Hall of Honor
Kell was a student at ASU during the 1939-40 school year when he signed his first professional contract with the old Brooklyn Dodgers. He lettered as a member of the Indian tennis and softball teams (ASU did not have intercollegiate baseball at that time) and also was a member of the A-State basketball team. Most of his professional baseball career was spent with the Detroit Tigers. He also played with the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and closed out his career in 1957 with the Baltimore Orioles.Â
Kell was an All-Star for 10 seasons. In 1949, he won the American League batting title hitting .343 with 59 RBI, denying Ted Williams his third Triple Crown. In 1950, he hit .340 with 101 RBI and led the AL in hits and doubles. In 1951, he hit .319 with 59 RBI and led the AL in hits, singles and doubles. He hit .300 or better for nine season and struck out only 287 times in 6,702 at-bats during his career. Following his retirement as a player, Kell worked as a play-by-play announcer for CBS (1958) and the Tigers (1959-1963, 1965-1996). Kell was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.Â
