Lou Boudreau Marquee Hall of Fame 1970

He devised the infield shift used against Ted Williams, pulling three fielders to the right side of the diamond; it carried Williams's name afterward, not his. Arthritic ankles had kept him out of military service, so he played the war years at shortstop while others were gone, and he ran the club at the same time.

In 1948 he batted .355 with 199 hits, 116 runs, 106 runs batted in and 18 home runs, and struck out nine times in 560 at-bats. The writers named him Most Valuable Player. Cleveland won the pennant that year and the World Series, and it has not won another since.

He led the American League in doubles three times, with 45 in each of 1941, 1944 and 1947, and was an All-Star in eight seasons. He played 1,539 games at shortstop and finished with 1,779 hits, 385 doubles and a .295 average over fifteen years, the last two in Boston. The writers elected him in 1970.