From the Flying to Launching Baseballs, Pirates' Ralph Kiner Was All-American

December 7, 1941 was a day that will live in infamy for Americans, as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, prompting our country to enter World War II.  

If there was anyone in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization that could relate to these tough times, it was the late great Ralph Kiner. 

For the first time ever, baseball fans around the United States will not have the chance to thank Kiner on this day, as he passed away this past February at the age of 91.  However, his legacy will live on forever in the hearts of Americans.  

A six-time Most Valuable Player and .279 career hitter with 369 home runs, Kiner always proudly traced his roots back beyond professional baseball.  

Kiner was playing for a semipro team in California at the time of the attack on our country that day, and he took exception to that fact that the country had been disrespected and embarrassed that day.  

Instead of going out and playing the next day as if nothing had happened, Kiner headed straight for the nearest recruitment office and enlisted in the United States Navy.  

Six months later, Kiner was called to report for duty.  For the next two-and-a-half years, he was stationed on active duty in Georgia, Texas and Hawaii, where he learned to fly military aircraft.  

When he returned to California (where he had grown up), Kiner was already preparing for spring training. He made his major league debut in 1946 for the Pirates, batting .247 with 23 home runs in 144 games played.  Only a rookie, Kiner was already blasting home runs at a pretty high pace.  

The following year, Kiner took the league by storm, batting a career-high .313 with 51 home runs, which was tied for the league lead with New York Giants' Johnny Mize.

Kiner would go on to hit at least 35 home runs in each of the next six seasons, being named an All-Star in all six years.  

On June 4, 1953, Kiner's run with the Pirates came to an end, as he was shipped to the Chicago Cubs in a 10-player deal.  

For the next two seasons, Kiner's numbers steadily declined, and on September 25, 1955, he played his last game in a big league uniform as a member of the Cleveland Indians.  

In 1975, Kiner accepted the greatest honor any player could be given, as he was elected as a player in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.  Kiner was far from done with his career in baseball, however, as he served as the New York Mets announcer from 1962 (the team's inception) until the time of his death.  

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Like many players of his time, Kiner put the betterment of his country before his professional baseball career.  Kiner was a hard-nosed ballplayer.  Kiner was a professional in every sense of the word.  Most importantly, Kiner was an American, and on the 73rd anniversary of the attacks on our country, it would be an injustice to not take the time to appreciate what he did both for Major League Baseball and for our country.  

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference