Ken Oberkfell
Born: 5/4/1956 in Highland, IL, USA
MLB Debut: 1977-08-22 | Final Game: 1992-10-04
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Kenneth Ray Oberkfell
Biography
Ken Oberkfell, born in 1956, was a versatile position player who enjoyed a lengthy career in Major League Baseball from 1977 until his retirement on October 4, 1992. Oberkfell was known for his solid batting skills and dependable defense, primarily playing as an infielder. Over the course of his 1,602 games, he compiled 1,354 hits, a batting average of .278, and drove in 446 runs, showcasing his ability to contribute to his team's offensive efforts. With 29 home runs and 62 stolen bases, Oberkfell demonstrated both power and speed, making him a well-rounded player during an era characterized by diverse playing styles.
Oberkfell played for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves, and was particularly noted for his contributions to the Cardinals during the 1980s. His tenure coincided with a competitive period in baseball marked by the emergence of power hitters and changing defensive strategies. Oberkfell's ability to adapt to different roles and positions within the infield made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. His career, highlighted by consistent performance and a strong work ethic, left a lasting impact on the franchises he represented, and he is remembered as a reliable player of his generation.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1602 | 4874 | 558 | 1354 | 237 | 44 | 29 | 446 | 62 | 546 | 356 | 0.278 | 0.351 | 0.362 | 0.713 | 1895.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | STL | NL | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | STL | NL | 24 | 50 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0.120 | -451.6 |
| 1979 | STL | NL | 135 | 369 | 53 | 111 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 35 | 4 | 57 | 35 | 0.301 | 823.4 |
| 1980 | STL | NL | 116 | 422 | 58 | 128 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 46 | 4 | 51 | 23 | 0.303 | 1011.4 |
| 1981 | STL | NL | 102 | 376 | 43 | 110 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 45 | 13 | 37 | 28 | 0.293 | 394.9 |
| 1982 | STL | NL | 137 | 470 | 55 | 136 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 11 | 40 | 31 | 0.289 | 91.0 |
| 1983 | STL | NL | 151 | 488 | 62 | 143 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 38 | 12 | 61 | 27 | 0.293 | 761.0 |
| 1984 | ATL | NL | 50 | 172 | 21 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 17 | 0.233 | -473.3 |
| 1984 | STL | NL | 50 | 152 | 17 | 47 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 10 | 0.309 | -473.3 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 134 | 412 | 30 | 112 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 1 | 51 | 38 | 0.272 | 234.6 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 151 | 503 | 62 | 136 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 48 | 7 | 83 | 40 | 0.270 | 509.0 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | 135 | 508 | 59 | 142 | 29 | 2 | 3 | 48 | 3 | 48 | 29 | 0.280 | -494.5 |
| 1988 | ATL | NL | 120 | 422 | 42 | 117 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 4 | 32 | 28 | 0.277 | -109.4 |
| 1988 | PIT | NL | 20 | 54 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0.222 | -109.4 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | 14 | 40 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1989 | SFG | NL | 83 | 116 | 17 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0.319 | 0.0 |
| 1990 | HOU | NL | 77 | 150 | 10 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 15 | 17 | 0.207 | -553.0 |
| 1991 | HOU | NL | 53 | 70 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 0.229 | -51.7 |
| 1992 | LAA | AL | 41 | 91 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0.264 | -219.7 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 49 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0.245 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NLCS | SFN | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1989 | WS | SFN | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.333 |
| 1982 | WS | SLN | 7 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0.292 |
| 1982 | NLCS | SLN | 3 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.200 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 43 | 28 | 261 | 22 | 2 | 21 |
| 2B | 402 | 310 | 683 | 979 | 27 | 192 |
| 3B | 1046 | 924 | 627 | 1996 | 96 | 180 |
| SS | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | SLN | 2B | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978 | SLN | 2B | 17 | 14 | 30 | 48 | 1 | 8 |
| 1978 | SLN | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | SLN | 2B | 117 | 96 | 213 | 323 | 8 | 65 |
| 1979 | SLN | 3B | 17 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| 1979 | SLN | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | SLN | 2B | 101 | 100 | 223 | 310 | 6 | 62 |
| 1980 | SLN | 3B | 16 | 13 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
| 1981 | SLN | 3B | 102 | 101 | 77 | 246 | 15 | 23 |
| 1981 | SLN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | SLN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | SLN | 3B | 135 | 131 | 78 | 304 | 11 | 23 |
| 1983 | SLN | 2B | 32 | 21 | 51 | 69 | 5 | 16 |
| 1983 | SLN | 3B | 127 | 107 | 79 | 231 | 13 | 27 |
| 1983 | SLN | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | ATL | 2B | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | ATL | 3B | 45 | 45 | 31 | 77 | 4 | 8 |
| 1984 | SLN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | SLN | 3B | 46 | 39 | 29 | 90 | 4 | 7 |
| 1984 | SLN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | ATL | 2B | 16 | 12 | 18 | 37 | 1 | 7 |
| 1985 | ATL | 3B | 117 | 101 | 70 | 220 | 11 | 19 |
| 1986 | ATL | 2B | 41 | 19 | 51 | 77 | 3 | 15 |
| 1986 | ATL | 3B | 130 | 119 | 65 | 258 | 8 | 24 |
| 1987 | ATL | 2B | 11 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 1987 | ATL | 3B | 126 | 120 | 76 | 248 | 7 | 20 |
| 1988 | ATL | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | ATL | 3B | 113 | 109 | 83 | 207 | 15 | 21 |
| 1988 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | PIT | 2B | 11 | 10 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 3 |
| 1988 | PIT | 3B | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | PIT | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | PIT | 1B | 9 | 9 | 75 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 1989 | PIT | 2B | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1989 | SFN | 1B | 7 | 3 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 1989 | SFN | 2B | 7 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 1989 | SFN | 3B | 38 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 | HOU | 1B | 11 | 7 | 69 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 1990 | HOU | 2B | 11 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| 1990 | HOU | 3B | 24 | 18 | 12 | 31 | 3 | 3 |
| 1991 | HOU | 1B | 13 | 7 | 66 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| 1991 | HOU | 3B | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | CAL | 1B | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | CAL | 2B | 21 | 17 | 34 | 34 | 1 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 43 |
| Second Base | 403 |
| Third Base | 1048 |
| Shortstop | 8 |
| Designated Hitter | 5 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | HOU | NL | $675,000 |
| 1990 | HOU | NL | $625,000 |
| 1989 | PIT | NL | $725,000 |
| 1988 | ATL | NL | $725,000 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | $725,000 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $825,000 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | $616,667 |
| Total Career Earnings | $4,916,667 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville | IL | 1975 |