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8. Ken Boyer

8. Ken Boyer
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: May 20, 1931 in Liberty, MO USA
  • Weight: 190 lbs.
  • Height: 6'1"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 12, 1955
  • Final Game: August 09, 1969
  • TSN All-Star - 1956
  • Gold Glove - 1958
  • Gold Glove - 1959
  • Gold Glove - 1960
  • Gold Glove - 1961
  • TSN All-Star - 1961
  • TSN All-Star - 1962
  • Gold Glove - 1963
  • TSN All-Star - 1963
  • Lou Gehrig Memorial Award - 1964
  • Most Valuable Player - 1964
  • TSN All-Star - 1964
  • TSN Major League Player of the Year - 1964
  • TSN Player of the Year - 1964
  • MVP - 1956
  • MVP - 1958
  • MVP - 1959
  • MVP - 1960
  • MVP - 1961
  • MVP - 1962
  • MVP - 1963
  • MVP - 1964
 
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Signed as a Pitcher, Ken Boyer would be converted to a Third Baseman in his second season in the minors and that worked out well both for Boyer and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Boyer would take over the starting Third Base job in 1955 and he would hold that spot for a decade (save for a season in 1957 where he played Centerfield).  Boyer was an excellent fielder at the hot corner where he would be a five-time Gold Glove winner and three-time leader in Total Zone Runs at the position making him arguably among the upper echelon defensively at that spot.  Of course, Ken Boyer was much more than just his glove.

An excellent contact hitter with five seasons batting over .300, Boyer provided consistent power numbers with eight seasons of 23 or more Home Runs.  His apex really began when he became the Cardinals team captain in 1959 and he would rattle off six straight All-Star Game appearances.  From 1958 to 1963 he would receive MVP votes but it was in 1964 where he would lead the NL in RBIs and finish with the most votes and win that coveted award.  That wasn’t even the main course for Boyer in ’64, as he would lead his Cardinals to a World Series Championship.

Boyer would suffer back problems shortly after and was subsequently traded to the New York Mets, but his contributions to St. Louis would never be forgotten.

The Cardinals retired Boyer's number 14 in 1984, and he was named to St. Louis' Hall of Fame in 2014, the first year of its existence.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Third Base, Outfield
  • Acquired: Signed as an Amateur Free Agent before the 1949 Season.
  • Departed: Traded to the New York Mets for Al Jackson and Charlie Smith 10/20/65.
  • Games Played: 1820
  • Notable Statistics: 1,071 Runs Scored
    2,064 Hits
    366 Doubles
    135 Triples
    146 Home Runs
    1,148 Runs Batted In
    64 Stolen Bases
    .305/.384/.463 Slash Line
    50.5 bWAR

    7 Playoff Games
    5 Runs Scored
    6 Hits
    1 Double
    0 Triples
    2 Home Runs
    6 Runs Batted In
    0 Stolen Bases
    .222/.241/.481 Slash Line
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1964)
    MVP (1964)
    The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year (1964)
    Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1964)
    All-Star (1956, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 & 1964)
    Gold Glove (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 & 1963)
    Most Runs Batted In (1964)
    Most Putouts by a Third Baseman (1958)
    Most Assists by a Third Baseman (1956 & 1961)
    Most Double Plays Turned by a Third Baseman (1956, 1958, 1959, 1960 & 1962)
    Most Total Zone Runs by a Third Baseman (1959, 1961 & 1962)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a Third Baseman (1958)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Third Baseman (1965)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Centerfielder (1957)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by an Outfielder (1957)

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