Ken Boyer ✝

Boyer was an All-Star for seven seasons (11 All-Star Game selections)[a], a National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a Gold Glove winner five seasons. He was named the NL MVP in 1964 after batting .295 with 185 hits and leading the NL with 119 runs batted in, and leading the Cardinals to the World Series title. He hit over .300 for five seasons and hit over 20 home runs for eight seasons.\n', ' He became the second third baseman to hit 250 career home runs, retiring with the third highest slugging average by a third baseman (.462); he was the third after Pie Traynor and Eddie Mathews to drive in 90 runs eight-times, and he remains the only Cardinal since 1900 to hit for the cycle twice. When Boyer hit 255 home runs, he was second to Stan Musial (475) with Cardinal career home runs; he held the team record for a right-handed hitter from 1962 until Albert Pujols passed him in 2007. Boyer also led the NL in double plays five-times and in fielding average once, and he retired among the all-time leaders in games (sixth, 1,785), assists (sixth, 3,652) and double plays (third, 355) at third base.\n', ' Born in Liberty, Missouri, Boyer grew up in Alba, Missouri as the fifth of 14 children. He attended Alba High School. All seven boys played professional baseball, with two of his brothers also reaching the major leagues: older brother Cloyd was a pitcher for the Cardinals in the early 1950s, and younger brother Clete became a third baseman for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.\n', '