Bats

Louis "Lou" Boudreau (July 17, 1917, in Harvey, Illinois – August 10, 2001) was an American Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player, and the American League MVP Award winner in 1948. more...

Home
All Star Game
Anaheim Angels
Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Autographs-Original
Baltimore Orioles
Baseball & Softball Items
Boston Red Sox
Banners & Flags
Bats
Bobbleheads
Caps, Hats
Jackets
Jerseys
Jewelry & Watches
Keychains
License Plates
Other Items
Pennants
Photos, Prints
Pins, Buttons
Plaques
Posters
Publications
Shirts
Signs
Stickers, Decals
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Colorado Rockies
Defunct Teams
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
Minors
Montreal Expos
Negro Leagues
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics
Other
Other MLB Items
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Playoffs
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
St. Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Washington Nationals
World Series

He won the 1944 AL batting title (.327), and led the league in doubles in 1941, 1944, and 1947. He led AL shortstops in fielding 8 times. He won the American League MVP Award in 1948.

After his playing and managing career, Boudreau was a popular long-time radio announcer for the Chicago Cubs of the National League.

Early life

Boudreau, who was Jewish and of French ancestry, graduated from Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, excelling in sports at both schools. He was captain of the basketball and baseball teams at the University of Illinois when he signed an agreement to join the Cleveland Indians following graduation. Big Ten Conference officials ruled him ineligible for amateur participation for the remainder of his college career. He played pro basketball with Hammond of the National Basketball League.

Career

Boudreau made his Major League debut on September 9, 1938 for the Cleveland Indians, at the age of 21.

Boudreau quickly became regarded as one of the best all-round shortstops in the game, combining solid fielding with a good batting average and run production.

In 1940 he batted .295 with 9 home runs and 101 RBI (10th in the league).

One key moment came on a July night in 1941, when his young ballclub put the stopper on Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Boudreau himself fielded the ground ball that Joe D. hit in his last at-bat in that game.

That year he led the league in doubles with 45.

Boudreau took over managerial duties with the club in November, 1941 while remaining the club's everyday shortstop.

In 1944 he led the American League in batting with a .327 batting average and 45 doubles, and was second in the league with a .406 obp and 191 hits, and scored 91 runs (6th). He also turned over 134 double plays, which stood as a major league record for the next 26 years. Through 2006, only three shortstops turned over more double plays in a season.

On July 14, 1946, he hit 4 consecutive doubles in one game, tying a major league record that still stood as of 2007.

Each year from 1946-48 he was the most difficult ballplayer in the league to strike out, striking out only 9 times in 560 at bats in 1948.

In 1947 he led the league in doubles for the third time, and came in third in MVP voting.

In 1948, he had a .355 batting average and a .454 obp (both 2nd in the league, behind Ted Williams), a .534 slugging percentage (4th), scored 116 runs (5th in the league, and had 105 RBIs (8th). He led the Indians to a first-place tie with the Boston Red Sox, then got 4 hits in an easy win in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park, breaking the hearts of Red Sox Nation and also depriving the city of their only chance at an all-Boston World Series. The Indians went on to defeat the Boston Braves 4 games to 2 win the Series (their last Series win as of 2006).

Read more at Wikipedia.org