Ralph Kiner: HOF Ballplayer, Outstanding Broadcaster, Superb Human Being ~ You Will Be Missed!

Ralph Kiner, revered as a member of the original New York Mets broadcast team after a Hall of Fame ball playing career, died peacefully Thursday, of natural causes at the age of 91, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. Mets owner and CEO Fred Wilpon, upon hearing of Kiner’s passing, made the following statement: "Ralph Kiner was one of the most beloved people in Mets history -- an original Met and extraordinary gentleman. After a Hall of Fame playing career, Ralph became a treasured broadcasting icon for more than half a century. His knowledge of the game, wit, and charm entertained generations of Mets fans. Like his stories, he was one of a kind. We send our deepest condolences to Ralph's five children and twelve grandchildren. Our sport and society today lost one of the all-time greats."

My own recollections of Kiner were as both a player and broadcaster. In 1947, my very first year of avid baseball fandom, Ralph led the Major Leagues in home runs for the first in an unprecedented string of six consecutive years of leading the Majors in that department. In 1946, his rookie year, his 23 home runs were enough to lead the National League. Ralph played for the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates, a perennial second division team, but he was a stellar ballplayer. I saw Ralph on numerous occasions at Ebbets Field, where he hit 30 of his career 369 round trippers. Only in his 2 home ballparks, Forbes Field, (where the left field porch was rechristened “Kiners Korner,” after it was originally built to accommodate Ralph’s mentor, Hank Greenberg, and called “Greenberg Gardens) and in Wrigley Field, (which served as his home for 1½ years) did Kiner hit more home runs. Kiner was a joy to watch at the plate, but a feared opponent. Warren Spahn said of him, “Kiner can wipe out your lead with one swing.”

A chronic sciatica (spinal) condition forced Kiner to retire in 1955, at the age of 32. He was a six time All-Star, but never made it to the postseason. He was inducted to Cooperstown in 1975, and was voted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1984. His number 4 was retired by the Pirates in 1987. During his entire 10 year playing career, he earned all of $515,000, now just a shade above the major league minimum for a single season. Back then, the $90,000 Kiner earned in 1952 was a lot of money, and Kiner often remarked “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, singles hitters drive Fords.” In June of 1953 Kiner was included in a 10 player trade with the Chicago Cubs, due in large part to his continued salary disputes with Pirates General Manager, Branch Rickey, who Kiner often quoted as saying to him “We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.”

Today’s fans know Ralph Kiner primarily as the voice of the Mets, or at least one of the voices, since he initially shared the broadcast booth with two other memorable voices, Lindsey Nelson and Bob Murphy. The three of them rotated announcing duties between television and radio, with Ralph always there with a colorful anecdote or story relevant to the game line. Most of us remember his signature home run call . . “That ball is gone, good bye!” Ralph also hosted a post game show, which he dubbed “Kiner’s Korner” after the landing spot for so many of his fabled blasts. Although the compensation for guests to appear on Kiner’s Korner was meager, players were delighted to appear with Ralph. Although not in a league with Casey Stengel, Kiner was also known for his malapropisms, referred to by some as Kinerisms. He once said, "If Casey Stengel were alive today, he'd be spinning in his grave." Some other “Kinerisms were "All of his saves have come in relief appearances." "Solo homers usually come with no one on base." and "Now up to bat for the Mets is Gary Cooper." (meaning Gary Carter)

Ralph suffered from Bell’s Palsy since 1998, and the resulting slightly impaired speech forced him to curtail his broadcasting work to some degree. In recent years he appeared occasionally on SNY and WPIX telecasts, usually on a weekly basis. During his visits, Gary, Keith and Ron made room for Ralph in the booth which now bears his name, and listened reverently as he related his stories and anecdotes about the old days as well as his analyses of the current state of the game. Now, to paraphrase his famous home run call, we have to say that guy is gone, good bye. Ralph, you will surely be missed, but I can envision you driving your Cadillac up there in heaven.