Hall of Famer George Kell Dead at 86

Baseball Hall of Famer and broadcaster George Kell died in his sleep this morning in Arkansas, MLB.com reports; he was 86. He batted .306 during 15 seasons in the 1940s and ‘50s, winning the American League batting crown in 1949. The 10-time All-Star, whose stops included Detroit, Boston, and Baltimore was considered one of the era’s top third basemen.

“He had a very laid-back style,” Ernie Harwell, a former broadcasting colleague in Detroit, told WWJ-AM. “He was easygoing and an expert on the game. He brought the field to the booth because he played and played well. He had a conversational style that people took to.” (More baseball stories.)