Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner dies at 91

foxnews ^ | 02/05/14 | AP via FOX

[Doogle]

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – The baseball Hall of Fame says slugger Ralph Kiner has died. He was 91.

The Hall says Kiner died Thursday at his home in Rancho Mirage.

Kiner hit 369 home runs during his 10-year career, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won or tied for the National League lead in homers in each of his first seven seasons.

[Doogle]

RIP Mr Kiner

[C19fan]

Remember when he broadcast Mets games and has his Kiner’s Corner post-game show.

[Vigilanteman]

One of the lesser known Hall of Famers, but still very much loved in Pittsburgh. He was one of the bright stars when Pittsburgh was a perennial door mat during those long years between when the Warner Brothers and Pie Traynor retired and that fabulous 1960 World Championship team.There were 33 long years between post season appearances.

[Dr. Sivana]

I thought it was "Kiner's Korner".

[qam1]

He was great as a Mets broadcaster.

He even was doing some games this past season. He will be missed.

RIP Ralph

[Dr. Sivana]

His numbers look very, very good when you compare him to his peers. Guys like Willie Mays and Frank Robinson were better hitters, but the pickings get real lean as that was a pitcher’s decade.

[dennisw]

Old school. I remember him!

[IrishBrigade]

RIP Mr Kiner...

...indeed...loved Kiner from the start of his Mets broadcasting career...I only remember the last few years of his playing days...but loved the original trio of Kiner, Lindsay Nelson, and Bob Murphy doing the awful Mets games back in the early sixties...

[LdSentinal]

RIP.

I thought he would live forever.

[Col Frank Slade]

I remember the ‘69 Mets broadcast team -

Ralph Kiner
Lindsey Nelson
Bob Murphy

[Buckeye McFrog]

People used to leave Forbes Field in the 7th. inning if the Bucs were behind and it was clear Kiner would not be getting another turn at bat. His #4 has been retired. Former ABC newswoman Kathleen Kennedy was at one time his daughter-in-law. I remember him broadcasting Mets games when WOR was on my cable.

RIP, Mr. Kiner.

[tflabo]

I didn’t even know He was still alive. Used to watch the Mets broadcasts back in the late 60’s-70’s. Kiner was teamed with Lindsay Nelson and Bob Murphy. Kiner knew his baseball but the other two were just along for the ride.

[Dr. Sivana]

I remember the ‘69 Mets broadcast team -

Ralph Kiner Lindsey Nelson Bob Murphy

They stuck together as the Mets went in auto-desruct mode, dumping great pitchers in exchange for cheaper, marginal talent. Tom Seaver for Steve Henderson and a coupla guys named nobody? Willie Montanez? By the late '70s they just had stearns, Koosman and Mazilli. Pretty sad, except for us Dodger fans!

[IrishBrigade]

He was great as a Mets broadcaster.

...I’ll never forget when Claude Raymond came in to pitch, and Kiner referred to him as the ‘bespeckled righthander’...

[tflabo]

Hey old Mets fans-—this should bring back memories...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwtc2bVmsDM

[C19fan]

Yes. My bad.

[tflabo]

This one too....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTLmDuhV3AQ

[dead]

I got drunk with Ralph Kiner and a buddy of mine in the Shea stadium media bar after a game one night. Drank with him until about 2 in the morning. I guess he thought we were supposed to be there, though we had snuck in and partook of hours of free booze. My friend had a really big camera, I think that's how it happened.

Bob Murphy was there too, but left after an hour. Ralph was really funny and opinionated! At that time, he thought Shawn Dunston was the best player in baseball and that's one of the things we argued about.

[Lisbon1940]

I think you mean the Waner brothers, Lloyd and Paul aka Big and Little Poison. (I know, autocorrect...) Thanks for your remembrance of Buccos history. The team is in ascendency again, with a WS title possible in the next three years.

RIP to Mr. Home Run.

[re_nortex]

One of the lesser known Hall of Famers, but still very much loved in Pittsburgh.

You can quickly tell a person's age by what they remember about Ralph Kiner. Younger people remember him as the Mets broadcaster whereas old fogies like me think first of him as a Pirate.

I guess it also applies to Pie Traynor as well. Younger people recall him only for "Who can? Ameri-CAN!" on Studio Wrestling. :)