George Kell Dead at 86

I know not all of you know the name George Kell, but if you lived in Detroit from the mid-1940's through the early 1990's, you knew George Kell well. He was the Tigers starting third baseman from 1946 until he was traded to Boston in 1952--hitting .300 every year and edging out none other than Ted Williams himself to win the American League batting title in 1949. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. From 1959-1996, Kell broadcast Tigers games on radio and television.

In my capacity as the president of the organization, I wrote the following upon hearing of his passing on behalf of my fellow members in the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association:

George Kell was a great ballplayer, a great broadcaster and, most importantly, a great man. While the members of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association mourn his passing, we celebrate his life. Mr. Kell's accomplishments on the field were rightly recognized by his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. His accomplishments in the broadcast booth should have merited him similar acclaim via the Ford C. Frick award. He was that good. Mr. Kell, in a very real sense, touched the lives of millions of fans in his six decades of service to the Detroit Tigers. He touched the lives of more of our members than we can count. We are proud that George Kell is a Honorary Lifetime Member of our organization. We in the DSBA send our condolences to the Kell family. We were lucky to know him.

The Frick Award to which I alluded is given annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a deserving reciepient. Ernie Harwell and Vin Scully are among the winners. Without a doubt Mr. Kell was deserving of the honor. Had he won it, he would have become the only person ever to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame twice. I've got a couple of favorite George Kell stories and I will try to share them with you over the next few days.