His Moment of Glory
A look back at Cleveland’s great third baseman, Ken Keltner
Bygone baseball by C. Philip Francis – April 1, 2005
While baseball fans may not have heard of Ken Keltner, he was Cleveland’s premier third baseman from 1938 to 1948, and the man who personally ended Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941. (Author’s note: Read “What a Year it Was” dated 3-15-05.) One game, one play, or even one miscue can often overshadow a player’s long career, be it positive or negative, such as Mickey Owen’s passed ball in the 1941 World Series, Bobby Thomson’s home run off Ralph Branca in the 1951 playoffs, Bill Buckner’s booted easy grounder in the 1986 World Series, or Fred Merkle’s disastrous decision in the 1908 World Series. In 1941 it was the name of Kenneth Frederick “Butch” Keltner who became indelibly linked with DiMaggio’s 56-game streak after making two remarkable backhanded stops.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Keltner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 31, 1916, and made his major league debut on October 2, 1937 when he had one at-bat with no hits, but did have one RBI. His career took off like a rocket the following year hitting .276 with 26 home runs, and 113 RBI’s. He became the Cleveland third baseman , and held it for the next decade forcing two eventual Hall of Famers to find new positions, Lou Boudreau to shortstop and Bob Lemon to pitching.
In 1941 the nation’s attention first began when Joe DiMaggio singled off Edgar Smith of the Chicago White Sox in Yankee Stadium on May 15. For the next two months people with little interest in baseball were captivated with Joe’s hitting streak, and would ask, “How’d Joe do yesterday?” With timely hitting, his outstanding batting ability, and luck, the Yankee Clipper brought his 56 consecutive hits into Cleveland’s huge Municipal Stadium on July 17. On a muggy, summer evening 67,468 fans had come to see Joe keep his record intact.
The Indians’ starting pitcher on that eventful day was left-handed Al Smith who had been with the New York Giants’ pennant winners in 1936 and 1937. He spent two years with the Phillies with mediocre results before moving on to Cleveland where he won 54 games in the next four years, and a 15-game winner the previous season.
Not only was Keltner a timely hitter with power, he was best known for going to his right. In the first inning Joe sent a sizzler down the third base, and it appeared the streak would continue. The right-handed infielder lunged at the ball, and retired Joe with a long throw to first from foul territory. The Yankee outfielder walked in the fourth inning. His next at-bat came in the seventh inning when Joe again sent a sharp ball down the third base that was snagged by Keltner who again had a long throw to first for the out.
Now Joe had only one more chance to keep his record alive, and that came in the eighth with the bases loaded with reliever Jim Bagley, Jr. now on the mound. Jim, Jr. was the son of Jim Bagley, Sr. who was a fine hurler for Cleveland in the 1920’s, and won 31 games in the World Series year of 1920. In the Yankee Clipper’s last time at bat shortstop Boudreau was able to handle a bad hop that developed into a double play. It was finally over, and Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56 hits was finished primarily due to a man named Ken Keltner who had one of his greatest games. Later Ken was given a police escort out of the stadium and all the way to his home as DiMaggio had a lot of good Italian friends in Cleveland…just in case. The next day the Yankee slugger began a 16-game consecutive hitting streak giving him a total of 72 hits in 73 straight games, perhaps the most remarkable hitting exhibition of all baseball history. In 1969 a panel of Hall of Famers, club owners, and managers voted DiMaggio’s record “The greatest individual achievement in the history of baseball.”
Joe broke Wee Willie Keeler’s 1897 44-year-old major league record of consecutive hits, and now DiMaggio’s batting achievement has been intact for the past 63 years. The closest attempt to crack the consecutive 56 hits was by Pete Rose in 1978 when he had 44 straight games with hits. Could Joe have an unbreakable record? In the years following the events of that 1941 ballgame DiMaggio and Keltner became good friends much as did Thomson and Branca.
Although Keltner was recognized as one of the best fielding third basemen in the game, he was a strong hitter. In the first American League playoff on October 4, 1948 held at Boston’s Fenway Park, Keltner had a single, double, and a three-run home run over the Green Monster as the Indians won their first pennant in 28 years. Earlier that year in Detroit’s Brigg’s Stadium on June 30 Cleveland’s Bob Lemon was able to complete a rare no-hitter after Dale Mitchell made a miraculous catch of a George Kell drive, and Keltner’s patented stop behind third in the fifth inning.
In 1949 Ken played only 80 games due to injuries, and was sent to the Boston Red Sox where he appeared in only 13 before retiring. Third baseman Keltner’s career stats were: .276 batting average, 163 home runs; 852 RBI’s, a fielding average of .965, and selected to the All-Star team seven times. In 1969 Cleveland fans chose Ken as their all-time third baseman, and was elected to the Ohio State Baseball Hall of Fame and Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. He, however, never made it to Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame.
A year before his death on December 12, 1991 at the age of 75 in New Berlin, Wisconsin Keltner’s wife of 53 years had a massive stroke. She was sent to a Wisconsin convalescent home in a paralyzed condition. Ken spent his final days with wife, Evelyn, and once said she could remember him on a good day.
“Daddy, did you ever hear of a baseball player named Ken Keltner?” “Why yes, Tommy, he played for the Cleveland Indians, and is remembered as the fellow who ended Joe DiMaggio’s hitting record of 56 games way back in 1941. Everybody knows that!”