Ken Retzer
From BR Bullpen
Kenneth Leo Retzer
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut September 9, 1961
- Final Game October 3, 1964
- Born April 30, 1934 in Wood River, IL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Ken Retzer played four seasons in the major leagues, serving as the first-string catcher for both the 1962 Senators and the 1963 Senators.
Retzer was born in Wood River, IL, across the river from St. Louis, MO. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians in 1954. He hit over .300 in both 1954 and 1955, and usually hit over .275 as he moved up the minors.
After spending years in the minors, he made his major league debut in September 1961. He had spent most of 1961 at San Diego. In his first stint with the Senators, Ken hit .340 in 53 at-bats. Gene Green was the Senators' regular catcher in 1961.
Ken became the regular in 1962, with Green having been traded to the Cleveland Indians. In 1962, Ken hit .285 and slugged .400. The team batting average that year was .250.
Ken was again the regular in 1963, and while his batting average dropped to .242, the team batting average was only .227.
He spent most of 1964 playing for Toronto, hitting .239 for the Maple Leafs while having an .094 average in 38 at-bats for the 1964 Washington Senators. It was his last season in the big leagues.
In 1965 Ken played for Denver and in 1966 for Oklahoma City. He was 32 in 1966, the same age as Jim Gentile, his teammate at Oklahoma City. In 1967 Ken split his time between Rochester and Portland. His manager at Rochester was Earl Weaver, at the time a veteran minor league manager who would start on a major league managing career the next season.
