George Kell Dies at 86

George Kell, a Hall of Fame third baseman who outdueled Ted Williams for the 1949 American League batting title and finished his career with a batting average of .306,died Tuesday morning at his home in Swifton. He was 86.

Kell played 15 years in the American League with Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Chicago and Baltimore. He won the AL batting title in 1949 when he hit .34291 and Ted Williams hit .34276. Kell hit more than .300 nine times and was selected to play in 10 All-Star games.

After his playing days, Kell was a Detroit Tigers broadcaster from 1959 to 1996.Kell grew up in Swifton, Ark., and lived in the same house from his birth to when it burned down in 2001, then rebuilt on the same land. He was severely injured in a car crash in December 2004, but was able to walk again with a cane about six months later.