Ken Guettler

Kenneth Adam Guettler

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• Born May 29, 1927 in Bay City, MI USA
• Died December 25, 1977 in Jacksonville, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

An outfielder, Ken Guettler put up some impressive seasons in the minors. In 1952, playing for the Portsmouth Cubs, he won a Triple Crown in the class B Piedmont League. Guettler hit .334 with 28 homers (the only player to top 20) and drove in 104. He also led the circuit with 112 walks and tied for the lead with 22 outfield assists.

In 1956, Guettler set the Texas League home run record when he smacked 62 homers for the Shreveport Sports, also the record for second-tier leagues. At one point that year, Guettler had his glasses stolen from his locker; Guettler's eyesight was very poor and he wore thick specs.

Overall, Guettler hit 330 homers in 15 seasons, but only hit 12 more in 3 years after his great 1956 campaign. In addition to the aforementioned 1952 and 1956 seasons, he led the following leagues in homers: 1945 Appalachian League (13, the only player in double digits), 1947 Georgia-Alabama League (25), 1948 Southeastern League (24), 1951 Piedmont League (30, the only player with 20+), 1953 Piedmont League (30) and 1955 Piedmont League (41, the only player over 30). His 8 minor league home run crowns is the all-time record, tied with Bunny Brief.

Notable Achievements

• 1956 Player of the Year Texas League Shreveport Sports

Related Sites

• Ken Guettler at the SABR Bio Project
• A photo of Guettler
• MiLB.com