Tigers' Infielder Won 1949 Batting Title

George Kell, 86, the Hall of Fame third baseman who edged Ted Williams for the 1949 American League batting title and became a Detroit Tigers broadcaster for almost 40 years, died March 24 at his home in Swifton, Ark. The cause of death was not immediately reported. He was severely injured in a car crash in 2004 but learned to walk with a cane.

Mr. Kell was playing for the Tigers when he beat out Williams of the Boston Red Sox for the batting crown in 1949, with each player hitting .343. Mr. Kell won the title when his season average was calculated at .34291; Williams's average was .34276.

Mr. Kell played 15 seasons in the major leagues, hit more than .300 nine times and compiled a career average of .306. He had his finest all-around season in 1950, when he hit .340, with 101 runs batted in and 114 runs scored. He led the major leagues with 218 hits that year.

He was a 10-time all-star and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee in 1983. He is one of 10 major league third basemen in the Hall of Fame, the fewest of any position.

He came to the majors in 1943 with the Philadelphia Athletics, was traded to the Tigers in 1946 and later played for the Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. He never struck out more than 37 times in a season.

Mr. Kell was proud of how he bested Williams in the 1949 batting race. In the season's final game against Cleveland, the Indians pitched 22-game winner Bob Lemon against Detroit, then brought in future Hall of Famer Bob Feller in relief. Mr. Kell was in the on-deck circle in the ninth inning.

"The manager said he wanted to send a pinch hitter in for me, but I said, 'I'm not going to sit on a stool and win the batting title,' " Mr. Kell told the Associated Press.

The final out was made before he came to bat, preserving his slim margin over Williams.

After he retired, Mr. Kell broadcast Tigers games from 1959 to 1996, except for 1964. He became a close friend of longtime Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

"He was easygoing and an expert on the game," Harwell told a Detroit radio station Tuesday. "He brought the field to the booth because he played and played well. He had a conversational style that people took to."

While broadcasting for Detroit, Mr. Kell lived in his home town of Swifton, Ark., and caught flights to games.

"The owner said, 'You can live in your beloved Swifton, but don't you dare miss a game.' " he said. "I had a few close calls, but I didn't miss any."

-- News Services and Staff Reports