# Ken Retzer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ken_Retzer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ken_Retzer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Retzer > Source revision: 1278703975 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American baseball player (1934–2020)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Ken Retzer |position=[Catcher](/source/Catcher) |image=JFKWHP-KN-C27802 (cropped).jpg |caption=Retzer on Opening Day, 1963. |bats=Left |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1934|4|30}} |birth_place=[Wood River, Illinois](/source/Wood_River%2C_Illinois), U.S. |death_date={{Death date and age|2020|5|17|1934|4|30}} |death_place=[Sun City, Arizona](/source/Sun_City%2C_Arizona), U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 9 |debutyear=1961 |debutteam=Washington Senators |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=October 3 |finalyear=1964 |finalteam=Washington Senators |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) |stat1value=.264 |stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s |stat2value=14 |stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in) |stat3value=72 |teams= *[Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1961%E2%80%9371)) ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1964}}) }} '''Kenneth Leo Retzer''' (April 30, 1934 – May 17, 2020) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player. He was a [catcher](/source/catcher) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) for the [Washington Senators](/source/Washington_Senators_(1961%E2%80%9371)) from 1961 to 1964, appearing in 237 [games played](/source/games_played). Retzer batted left-handed, threw right-handed and was listed as {{convert|6|ft|2}} tall and {{convert|185|lb}}. Born in [Wood River, Illinois](/source/Wood_River%2C_Illinois), Retzer attended [Jefferson City](/source/Jefferson_City%2C_Missouri) Community College and the [University of Central Missouri](/source/University_of_Central_Missouri). He was signed by the [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) before the 1954 season, but played his entire major league career for the Senators after Washington acquired him in a September 1961 trade. He was the Senators' most-used catcher in both {{mlby|1962}} (starting 91 games and platooning with right-handed-batting [Bob Schmidt](/source/Bob_Schmidt_(baseball))) and {{mlby|1963}} (72 starts in a three-way platoon with [Don Leppert](/source/Don_Leppert) and [Hobie Landrith](/source/Hobie_Landrith)).{{cite web |title=Ken Retzer |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Pretzk101.htm |website=www.retrosheet.org |publisher=[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) |accessdate=May 20, 2020}} In 1962, Retzer [batted](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) a career-best .285 with 97 [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) and eight [home runs](/source/home_runs), and was a serious candidate for [Rookie of the Year](/source/Rookie_of_the_Year_(award)) honors. On [Opening Day](/source/Opening_Day) in 1963, Retzer caught the [ceremonial first pitch](/source/ceremonial_first_pitch) thrown by President [John F. Kennedy](/source/John_F._Kennedy).{{cite web |last1=Tate |first1=Theo |title=Golden years |url=https://advantagenews.com/sports/golden-years/ |website=AdVantage |accessdate=May 20, 2020 |language=en-us |date=August 4, 2017}} Retzer was also known for catching the first pitch of MLB's 100,000th game on September 6, 1963; the ball was presented to and preserved in the [Baseball Hall of Fame](/source/Baseball_Hall_of_Fame). He finished his career with a lifetime batting mark of .264, 182 hits, 14 homers, 72 [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in) and 65 [runs](/source/Run_(baseball)) scored. He had a lifetime [fielding percentage](/source/fielding_percentage) of .983 and threw out 48 of 126 baserunners making [stolen base](/source/stolen_base) attempts, a rate of 38.1 percent. Retzer's 13-season pro career ended in 1967.{{cite web |title=Ken Retzer Minor Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=retzer001ken |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=[Baseball Reference](/source/Baseball_Reference) |accessdate=May 20, 2020 |language=en}} Retzer died at his home on May 17, 2020.{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Pete |title=Pride of Wood River: Former Major Leaguer Ken Retzer dies at 86 |url=https://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article/PRIDE-OF-WOOD-RIVER-Former-Major-Leaguer-Ken-15279121.php |website=Alton Telegraph |accessdate=19 May 2020 |date=18 May 2020}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=121086 |espn= |br=r/retzeke01 |fangraphs= |brm=retzer001ken |retro=R/Pretzk101}} *[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=retzeke01 Baseball Almanac] {{DEFAULTSORT:Retzer, Ken}} Category:1934 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Denver Bears players Category:Fargo-Moorhead Twins players Category:Indianapolis Indians players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Mobile Bears players Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:People from Wood River, Illinois Category:Baseball players from Madison County, Illinois Category:Portland Beavers players Category:Reading Indians players Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players Category:Tifton Indians players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:American expatriate baseball players in Colombia {{US-baseball-catcher-1930s-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ken Retzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Retzer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Retzer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.