Buddy Kerr
Encyclopedia
John Joseph "Buddy" Kerr (November 6, 1922 - November 7, 2006) was an American
shortstop
in Major League Baseball
. From 1943
through 1951
, Kerr played for the New York Giants
(1943-1949) and Boston Braves
(1950-1951). A native of Astoria, New York
, in the New York City
borough of Queens
, he batted and threw right-handed.
Despite the fact that he hit a home run in his first major league at-bat
on September 8 of his debut season, Kerr was known mostly as a slick fielder with a very light bat. He led National League
shortstops in assist
s, putout
s, and double play
s in 1945
, and achieved a top .982 fielding average in 1946
. From 1946 to 1947
, he played 68 consecutive games without committing an error
, which was a major league record at the time. His most productive offensive season came in 1947, when he recorded a career-high .287 average. An All-Star
in 1948
, he also received minor consideration in the National League MVP
voting in 1945 and 1946.
Before the 1950
season, Kerr was sent to the Boston Braves along with Willard Marshall
and Sid Gordon
. The trade brought Alvin Dark
and Eddie Stanky
to the Giants.
Kerr was a regular in his first year for the Braves, but he saw lttle action in 1951 and retired at the end of the season after playing his final game on September 30. In a nine-season career, he was a .249 hitter
with 31 home runs and 333 runs batted in in 1067 games played
.
Kerr worked for the New York Mets
from 1975 through 2000 as a special assignment scout
. He died in New York City after a short illness, one day after his 84th birthday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. From 1943
1943 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals *All-Star Game, July 13 at Shibe Park: American League, 5-3-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Homestead Grays over Birmingham Black Barons...
through 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
, Kerr played for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1943-1949) and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1950-1951). A native of Astoria, New York
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
, in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, he batted and threw right-handed.
Despite the fact that he hit a home run in his first major league at-bat
Home run in first at-bat
This is a list of Major League Baseball players who hit a home run in their first major league at bat.Bill Duggleby, Jeremy Hermida, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Daniel Nava are the only players to hit a grand slam in their first at bat...
on September 8 of his debut season, Kerr was known mostly as a slick fielder with a very light bat. He led National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
shortstops in assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
s, putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s, and double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s in 1945
1945 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game cancelled due to flight restrictions. However, inter-league games were played during the All-Star break.-Other champions:...
, and achieved a top .982 fielding average in 1946
1946 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox *All-Star Game, July 9 at Fenway Park: American League, 12–0-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Newark Eagles over Kansas City Monarchs...
. From 1946 to 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
, he played 68 consecutive games without committing an error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
, which was a major league record at the time. His most productive offensive season came in 1947, when he recorded a career-high .287 average. An All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1948
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
, he also received minor consideration in the National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting in 1945 and 1946.
Before the 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
season, Kerr was sent to the Boston Braves along with Willard Marshall
Willard Marshall
Willard Warren Marshall was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1942 through 1955, Marshall played for the New York Giants , Boston Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox...
and Sid Gordon
Sid Gordon
Sidney "Sid" Gordon , known as "Sid," was a stocky, powerfully built American right-handed Major League Baseball outfielder, third baseman, and first baseman....
. The trade brought Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
and Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
to the Giants.
Kerr was a regular in his first year for the Braves, but he saw lttle action in 1951 and retired at the end of the season after playing his final game on September 30. In a nine-season career, he was a .249 hitter
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 31 home runs and 333 runs batted in in 1067 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Kerr worked for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
from 1975 through 2000 as a special assignment scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
. He died in New York City after a short illness, one day after his 84th birthday.
External links
- Baseball Library - career highlights
- Retrosheet
- Associated Press obituary
- Buddy Kerr at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...