Kiki Cuyler (1968)


Date of Birth: 8/30/1898
Date of Death: 2/11/1950
Birthplace: Harrisville, Michigan

Kiki Cuyler started his professional baseball career in the minor leagues with the Michigan-Ontario League in 1920 and 1921. His contract was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates in September, 1921.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cuyler spent most of his first three seasons with the Pirates (1921-1923) in the minors, playing in a total of just 13 games with the Pirates over that time span. In 1924, he joined the Pirates for 117 games. That season, he batted .354 with 165 hits, 27 doubles, 16 triples, and 85 RBIs.

Cuyler led the National League in games played and triples in 1925. He finished the season with career highs in triples with 26 and home runs with 18. He had 220 hits, 43 doubles, 41 stolen bases, 102 RBIs, and a .357 batting average in 153 games.

In 1926, Cuyler led the NL in stolen bases for the first time. Cuyler would repeat that feat three more times in his career. He finished the 1926 season with 197 hits, 31 doubles, 15 triples, 35 stolen bases, 92 RBIs, and a .321 batting average in 157 games. He played in just 85 games in 1927, and he had a .309 batting average.

Chicago Cubs

Cuyler left the Pirates after the 1927 season and he joined the Chicago Cubs. He again led the NL in stolen bases in 1928 with 37. His batting average that year dropped to .285. The next year, his batting average went up to a career high .360, and he again led the NL in stolen bases. He finished the 1929 season with 183 hits, 29 doubles, 15 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and 102 RBIs in 139 games.

Cuyler had a strong season in 1930, once more leading the NL in stolen bases with 37. He had career highs in hits (228), doubles (50), and RBIs (134), and he batted .355 in 156 games. He had another good season in 1931, when he batted .330 with 202 hits, 37 doubles, and 88 RBIs in 154 games.

Cuyler played in 110 games in 1932, and he batted .291 with 130 hits. The following season, he played in just 70 games. He batted .317 with 83 hits in 1933.

In 1934, Cuyler led the NL in doubles with 42. He batted .338 with 189 hits and 69 RBIs in 142 games.

Final Years as a Player

After playing in 45 games with the Cubs in 1935, Cuyler was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played with the Reds through the 1937 season.

In 1938, his last season in the major leagues, Cuyler played in 82 games with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

MLB Records

  • Led the NL in stolen bases (4 times)

Career Statistics

From 1924-1937, Cuyler played in over 100 games in each of 12 seasons (1924-1926, 1928-1932, 1934-1937). His statistics for those 12 seasons include:

  • 8 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 228 in 1930
  • 5 seasons with over 30 doubles, with a high of 50 in 1930
  • 6 seasons with over 10 triples, with a high of 26 in 1925
  • 3 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 134 in 1930
  • 6 seasons with over 30 stolen bases, with a high of 43 in 1929
  • 8 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .360 in 1929

Career batting statistics for Cuyler include:

  • 1,879 games played
  • 2,299 hits
  • 394 doubles
  • 157 triples
  • .321 batting average
  • .386 on-base percentage
  • .860 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Cuyler as an outfielder include:

  • 1,807 games played
  • 4,034 putouts
  • 121 errors
  • .972 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Cuyler became a manager in the minor leagues. In the 1940s, he returned to major league baseball as a coach for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Kiki Cuyler
ESPN - Kiki Cuyler
Baseball Reference - Kiki Cuyler

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