You have to love this guy! Ralph Kiner is the stuff
that baseball legends are made out of. Ralph Kiner was elected to
the Baseball Hall Of Fame because of his extrodinary hitting abilities.
One of the characteristics that makes Ralph Kiner's Baseball career
unique is that he produced his hitting exploits playing for the
Pittsburgh Pirates during the time that Pittsburgh was a city where
most men made their living in the smoking caldrons and fire
pits at the heart of the steel and iron industries. Kiner's fans
were the factory workers were pounding out Americas post World War
II economic expansion.
Kiner became a baseball hero of the blue-collar
workers in Pittsburgh during the late 1940's and early 1950's
at a time when Pittsburgh was primarily a city of steel mills
and iron foundries.
Kiner gained a reputation for booming baseballs
over the outfield fences. As a result he drew these hardworking
men of the steel industry into the ballpark on weekends in anticipation
of seeing the bases cleared behind the power hitting of this working
class hitter. Part of Kiner's true legacy is being a hero to the
tough as nails generation that had defeated the Axis powers during
WWII.
Because of his personal popularity with the Pirate's
fans it can be said that ball games for the Pittsburgh Pirates
were never over until Kiner had his final at bat. Kiner's reputation
for producing homeruns was such that the fans, win or loose, would
wait to file out of the stadium until Kiner's last at bat. His
reputation in Pittsburgh was such that many fans came to the games
just see their homerun hitter. The fans knew that Kiner's style
of power hitting meant that that if he made clean contact with
the ball it was going out of the park. For many fans these exploits
were what drew them to the ballpark.
Ralph Kiner's hands By Raelee
Frazier
Pirates Memorial at the New Pirates Stadium
Kiner's ability to apply pure power to the baseball
should never be underestimated. He hit a home run every 14.1 at-bats.
In his own time he had the second best homerun average behind
the legendary Babe Ruth and only two hitters in the history of
baseball have ever produced a better percentage of homeruns to
times at bat than Ralph Kiner. The only two men to produce a better
homerun average were Babe Ruth and Mark Maguire. This fact proves
that the record for power hitting that Kiner produced during his
career has truly stood the test of time.
Ralph Kiner Memorial at The Pittsburgh
Pirates Stadiun PNC Park at North Shore
We are proud to announce that Hitter's hands
and artist Raelee Frazier have produced a masterpiece of sports
memorabilia where you can see the strength in the hands that created
Kiner's enviable hitting records.
The art is a bronze sculpture produced from a life casting molded
from Kiner's own hands which are faithfully reproduced to the
finest detail. The hands are griping a Louisville Slugger autographed
with Kiner's own signature. It is noteworthy that Kiner selected
a stick of timber that dwarfs the bats used by most modern hitters.
About the Art quoting Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner Poses with His Bronze Hands
"To my Knowledge my hand position on the
bat was different from who ever played Major League Baseball.
This bronze accurately shows this unusual hand position. Can you
tell what makes it different? It is that the right thumb is up"
With the help and encouragement of Di Ann Kiner,
Ralph's wife of forty years, The Pittsburgh Pirates Organization
have enshrined the legend of Ralph Kiner with the installation
of this art at the new Pirates Stadium at the PNC Park at North
Shore on March 15 th 2003. This sculpture will become a permanent
reminder to Pittsburgh's citizens and baseball fans of one of
the Pirates greatest Baseball Hall of Fame legacies.
Notable Notes about Ralph Kiner:
Ralph Kiner Played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
from 1945-1953 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1975
In 1962 Ralph became one of the New York Mets
broadcasting team and has distinguished himself by performing
as a color and historic commentator for over forty years. been
active an that capacity ever since. During his broadcasting career
he has become as famous as Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra for creating
malthrops and euphemisms relating to baseball. Many Mets fans
that did not even see Kiner play baseball will tell you how enjoyable
it has been to hear his commentaries and stories about the game
throughout the years.
Ted Williams baseball's greatest pure hitter
often stated that Ralph Kiner did not get the credit he deserved
for being a power hitter, however Ted himself was responsible
for giving Ralph the honor of being enshrined as part of Ted Williams
Hitter Hall of Fame in Hernando Florida.
Being made of the right stuff Ralph Kiner has
always performed to the highest standards in whatever task he
has undertaken and in the end analysis ends up competing with
and being compared to the best and brightest in baseball.
For collector's of Baseball Memorabilia, do no
miss the opportunity to add Hitter's Hands set of hands from this
"Legend of Baseball" to your collection by contacting
Hitter's Hands.
To inquire about art please E-mail:
