Yesterday, the Yankees MB was having a discussion on whether Ken Boyer should be in the Hall of Fame or not. I felt as though this would be a good discussion on our board so I'm bringing it over here.

Most of them felt as though Ken Boyer had the credentials to make it. They think highly of him. One poster told a pretty good story involving Ken's grand slam during the 1964 World Series. I will find that and post it on our board.

So, do you think that he should be in the hall of fame?

Here are his career stats -

.287 / .349 / .462, 282 HR, 1141 RBI, 318 2B, 68 3B, and a five-time winner of the Gold Glove.

From pjcrowder on the Yankees' MB -

"I've told this story on here before, but my son Tony and I ran into Vern Benson, the Cardinal third base coach in 64 and one of the coaches who came to New York with Keane in 1965, at an Austin Peay college baseball game in Clarksville, TN when I was station at Fort Campbell, KY .

He later was one of Dave Bristol's coaches in Cinncinnati when the Big Red Machine first came off the assembly line. He also was the coach who "advised" Ted Turner the night he gave his friend Bristol the night off and assumed the helm of the Braves.

Great guy. He told us about that game. It was game 4 and Roger Craig took over for starter Ray Sadecki who only retired one batter. Mr Benson said when Craig struck out Mickey Mantle to end the bottom of the fifth and he prepared to go out and coached the bases in the top of the sixth, he sort of reminded Keane that Craig was supposed to be leading off.

Keane's reply was that Craig was going so good he was thinking about leaving him in. Benson said he stopped and looked at the scoreboard where the Yankees were leading 3-0, and said, "Well he can keep pitching good from now to Christmas, but if we don't score it won't mean a d--- thing." And he said he pulled on his cap with some extra emphasis, and marched out to the third base coaching box, and made a point of not looking back.

He said the first thing he noticed as the inning was about to start was Carl Warwick rushing out of the dugout swinging a couple of bats. Warwick started the inning with a big pinch hit that Boyer finished off with the grand slam.

Benson said Keane never mentioned the exchange between them, so he didn't know for sure if he had convinced him to send Warwick up there or not, but to him, he always felt that was his biggest contribution to winning the thing right there.

He was sure fun to listen to. No Austin Peay game was ever as intertaining as that one, and I don't think I watched a single play. I just listened to him tell baseball stories."

Ken Boyer was a fine player, but I just don't see him as a hall of Famer. I believe a better case can be made for Ted Simmons being in the Hall, but I doubt he will ever make it either.

Ken Boyer is one of the few renowned Card iconic players whom I got to see play in minor league baseball prior to his making the Cards roster (for the old Houston Buffs of the Texas League). I am admittedly quite biased, but I do believe he has the stats and respect to be a H of F member. From a stats standpoint, he is marginal, but he was a difference maker in the years he played with the Cards. One corollary reason many Yuckee fans may find his reputation appealing is that his brother, Clete Boyer, played several years on the Yuckee teams and was a pretty good third baseman, too. Clete was almost as good as Ken was, offensively and defensively.

Had he played in a different Uniform, such as the Yankees, Red Sox or Brooklyn Dodgers during the best years of his career he probably would be. But, he's in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame... which is located somewhere in a storage shed, or Bill DeWitt's Basement until its reconstructed, at the new ball park village which we don't have money for despite great attendance and an All Star game... Although the Cardinals hall of fame doesn't exist at the moment, its a better hall of fame to be in.

Har!

Ken Boyer was always my favorite all time Cardinal. I am also pretty sure that he is the only Cardinal that has his number retired that is not in the Hall of Fame.

I never got to see Ken Boyer play in his heyday with the Cardinals, saw him with the Mets, ChiSox, and Dodgers. An older cousin saw him play in the early 60s, said he was a great hitter and 3Bman, his favorite player. He never got to the big club until he was 25 years old, probably cut down on his numbers. He turned the 64 World Series around with that grand slam. As much as I would like to see him be in the HOF, I doubt that it happens.

Only Cardinal jersey I have has 14 on the back.

#14!!!!!!!!!!!!!! top 3B in our history go KENNY!!!!! GO CARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Ken Boyer is our organization's top 3B.

He is a similar case to Jim Edmonds. I would actually give Jimmy a slight edge, but he won't make the HoF either.

"Clete was almost as good as Ken was, offensively and defensively."

Clete was not nearly as good as Ken offensively. Clete was BETTER than Ken defensively. Clete won only one GG and had to be traded to the NL to accomplish this. He would have been a multiple GG winner in the AL but for the presence of Brooks Robinson.

For the OP: Does Ken Boyer deserve to be in the HOF? No.
Are there players already in the HOF who were not as good as Ken? Yes.

"Are there players already in the HOF who were not as good as Ken? Yes."

Phil Rizzuto and Frank Chance spring to mind immediately. The veteran's committee makes really bad selections.

What about Red?

Red is marginal. I didn't say all their selections are bad, either, just that they make bad selections.

Ken Boyer man he was something else , when he was traded to the hated mets back in 1966
it hurt alot because he was my 2nd favorite Cardinal back then behind Bob Gibson ,that trade hurt not as much as the Simmons , Tempelton ,Richie Allen Carlton or the Hernadez ones ,but the Boyer trade
hurt even though Boyer wasn't the same player he was he was always one of the best 3rd baseman I ever saw , after he left the mets I didn't see him again untill one game between the Cards and Dodgers and was a firstbaseman and he looked very heavy ,a shadow of his old self.

I have to say no he doesn't belong in the HOF like a Ted Simmons should be ,but he was once our great 3rd baseman and power hitter ,our MVP in 1964 ,as long as his number is retired thats fine .

Would you guys consider Ken Boyer to be the greatest third baseman in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals?

Thats pretty hard to say since we did have Rolen as well ,but he never
won an MVP so I would have to say Boyer was the best 3rd baseman in
Cardinal history .

ken's case for the hall is on the same level as stumpy ron's. the only drawback for ken is that he is, you know, dead, and not in front of a microphone everyday crying that he isn't in the hall. of course, ken probably wouldn't be crying about the hall if he were still alive.

Hey wait a sec. didn't Roger Hornsby play 3rd for the Cards
back in the 30's if he did then maybe he was the best hitting
3rd baseman that St. Lou has had ,not fielding wise though.