Boudreau, Louis Jr.
Baseball
b. July 17, 1917, Harvey, IL
d. Aug. 10, 2001
As a sophomore at the University of Illinois, Boudreau was named captain of the basketball team for the 1936/37 season, but early in 1938 he signed a professional baseball contract, forfeiting his college eligibility.
He played minor league baseball while continuing to attend college, graduating in 1939. Boudreau played one game with the Cleveland Indians in 1938 and was called up permanently during the 1939 season.
In 1940, his first full season with Cleveland, he batted .295, drove in 101 runs, and led AL shortstops in fielding percentage. He was also the league's top fielding shortstop in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1947, and 1948, and he held the career record for the position, .973, when he retired.
Boudreau led the league with 45 doubles in 1941. The following season, he was named the Indians' manager, becoming the youngest, at twenty-four, ever to manage a team from the beginning of the season. Boudreau was the AL's top hitter with a .327 average in 1944, but Cleveland had only indifferent success thorough his first seven seasons as manager.
New owner Bill Veeck wanted to replace him in 1948, but Cleveland fans protested vehemently and Boudreau was kept on. He responded by guiding the Indians to their first pennant since 1920, hitting .355 with 18 home runs and 106 RBI to win the league's most valuable player award. He was also named male athlete of the year by the Associated Press.
The Indians and Red Sox tied for first and met at Fenway Park in the first AL playoff game ever. Boudreau got 4 hits, including 2 home runs, in an 8-3 win. Cleveland then beat the Boston Braves in a six-game World Series.
Cleveland fell to third place in 1949, to fourth in 1950, and Boudreau was released. He spent 1951 as a backup infielder with the Red Sox and became Boston's manager in 1952, his last season as a player.
Boudreau managed the Red Sox through 1954 and became the first manager of the Kansas City Athletics in 1955. He was fired by Kansas City after the 1957 season.
In 1960, Boudreau was working as a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs when the team decided, early in the season, to have him switch jobs with manager Charlie Grimm. After a 54-83 record, Boudreau returned to broadcasting.
Chunky at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Boudreau lacked speed but made up for it with lateral quickness and a knowledge of where to play hitters.