Ron Kittle
Ronald Dale Kittle (born January 5, 1958 in Gary, Indiana) is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who was known mostly for his home run power. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1983 with 35 home runs and 100 RBIs. A former steelworker who made a relatively late major league debut, being nearly 25 years old, he was immensly popular on the Chicago White Sox when they won a surprising 99 games in 1983 to make their first playoff appearance since 1959. Kittle maintained his home run power, but after 1983 his batting average dropped and his strikeouts were increasing. Kittle had short stints with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. He returned again to the White Sox in 1990 playing first base. Later in the season he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for Phil Bradley.
In March of 2005, Kittle's book "Ron Kittle's Tales from the White Sox Dugout" was published. Co-written with Bob Logan, the book features anecdotes (some of them never before told to the public) from his time as a major leaguer. The book caused some controversy when Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants accused Kittle of fabricating an insulting story about Bonds.
External link
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis