Boone was hitting .355 in the Texas League in late 1948 when Cleveland shortstop-manager
Lou Boudreau was hurt. Boone, who had been converted from catcher to shortstop that
year, was called up in time to earn a World Series share. Before long he forced Boudreau
to switch to third base.
Boone had a powerful throwing arm, but bad knees and ankles
limited his range. He led AL shortstops in errors in 1951. Traded to Detroit in an
eight-player deal in 1953, he was switched to less-demanding third base, and his
hitting improved. He more than doubled his HR and RBI output, hitting 26 HR, including
four grand slams. A righthanded line-drive hitter who could handle the curveball,
in 1955 he led the AL in RBI with 116.
»August 17, 1948:
Tom Henrich hits his fourth grand slam of the season, off the Senators Sid Hudson. to join Ruth, Gehrig, and York -- and, later, Al Rosen and Ray Boone -- for the AL record. Henrich, who broke in with the Yankees in 1937, had never hit a grand slam before this season.
»August 27, 1950: The Indians Ray Boone and Clyde Vollmer of the Red Sox match grand slams today. Boone’s comes in the 7-run third to give Bob Feller a 7–0 cushion. Vollmer’s pinch slam against Al Benton in the Sox 6-run seventh helps Boston to an 11–9 win. It is the Red Sox ninth slam of the season.
»June 11, 1954:
The Tigers hit six HRs in a game against the Athletics, winning 16-5, to get them back to the .500 level. Both 3B Ray Boone and teammate RF Al Kaline hit grand slams.
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
