28 Facts About Ken Boyer

Kenton Lloyd "Ken" Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman, coach and manager who played with the St Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers for 15 seasons, 1955 through 1969.

When Ken Boyer hit 255 home runs, he was second to Stan Musial with Cardinals career home runs and held the team record for a right-handed hitter from 1962 until Albert Pujols passed him in 2007.

Ken Boyer led the NL in double plays five-times and in fielding average once, and retired among the all-time leaders in games, assists and double plays at third base.

Ken Boyer was inducted into the St Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ken Boyer was born in Liberty, Missouri, and grew up in Alba as the fifth of 14 children.

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Ken Boyer signed with the Cardinals in 1949, and was initially assigned to the Rochester Red Wings, where his brother Cloyd was his teammate.

Ken Boyer did not appear in any games before the organization opened a roster spot for him at a lower level, where the Cardinals initially tried him as a pitcher.

Ken Boyer joined the Cardinals after they traded Ray Jablonski following the 1954 season.

Ken Boyer was shifted to center field in 1957 to allow rookie Eddie Kasko to break in at third, and led all NL outfielders in fielding percentage, but returned to third base in 1958, winning the first of four consecutive Gold Gloves and again collecting 90 RBI while batting.

Ken Boyer became the Cardinal team captain in 1959, and compiled a 29-game hitting streak from August 10 to September 12 of that year, during which he batted.

Ken Boyer finished 10th in the MVP voting that season after batting.

Ken Boyer led the league with 37 double plays in 1960, and with 346 assists in 1961.

Ken Boyer was named the NL's Player of the Month for September 1960 after batting.

In that game he joined Musial as the only Cardinals to hit two walk-off home runs in a season in two different years; Ken Boyer had two walk-off homers in 1958 and a previous one in 1961 on August 8.

Ken Boyer finished the season with 98 RBI, equaling his career best to that point, and started both All-Star games, leading the league in double plays for the last time with 34.

Ken Boyer was again named to the NL All-Star starting lineup, increased his RBI season total to 111 that year, and won his fifth Gold Glove award.

Ken Boyer had his best season in 1964, keeping the Cardinals alive for much of the season as he batted.

Ken Boyer hit exactly 24 home runs in each of 4 consecutive years to set a record for most consecutive years with the same home run total and at least 20 home runs; the record was tied by Fred Lynn of the California Angels and Baltimore Orioles.

In October 1965, Ken Boyer was traded to the New York Mets for Al Jackson and third baseman Charley Smith.

Ken Boyer returned to the Dodgers in 1969, but was used almost exclusively as a pinch hitter.

Ken Boyer became a manager in the Cardinals' minor league system, first leading the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League in 1970.

Ken Boyer was scheduled to return to Rochester for the 1981 season, but lung cancer forced him to give up the job.

Ken Boyer became eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975, at a time when the Baseball Writers' Association of America had only elected one third baseman in thirty elections.

Ken Boyer has since been a candidate on the Veterans Committee ballot in 2003,2005, and 2007.

In each of the two elections, Ken Boyer fell short by 9 of the 12 required votes for Hall of Fame election.

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Ken Boyer died from cancer in St Louis on Tuesday September 7,1982, at the age of 51; he had undergone laetrile treatments in Mexico in an attempt to fight the disease.

Ken Boyer was buried in Friends Cemetery in Purcell, Missouri.

Ken Boyer was survived by 12 of his 13 siblings, and by his four children.