It's High Noon, in Cooperstown
He stands tall and alone at the edge of Cooperstown.
Ken Boyer - who starred with the St. Louis Cardinals from the mid 50's to the mid 60's - won five Gold Gloves, earned six All-Star selections and led NL third basemen in double plays five times. At the plate, he hit 23 or more home runs and knocked in at least 90 runs in seven straight seasons. He was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1964 when the Cardinals won their first world championship in two decades.
Once likened by Joe Garagiola to Gary Cooper in High Noon, the soft spoken Boyer, is being considered this year by the National Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans committee for election into Cooperstown.
Like Cooper in High Noon, Boyer could use a little help from his friends.
This year could be Boyer's best chance at election. The veterans committee comprised of Hall of Fame Members, actually played with and against Ken Boyer.
Teammate, Hall of Famer, Stan Musial said "The ballplayers know he's a good one, but nobody else does."
"When Kenny took over as captain of our team," former Cardinal great catcher and great broadcaster Tim McCarver said, "he was the boss of our infield. He was the guy everyone looked up to. He was the guy who really filled that role, if that role needed to be filled.
Kenny Boyer was a pillar of strength in the Cardinal organization. It was kind of an understood thing that Kenny took care of the players coming into the organization. He took people under his wing - it was kind of like a father image."
Stan the Man's and McCarver's comments sum up the problems with Ken Boyer in the past, a quiet man who just did his job well, without any fanware. He now stands alone at the footsteps of the Cooperstown and the players knew how good he was, may be the key to his election this year.
A career that spanned 15 years, Kenny played in 2034 games, hitting 282 home runs with 1141 RBI with a lifetime batting average of .287. An NL MVP award and five Gold Gloves.
Bill James, "baseball's most interesting iconoclast" has ranked Ken Boyer as the 12th best third baseman of all time. James has stated in the past that both Ken Boyer and former Cub, Ron Santo both belong in the Hall of Fame. And while Boyer was known for take care of the players, it is time for the players to take care of Boyer He deserves and has earned their support, but will they back him up and get him into Cooperstown, this year.
Among the Cardinals, those who knew him best, serving on the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee are, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Orlando Cepeda, Stan Musial, Steve Carlton, Red Schoendienst and broadcaster, Joe Garagiola and sportswriter Bob Broeg. It will be these men that he will look to for help.
It's not like Boyer hasn't earned his spot in the Hall of Fame, on his own. If after a 100 years and you are recognized by most experts as the 12th best man to ever play third base, shouldn't that get you in?
A look at the evidence, inside the numbers of Kenny Boyer.
Kenny, led the league in RBI in 1964, NL MVP 1964, five time-Gold Glove, seven time-All Star, Top Ten; MVP Voting (4 times), NL HRs (4 times), NL Avg. (5 times), NL OB% (5 times), NL Slg (4 times), NL Runs (4 times), NL Hits (5 times), NL doubles (3 times), NL triples (4 times), Base on Balls (5 times), Stolen bases (2 times). Five times he led third basemen in double plays.
A look at Ken Boyer compared to Hall of Famer, third baseman Brooks Robinson.
Brooks Robinson is clearly the greatest defensive third baseman of all time and giving that to him,(he earned it) here is a look at the season averages of Ken Boyer vs. Brooks Robinson that you may find interesting.
Ken Boyer averaged a 135 games played per season as compared to Robinson's 123.
Ken scored an average of 73 runs a year, 20 more runs per season than Robinson at a 53 run average.
Boyer on the average had 142 hits per season compared to 123 for Brooks Robinson.
Boyer hit 19 home runs per year compared to an average of 11 home runs for Robinson.
Robinson's 59 RBI per season is far below Boyer's 76.
Boyer had the better eye, getting 47 base on balls as compared to Robinson's 37.
And for those who don't think Boyer's lifetime batting average of .287 is high enough to get into the Hall of Fame, it's 20 points higher than Robinson's .267.
It's been 20 years since Ken Boyer past away with lung cancer in September of 1982. The Cardinals saw fit to retire his number (14) in 1984.
Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst said, "He wouldn't moan or groan or complain about anything, that's the way he played the game too."
So like Marshall Cain, in High Noon, Boyer stands alone at the edge of Cooperstown, looking for the townspeople to back him up. You never heard him complain.
No matter the results, Ken Boyer doesn't need a plaque, to tell us how good he was, we know.
Ken Boyer will always walk tall in the hearts and memories of the fans.
The Hall of Fame Veterans Committee will announce the results of their ballots on February 26, 2003. Any candidate named on 75% of ballots cast will earn election and be honored in Cooperstown, during Hall of Fame Weekend, this summer.
