	AL	116	379	51	87	12	0	26	58	1	31	92	0.230	.257 (-11%)	.323 (-9%)	.390 (+19%)	.714 (+7%)	395.2
1986	CHW	AL	86	296	34	63	11	0	17	48	2	28	87	0.213	.257 (-17%)	.325 (-13%)	.395 (+7%)	.720 (-2%)	-230.2
1986	NYY	AL	30	80	8	19	2	0	4	12	2	7	23	0.237	.257 (-8%)	.325 (-10%)	.395 (+4%)	.720 (-2%)	-230.2
1987	NYY	AL	59	159	21	44	5	0	12	28	0	10	36	0.277	.262 (+5%)	.331 (-4%)	.415 (+29%)	.746 (+14%)	341.6
1988	CLE	AL	75	225	31	58	8	0	18	43	0	16	65	0.258	.254 (+1%)	.317 (+2%)	.377 (+41%)	.695 (+23%)	837.2
1989	CHW	AL	51	169	26	51	10	0	11	37	0	22	42	0.302	.254 (+19%)	.319 (+18%)	.375 (+48%)	.694 (+34%)	967.3
1990	CHW	AL	83	277	29	68	14	0	16	43	0	24	77	0.245	.257 (-5%)	.324 (-4%)	.385 (+22%)	.710 (+10%)	444.4
1990	BAL	AL	22	61	4	10	2	0	2	3	0	2	14	0.164	.257 (-36%)	.324 (-37%)	.385 (-23%)	.710 (-30%)	444.4
1991	CHW	AL	17	47	7	9	0	0	2	7	0	5	9	0.191	—	—	—	—	-97.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
3	7	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	2	0.286

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1983	ALCS	CHA	3	7	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	2	0.286

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	72	67	485	23	8	55
OF	353	340	602	28	17	3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1982	CHA	OF	5	5	3	0	0	0
1983	CHA	OF	139	137	234	7	9	0
1984	CHA	OF	124	118	226	14	7	2
1985	CHA	OF	57	55	88	2	1	1
1986	CHA	OF	20	20	37	3	0	0
1986	NYA	OF	1	1	2	0	0	0
1987	NYA	OF	2	1	4	1	0	0
1989	CHA	1B	27	27	208	11	4	28
1989	CHA	OF	5	3	8	1	0	0
1990	CHA	1B	25	24	150	5	2	18
1990	BAL	1B	5	2	26	1	0	1
1991	CHA	1B	15	14	101	6	2	8

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
First Base	72
Left Field	347
Center Field	1
Right Field	5
Designated Hitter	353

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1989	Player of the Month	May
1989	Player of the Week	Week of 1989-05-12
1985	Player of the Week	Week of 1985-09-13
1984	Player of the Week	Week of 1984-04-27
1983	Rookie of the Year
1983	TSN Rookie Player of the Year