1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

KEN BOYER WINS GEHRIG AWARDCardinals' Star Third Baseman Cites ft as the Kindof Honor That "Feeds A Man's Soul"CARDINALS' KEN BOYERTenth Annual Gehrig Award WinnerPHI DELTA THETA'S 10th annual LouGehrig Memorial Award will be presentedearly in the coming season to Ken Boyer, keyplayer in the St. Louis Cardinals' drive to theNational League title and on to victory in theWorld Series last year. The presentation willtake place in ceremonies preceding a Cardinals'home game in Busch Stadium.Boyer's selection as the major league playerwho in 1964 best exemplified, on the field andoff, the attributes of the late Lon Gehrig,(Columbia '25), Hall of Fame first baseman ofthe New York Yankees, was announced January26 by the Gehrig Memorial Award Committee.Shortly after the Gehrig Committee of theFraternity had informed Boyer of his selectionas the winner of the award for 1964, Ken wasguest of honor at a civic banquet in St. Louisto salute him for his six years of leadership ofthe multiple sclerosis fund-raising campaignsthere.Boyer said he felt it would be of special interestto his audience to learn that he had beenselected for an honor established in memory ofLou Gehrig, who died of a comparatively raresclerotic affliction—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Boyer said that the previous honors he hadreceived, including the National League's mostvaluable player award, voted by the baseballwriters, and the Sporting News award as theoutstanding National League player in 1964,"are the kind that feed a man's ego.""But the honor paid me for my work incombatting multiple sclerosis and the greathonor of being selected for the Lou GerhigMemorial Award—these are the kinds of awardsthat feed a man's soiil," declared the six-foottwo,200-pound third baseman of the worldchampion St. Louis Cardinals in a statementthat patently stirred the emotions of his audienceand his club associates."Ken Boyer, who is generally considered tobe the finest third baseman in the history ofthe Cardinals, deserves on every count to takehis place alongside the nine previous winnersof the Gehrig Award, and to have his nameinscribed on the Gehrig memorial plaque inthe National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown,N.Y.," the selection committee said."In the Gehrig tradition, Boyer has reflectedcredit on major league baseball to an extraordinarydegree. He commands the admiration ofteammates, opposing players, and fans for hisskill and his dedication to the game. He possessesqualities of leadership, and is a respectedcitizen of his home community."In his ten years with the Cardinals, Kenhas played an average of 150 games per season;he was in the lineup for all 162 regular-seasongames last year, plus all seven World Series contests.Boyer has thus displayed some of thedurability associated with Lou Gehrig, whoplayed 2,130 consecutive games—a major leaguerecord likely never to be seriously challenged."Gehrig, who died in 1941, was four timesvoted the American League's most valuableplayer (1927-31-34-36). He was league battingchampion in 1934, and twice the leading homerunhitter (1934-36), and tied with Babe Ruthin homers in 1931. He holds the league recordfor most runs batted in during a season (184),three times won the League's RBI title, andplayed in six consecutive all-star games (1933through 1938).Boyer's performance last season won him theNational League's most valuable player award,and he was the RBI champion of the league.[242]