Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer (February 9, 1937 – June 4, 2007) was a
Major League Baseball player.
A
third baseman who also played
shortstop and
second base occasionally, Boyer played for the
Kansas City Athletics (1955–57),
New York Yankees (1959–66) and
Atlanta Braves (1967–71). Boyer also spent 4 seasons in the
Central League in
Japanese baseball with the
Taiyo Whales (now the Yokohama BayStars).
Boyer was one of 14 children. He and four of the brothers played professional baseball, with
Ken, also a third baseman, and
Cloyd, a
pitcher, also making the majors.
In his 16-year career, Boyer hit 162
home runs with 654
runs batted in and a .242
batting average in 1725
games played.
Early career
A "
bonus baby", Boyer broke into the major leagues in as a utility infielder at age 18. With no minor league experience, he played a total of 124 games for the Kansas City Athletics until he was traded to the Yankees in February in a thirteen-player deal, seven players going to Kansas City and six (one of whom was pitcher
Bobby Shantz) to the Yankees. He spent three seasons in the Yankee
farm system until he was called up late in .
The Yankee years
Boyer became the Yankees' regular third baseman in , beating out three others (including
Gil McDougald, who in
spring training had announced that this, his 10th season in the majors, would be his last) for...
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