Runnels, "Pete" (James E.)
Baseball
b. Jan. 28, 1928, Lufkin, TX
d. May 20, 1991
A left-handed hitter, Runnels won two batting championships with the AL's Boston Red Sox, hitting .320 in 1960 and .326 in 1962.
Runnels entered the major leagues with the Washington Senators in 1951. He batted over .300 just once with Washington but, after being traded to Boston in 1958, he learned how to slice line drives of the short left field fence in Fenway Park and hit .314 or better in each of his first five seasons with the Red Sox.
Originally a second baseman, Runnels was used primarily at first base in Boston. He led the league in fielding percentage at that position in 1960 and 1961. He went to the Houston Astros in the 1963 expansion draft and retired after the 1964 season. Runnels later became a coach with the Red Sox and he managed the team briefly in 1966.
In 1,799 major league games, Runnels had a .291 average on 1,854 hits, including 282 doubles, 64 triples, and 49 home runs. He scored 876 runs and drove in 630.