Major League Baseball Player. He is best remembered for being the third baseman who made dazzling plays in the first and seventh innings as the Cleveland Indians stopped Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak before 67,468 fans on July 17, 1941 at Muncipal Stadium. The New York Yankees star, who had hit .408 (91 for 223) with 15 homers during the streak, then went on another 16-game tear. Keltner had a 13-year career in the big leagues, during which time he played in seven All-Star Games and in the 1948 World Series. He was with Cleveland from 1937-49 with a year in the military in 1945. His first full season, 1938, he hit 26 homers and drove in 113 runs. He belted three homers in one game against Boston on May 25, 1939, a year in which he hit .325 with 13 homers and 97 RBIs. His most productive season was 1948, when he batted .297 with career highs in homers (31), RBIs (119) and runs scored (91). He played in 13 games for the Red Sox in 1950 and finished his career with a .276 lifetime batting average and 163 homers. He led American League third basemen in assists four times as he played all but one of his 1,500 games on defense at the hot corner.
Major League Baseball Player. He is best remembered for being the third baseman who made dazzling plays in the first and seventh innings as the Cleveland Indians stopped Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak before 67,468 fans on July 17, 1941 at Muncipal Stadium. The New York Yankees star, who had hit .408 (91 for 223) with 15 homers during the streak, then went on another 16-game tear. Keltner had a 13-year career in the big leagues, during which time he played in seven All-Star Games and in the 1948 World Series. He was with Cleveland from 1937-49 with a year in the military in 1945. His first full season, 1938, he hit 26 homers and drove in 113 runs. He belted three homers in one game against Boston on May 25, 1939, a year in which he hit .325 with 13 homers and 97 RBIs. His most productive season was 1948, when he batted .297 with career highs in homers (31), RBIs (119) and runs scored (91). He played in 13 games for the Red Sox in 1950 and finished his career with a .276 lifetime batting average and 163 homers. He led American League third basemen in assists four times as he played all but one of his 1,500 games on defense at the hot corner.
Bio by: Ron Coons
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