| Red Kress | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop /Third baseman /First baseman | |
| Born:(1905-01-02)January 2, 1905 Columbia, California, U.S. | |
| Died: November 29, 1962(1962-11-29) (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 24, 1927, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 17, 1946, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .286 |
| Home runs | 89 |
| Runs batted in | 799 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Ralph "Red"Kress (January 2, 1905[1] – November 29, 1962) was an American professionalbaseballshortstop,third baseman,first baseman andcoach inMajor League Baseball (MLB). From1927 through1946, he played for theSt. Louis Browns (1927–1932; 1938–1939),Chicago White Sox (1932–1934),Washington Senators (1934–1936),Detroit Tigers (1939–1940) andNew York Giants (1946). Kress batted and threwright-handed. He was born inColumbia, California.
Throughout his Major League career, Kress was known for his good disposition and perpetual motion. Although he played mostly atshortstop, he showed his versatility playing every position butcatcher andcenter fielder. Kress broke in the majors with the Browns in the 1927 season. In 1929 he ledAmerican League shortstops infielding percentage (.946) anddouble plays (94), and during three consecutive seasons hebatted over .300 with over 100runs batted in: .305 with 107 in 1929, .313 with 112 in 1930, and .311 with 114 in 1931, including a 22-gamehitting-streak in 1930.
Despite his efforts, in 1932 he was traded by St. Louis to the White Sox. The White Sox hadLuke Appling at shortstop, so Kress assumed a role as autilityman. In the 1934 midseason, he was sent by Chicago to the Washington Senators, who had managerJoe Cronin at shortstop. Kress played seven positions until Bucky Harris released him in 1936.
Kress spent 1937 with theMinneapolis Millers of theAmerican Association, hitting .330 and leading the league shortstops intotal chances. He was reacquired by theBrowns along withBobo Newsom andBuster Mills from theBoston Red Sox, the Millers' parent club, forJoe Vosmik on December 3, 1937.[2] Again at shortstop, he responded with a .302 average and leading American League shortstops in fielding (.965). Traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1939, he broke his leg during the season. In 1940, theAmerican League champion Tigers released the hard-luck Kress on August 1, but he remained with Detroit as a coach through theWorld Series, then in 1941 continued his career in the American Association asplayer-manager of theSt. Paul Saints of the American Association.
During hisminor league days with theToronto Maple Leafs, Kress played a nine-inning game at nine positions. While playing against theMontreal Royals in 1945, he pitched ano-hit, no run game for eight and one-third innings. He lost in the ninth, 1–0, on ahit,walk, anderror.
In 1946, Kress returned to the Majors when he signed with the New York Giants under managerMel Ott as a player-coach. It was his last year as an active player. In a 14-season MLB career, Kress was a .286 hitter with 1,454 hits, 298doubles, 58triples, 89home runs, 691 runs, 799 RBI, 47stolen bases, and 474walks in 1,391games played.
As a shortstop, Kress recorded a .944 fielding percentage, 1761putouts, 2357assists, 243 errors in 4361 chances, and 558 double plays. In all positions, he recorded a .953fielding percentage.
Kress continued as a full-time Giants' coach under Ott andLeo Durocher through 1949. He was a member of theCleveland Indians' coaching staff for eight years (1953–1960), and theLos Angeles Angels in their maiden season (1961). In addition to the Saints, he managed minor league clubs theSacramento Solons andIndios de Ciudad Juárez.
Kress returned to New York City, this time to coach for the first-year1962Mets underCasey Stengel. The team lost 120 games, the most defeats by a Major League team in a single season since the 19th century. Almost two months after the season was over, Kress died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, at 57 years old.[3][4]
· Baseball Almanac