Lucky Hall Of Famer Number 48 - George Kell

George Kell was a Major League third baseman from 1943 through 1957, most notably with the Detroit Tigers. One of the best contact hitters of his day, he finished up with a lifetime batting average of .306. Kell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983 by the Veterans Committee. Since then, his selection has received much criticism. Let's see why. 

    Kell was brought up early during World War II and struggled as a rookie, batting .268 and grounding into a Major League high 28 double plays. He did a little better in 1945 but had a breakthrough season in 1946, batting .322, starting a streak of eight consecutive .300 seasons. Kell captured a Batting Title in 1949, hitting .343 to deprive Ted Williams of a third Triple Crown, and in 1950, he became the last player until 1985 to drive in 100 runs in a season with fewer than 10 home runs. Kell slipped to .276 in 1954 but had one more .300 season left, hitting .312 in 1955 for the White Sox. He played two more seasons after this, hanging up his spikes in 1957 at the age of 35. 

    Although he received many accolades during his career, Kell was probably overrated. His batting averages were always flashy, and he once hit 56 doubles in a season, but he didn't walk very much, wasn't a good runner, and didn't hit for power. Only once did he score 100 runs in a season, and only once did he knock in 100 (both in 1950). Kell wasn't really a compiler, either. He only played fourteen full seasons, collecting 2,054 hits, 880 runs scored, and 870 RBI's - good numbers but very modest in the context of the Hall of Fame. His defense was definitely good, but not enough to push him over the top. 

My opinion: George Kell is not a Hall of Famer.