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| STATS |
- Shortstop/1938-52
- .295 batting average
- 68 home runs
- 789 RBI
- 51 stolen bases
- Manager 1942-50, 1952-57, 1960
- 1162-1224 as manager, .487 pct.
- MVP 1948
- Hall of Fame 1970
- Complete Boudreau bio
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- Shortstop/1926-45
- .301 batting average
- 170 home runs
- 1424 RBI
- 87 stolen bases
- Manager 1933-1947
- 1236-1055 as manager, .540 pct.
- Hall of Fame 1956
- Complete Cronin profile
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| SUMMARY |
| Few players have meant as much to their teams as Lou Boudreau did to the Cleveland Indians in the 1940s. A fixture at shortstop for the Tribe from 1938-1950, Boudreau provided unmatched defensive play and was one of the most reliable bats in the Indians' lineup. Named manager in 1942 at the age of twenty-four, Boudreau had the foresight in 1946 to move Bob Lemon from the infield to the mound. By 1948, Lemon was a twenty game winner, while Boudreau hit .355 with 18 homers and 106 RBI. Thanks in part to Lemon's breakthrough season, the Indians finished the year tied for first place with Boston. Boudreau, who would later be named AL MVP, socked two homers in a one-game playoff to win the pennant. Cleveland went on to take the World Series in six games. After several stints as a full-time manager, Boudreau retired in 1960 to become a broadcaster for the Indians and later the Cubs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970. |
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Sheer determination, coupled with an uncanny desire to win, transformed Joe Cronin into one of the premier players in baseball in the 1930s and 1940s. After breaking into the majors as Arky Vaughan's backup with the Pirates in 1926, Cronin became a sparkplug shortstop for the Washington Senators and then for the Boston Red Sox. In 1933, in his first year as manager of the Senators, the 27-year-old Cronin led the team with 118 RBI and catapulted the Senators into the World Series. Impressed with Cronin, team owner Clark Griffith introduced Joe to his niece during the off-season. They wed shortly after. Cronin drove in over 100 runs eight times, and hit five pinch-hit home runs in 1943 while a member of the Red Sox, including one in each end of a doubleheader. After retiring from managing in 1948, Cronin went on to serve first as a Red Sox executive and then as AL President from 1959-1973. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956. |
| HITTING |
| Never much of a power hitter, Boudreau consistently hit for a high average, and often came through in the clutch. He never struck out more than 57 times in a season, and led the league in doubles three times during his career. Boudreau was at the center of many Cleveland rallies during their World Championship season of 1948, in which he hit .355 with 18 HRs and 106 RBI. |
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An extremely talented hitter, Cronin finished his career with a .301 average. In 1930, three years after being dealt by the Pirates to the Senators, Cronin won The Sporting News Player of the Year Award after registering career highs in both batting average (.346) and RBI (126). He remains one of only a handful of shortstops to drive in and score over 100 runs in a single season, a feat he accomplished four times. Performing well when it mattered most, Cronin hit .318 in a losing effort during the 1933 World Series. |
| DEFENSE |
| Boudreau's sure hands and ability to turn the double play made him one of the best defensive shortstops of his generation. He won eight fielding titles in his fifteen year career. |
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Although not a spectacular playmaker, Cronin managed to get the job done at shortstop. His work ethic helped transform him from being an extremely poor fielding infielder into one of the better defensive infielders in baseball. In 1940. he led the AL in both putouts and assists. |
| BASERUNNING |
| Not much of a base-stealer, Boudreau swiped a paltry 51 bases over his career and was caught 50 times. However, his hustle often turned singles into doubles and led to three doubles titles in the 1940s. |
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Stealing only 87 out of 158 total attempts in his career, Cronin could hardly be considered a legitimate stolen base threat. But he was determined to get the most out of his base hits and knew how to turn on the jets going from first to third, leading the league in triples with 18 in 1932. |
| LEADERSHIP |
| Boudreau was always willing to play hurt and was admired by his teammates for his hard-nosed style. During a must-win game against the Yankees down the stretch in 1948, Boudreau came off the bench to deliver the game-winning runs with a clutch single. A loyal team player, he stood by Indians manager Ossie Vitt in 1940 when several Cleveland players petitioned ownership for Vitt's removal. The Indians collapsed after Vitt was fired, finishing just one game behind Detroit. |
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Never one to allow his pride to interfere with his club's success, Cronin benched himself in 1943 in favor of a young but talented future All-Star named Johnny Pesky. Cronin was well-regarded in baseball circles, evident by his selection by American League owners to become the AL president in 1959. A stern administrator, he once fired two umpires for 'incompetency' after finding out they had attempted to form a union. |
