Lou Boudreau
From SoSH
| Born: | July 17, 1917 |
| Birthplace: | Harvey, Illinois |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 5' 11" |
| Weight: | 185 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1938 Amateur F.A. by the Cleveland Indians |
| College: | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| High School: | |
| Other Teams: | Cleveland Indians 1938-1950 |
| Years with Boston: | 1951 - 1952 |
Contents |
Overall Career
Louis "Lou" Boudreau (July 17, 1917 - August 10, 2001), was an outstanding defensive shortstop and adept hitter, Lou Boudreau combined his playing skills and intelligence to become an innovative manager, creating one of the most versatile careers in baseball. An eight-time All-Star selection, four-time .300 hitter and 1948 American League Most Valuable Player, Boudreau was an excellent player, also winning the A.L. batting title in 1944 as a player-manager. He devised the Ted Williams shift, based upon hitting charts kept by his team, and transformed Bob Lemon from infielder to star pitcher.
Awards
- Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1970 (77.33%)
- 1948 Major League Player of the Year
- 1948 American League MVP
- 1949 All-Star Game manager
- 8-time American League All-Star (1940-1945, & 1947-1948)
Boudreau's Moments in the Sun
- 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).
- Each year from 1946-48 he was the most difficult ballplayer in the league to strikeout, striking out only 9 times in 560 at bats in '48.
Managerial Record
Year League Team Age G W L WP Finish 1942 American Lg Clvlnd 24 156 75 79 .487 4 Player/Manager 1943 American Lg Clvlnd 25 153 82 71 .536 3 Player/Manager 1944 American Lg Clvlnd 26 155 72 82 .468 6 Player/Manager 1945 American Lg Clvlnd 27 147 73 72 .503 5 Player/Manager 1946 American Lg Clvlnd 28 156 68 86 .442 6 Player/Manager 1947 American Lg Clvlnd 29 157 80 74 .519 4 Player/Manager 1948 American Lg Clvlnd 30 156 97 58 .626 WS 1 Player/Manager 1949 American Lg Clvlnd 31 154 89 65 .578 3 Player/Manager 1950 American Lg Clvlnd 32 155 92 62 .597 4 Player/Manager
1952 American Lg BostonRS 34 154 76 78 .494 6 Player/Manager 1953 American Lg BostonRS 35 153 84 69 .549 4 1954 American Lg BostonRS 36 156 69 85 .448 4
1955 American Lg KansasCy 37 155 63 91 .409 6 1956 American Lg KansasCy 38 154 52 102 .338 8 1957 American Lg KansasCy 39 104 36 67 .350 7
1960 National Lg ChicagoC 42 139 54 83 .394 7
BostonRS 463 229 232 .497
ChicagoC 139 54 83 .394
Clvlnd 1389 728 649 .529
KansasCy 413 151 260 .367
TOTAL 2404 1162 1224 .487
Trivia
- Lou Boudreau was a great college basketball player, leading the University of Illinois to the Big Ten title in 1937 and earning All-American honors in 1938.
- Boudreau is interred in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Frankfort, Illinois.
- Boudreau had his # 5 retired by the Cleveland Indians.
- As both shortstop and manager, he was the inventor and most ardent practitioner of the "Williams shift" (a.k.a. "Boudreau shift"), stacking all but one defensive player on the right side of the field when Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox would come to bat in certain situations.
Transactions
- Before 1938 Season: Signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent.
- November 21, 1950: Released by the Cleveland Indians.
- November 27, 1950: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
- October 31, 1951: Released by the Boston Red Sox.
- Before 1952 Season: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
- October 15, 1952: Released by the Boston Red Sox.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
- Lou Boudreau: Hall of Fame Page
