He led the National League in homers seven times, despite a short playing career of only ten seasons. Even more impressive, those seven years were the first seven of his career! He averaged 37 homers per year, compared to 35 for Barry Bonds, 33 for Hank Aaron and A-Rod, and 32 for Babe Ruth. (Ruth's average is misleading. He spent his first four years as a pitcher, then played one more year in which he split time between the mound and the outfield. After that he averaged 41 per year.)
Kiner's best year was 1949, when he hit 54 homers and knocked in 127. Knocking in that many runs for the 1949 Pirates, a losing team in which the third-best RBI total was 43, was a miraculous feat on the same level as the raising of Lazarus or the fact that Dads is still on the air.
Kiner also lead the league in walks several times, which is not really surprising. Let's consider 1952, when Kiner won his seventh homer crown for a team that went 42-112 (they started 5-28 for a .152 winning percentage, but then really caught fire and played .306 ball the rest of the way). Would you serve one up to the seven-time league HR champion, or would you pitch him outside and take your chances with Catfish Metkovich, Dick Smith, Joe Garagiola or John Berardino?
Smith, by the way, was probably the worst hitter to play in the majors since WW2, as I detailed in my essay on the immortal Tony Suck. (Yes, that's a real guy.) I also went into a little detail on Smith and Kiner's 1952 Pirates in the bottom of that article, although I didn't mention Kiner because he could actually hit the ball, which was no fun at all.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
RIP, Ralph Kiner
RIP, Ralph Kiner
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My dad told me this. It may be untrue, but if so it's an entertaining lie.
ReplyDeleteApparently Pittsburgh sports fans at the time prided themselves on being rude - booing Santa during football halftime etc.
But the story goes that Kiner had a game where he homered his first time up. Then he homered his second time up. His third at-bat, he came out & hit a double. They booed him.
My dad told me this. It may be untrue, but if so it's an entertaining lie.
ReplyDeleteApparently Pittsburgh sports fans at the time prided themselves on being rude - booing Santa during football halftime etc.
But the story goes that Kiner had a game where he homered his first time up. Then he homered his second time up. His third at-bat, he came out & hit a double. They booed him.