Hall of Famer George Kell Dies: Long Live the Heroes of Yesteryear

I never had the pleasure of seeing George Kell play, but I know he played for my beloved Detroit Tigers between 1946 and 1952 and beat out Ted Williams for the batting title in 1949, going two for three in his final game while Williams went oh-fer. His average that season was .3429 to Williams’ .3427. A lesser player might’ve sat down for a pinch hitter in his last plate appearance rather than risk losing the title by recording an out—not Kell. No way was he going to win a batting title by default! He also holds the record for fewest strikeouts for a batting champion at thirteen—thirteen strikeouts for an entire season! His other Hall of Fame stats include a .306 lifetime batting average, eight consecutive .300 seasons, 10 All Star game appearances, twice leading the league in hits and doubles, and hitting for the cycle. He also held the record, for more than 20 years, for most consecutive games at third base without committing an error. Oh, yes, he also married his sixth-grade sweetheart and stayed married to her until her death in 1991. Kell finished his baseball career with the Orioles in 1957—the year after I was born.

I first heard the name George Kell when he brought his Hall of Fame play-by-play talent to Tigers' telecasts during the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Kell retired from the booth in 1996 out of embarrassment over having a “Hall of Famer” (Al Kaline, who’d joined Kell as the color commentator in 1975) “carry my bags to and from the hotels.”

To me, he was as good in the booth as I’d envisioned him on the field. Soft-spoken with that Arkansas dialect, he called a game like I recall my grandfather telling a favorite story about growing up in Pennsylvania. While Ernie Harwell opened his radio broadcasts with, “Hiya, Tiger fans,” Kell opened with “Good EVE-ning, everyone.”

He shared a wealth of baseball knowledge and lore with his viewers, and I recall his many colloquialisms with fondness—they were never forced or over the top—a high pitch up around the batter’s eyes was “up in his wheelhouse;” a hard hit homerun was “tommy-hawked” into the stands; a line drive to third base was “speared by Aurelio Rodriquez” on a “whale of a play!” And his homerun call: “Long drive… waay back… could be… and it is… a homerun!”

I recall him telling the story of having his jaw broken by a line drive off Joe DiMaggio’s bat, “I got up, made the play at third, then passed out.” Kell was colorful without trying—a rarity in today’s broadcast booth.

No sir, they don’t make ballplayers, or play-by-play announcers, like Kell anymore—a true hero on the diamond, in the booth, and in life.

While I’m saddened today to learn of the passing of this Hall of Famer and true hero, who led a Hall of Fame life, I’m pleased to learn that he’d been awarded an honorary lifetime membership to the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Bless you, George. Baseball will miss you.