| Ken Keltner | |
|---|---|
 Keltner's 1949Bowman Gum baseball card | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born:(1916-10-31)October 31, 1916 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| Died: December 12, 1991(1991-12-12) (aged 75) New Berlin, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| October 2, 1937, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 25, 1950, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .276 |
| Home runs | 163 |
| Runs batted in | 852 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Kenneth Frederick Keltner (October 31, 1916 – December 12, 1991) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as athird baseman from 1937 to 1950, most prominently as a member of theCleveland Indians where he was a seven-timeAll-Star player and was a member of the1948 World Series winning team. He played his final season for theBoston Red Sox.[1]
Keltner was notable for being one of the best fielding third basemen in the 1940s and for helping to endJoe DiMaggio's56-game hitting streak on July 17, 1941.[2] He was inducted into theCleveland Guardians Hall of Fame in 1951.[3] In 2001, he was voted one of the 100 greatest players in Cleveland Indians' history by a panel of veteran baseball writers, executives and historians.[4]
Born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, Keltner began hisprofessional baseball career in1936 playing for his hometown team, theMilwaukee Brewers, then aminor league team.[2] He made a rapid ascent through the minor leagues, and in1938, the Cleveland Indians invited him to theirspring training camp.[2] The 21-year-old Keltner made the team and played in 149 games that season, posting a .276batting average with 26home runs and 113runs batted in.[1]
On August 20,1938, as part of a publicity stunt by the Come to Cleveland Committee, Indians' catchersFrankie Pytlak andHank Helf successfully caught baseballs dropped by Keltner from Cleveland's 708-foot-tall (216 m)Terminal Tower.[5] The 708-foot (216 m) drop broke the 555-foot, 30-year-old record set by Washington Senator catcherGabby Street at theWashington Monument.[2]
In1939, Keltner improved hishitting statistics with a career-high .325 batting average along with 13 home runs and 97 runs batted in.[1] He also embellished his defensive reputation with a .974fielding percentage, and leading American League third basemen with 40double plays and 187putouts, appearing in all 154 games.[2] Keltner earned his firstAll-Star berth in1940.[6] In the1941 All-Star Game, he spearheaded a ninthinning four-run rally as the American League fought back from a 5-3 deficit.[7] Keltner beat the throw to first base for aninfield single to start the rally.[7] Three batters later, he scored on agroundout beforeTed Williams followed with a two-out, game-ending, three-run home run.[7]
Two weeks later, in a game against theNew York Yankees on July 17,1941, Keltner became part of baseball history when he made two impressive, backhanded defensive plays againstJoe DiMaggio, as the latter attempted to extend his56-game hitting streak.[2][8] DiMaggiowalked and grounded out in his other two plate appearances, as the record-setting hitting streak came to an end.[2] Keltner joined theUnited States Navy in1945 and missed an entire season while serving in Hawaii.[2] He returned to play for the Indians in1946, earning his sixth All-Star selection in the process.[9]
Keltner had a career-season in1948, placing third in the American League home runs with 31 and posting career-highs with 119 runs batted in, 91 runs, and 89 walks, and placed fifth in the league with a .522slugging average, helping Cleveland earn a first-everone-game playoff against theBoston Red Sox.[10] The Indians won the game 8-3 behindknuckleballerGene Bearden, with the help of Keltner'ssingle, double, and 3-run home run over theGreen Monster inFenway Park.[11][12] The Indians then went on to defeat theBoston Braves in the1948 World Series.[13]
Due to injuries, Keltner appeared in only 80 games in1949.[2] A .232 average with eight homers and 30 runs batted in prompted the Indians to release him after the season, replacing him at third base withAl Rosen.[2] He played with the Red Sox in1950, appearing in only eight games as a third baseman and one as a first baseman (his only major league fielding appearance anywhere other than 1,500 games played at third base).[2] Keltner concluded his major league career at only age 33. He played one more season in the minor leagues with theSacramento Solons in1951 before retiring as a player.[2]
In a 13-season major league career, Keltner played in 1,526games, accumulating 1,570hits in 5,683at bats for a .276 career batting average along with 163 home runs and 852 runs batted in.[1] Keltner had 69triples, 308doubles, accumulated 39stolen bases and scored 737runs.[1] He led American League third basemen four times inassists, five times indouble plays, twice infielding percentage and twice inrange factor, ending his career with a .965 fielding percentage.[1][2] At the time of Keltner's retirement, onlyWillie Kamm andHeinie Groh had higher career fielding percentages among retired major league third basemen.[14] Keltner made 7 All-Star teams in 13 seasons. When he left the Indians, he was in the Top 5 in many of their all-time hitting records.
After his retirement as a player, Keltner served as ascout for the Indians and the Red Sox.[2] He was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame in1970.[15] Keltner was also inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame, the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame and was named to the 100 Greatest Cleveland Indians in2001.[2][16] Keltner was the subject of a brief campaign for theBaseball Hall of Fame. While he was never a popular candidate, his candidacy gave rise to theKeltner List by baseball historianBill James - a list of questions designed to guide thinking on the Hall of Fame. James ranked Keltner 35th all-time among third baseman in hisHistorical Baseball Abstract.[17]
Keltner died in his home state ofWisconsin at age 75 of aheart attack.[2]