Harvey Edward Kuenn

Harvey Edward Kuenn

Detroit Tigers Player (1952 – 1959)

Harvey Kuenn was born in West Allis, Wisconsin and played baseball and football at Lutheran High School. He went on to play baseball at the University of Wisconsin and then signed on as an amateur free agent with the Detroit Tigers in 1952. In 1953, his first full season with the Tigers, Kuenn was named the American League Rookie of the Year, after hitting .308 and collecting 209 hits. Over the next six season, Kuenn continued to excel at the plate hitting over .300 in five of those seasons, culminating in winning the American League batting title in 1959 with a .353 average.  He played eight seasons with the Tigers compiling a .314 batting average with 53 home runs and 1,372 hits.  Harvey Kuenn was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He passed away on February 28, 1988 at 57 years of age.