Kiner, Ralph McPherran, 1922–2014, American baseball player and sportscaster, b. Santa Rita, N. Mex. A right-handed slugger and outfielder, he played with the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates (1946–53) and Chicago Cubs (1953–54) and the American League's Cleveland Indians (1955) until a back injury cut short his career. For seven consecutive years (1946–52) he led the National League in home runs, a streak still unsurpassed in both leagues. Kiner's career home-run percentage was, at the time of his retirement, second only to Babe Ruth's; among his other career marks were 1,451 hits, 1,015 RBIs, 369 homers, and .279 batting average. He subsequently was a broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox and, for 52 seasons, the New York Mets. He became a beloved figure, famous for his malapropisms and for his entertaining postgame interview show, Kiner's Korner. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
See his Baseball Forever: Reflections on 60 Years in the Game (2004).
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