Ken Retzer
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1961-1964)
Ken Retzer was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1964 for the Washington Senators, a span of 4 seasons. In 237 career games, he hit .264 with 182 hits, 14 home runs, and 72 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/17/2020 in Sun City, AZ, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1961-09-09
- Last Game
- 1964-10-03
Full name: Kenneth Leo Retzer
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 237 | 690 | 65 | 182 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 72 | 5 | 52 | 50 | .264 | .316 | .367 | .683 | -46 |
Career AVG .264 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .316 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .367 vs. league average .385 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .683 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 16 | 53 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | .340 | .258 (+31%) | .328 (+18%) | .399 (+18%) | .727 (+18%) | 157.8 |
| 1962 | WS2 | AL | 109 | 340 | 36 | 97 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 37 | 2 | 26 | 21 | .285 | .257 (+11%) | .326 (+3%) | .393 (+2%) | .719 (+2%) | 122.5 |
| 1963 | WS2 | AL | 95 | 265 | 21 | 64 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 31 | 2 | 17 | 20 | .242 | .246 (-2%) | .308 (-6%) | .371 (-10%) | .680 (-8%) | -326.2 |
| 1964 | WS2 | AL | 17 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | .094 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 237 | 690 | 65 | 182 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 72 | 5 | 52 | 50 | .264 | — | — | — | — | -46 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (237 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 118 | 329 | 30 | 86 | 6 | 33 | .261 |
| Away | 119 | 361 | 35 | 96 | 8 | 38 | .266 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-10-03 | TEX | BOS | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1964-10-01 | TEX | BAL | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-09-23 | TEX | BOS | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-09-20 | TEX | CHW | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-09-16 | TEX | CLE | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964-05-09 | TEX | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964-05-06 | TEX | NYY | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-05-05 | TEX | BAL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-04-29 | TEX | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964-04-28 | TEX | LAA | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 209 |
Ken Retzer: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 9, 1961 and the final game on October 3, 1964, Ken Retzer built the record summarized on this page. The team column never changes: it is the Washington Senators from 1961 to 1964. Born on April 30, 1934, in Wood River, IL, USA, Retzer is listed as a catcher and batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Size on record: 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds. Retzer's death is recorded on May 17, 2020, in Sun City, AZ, USA. Ken Retzer was the playing name; the full given name is Kenneth Leo.
Retzer's career batting table shows 237 games, 690 at bats and 182 hits, a .264 average, along with 14 homers and 72 runs batted in. Retzer's career OPS of .683 combines a .316 on-base mark with .367 slugging. Against a .253 league average for those years, Retzer's .264 average was near the norm. 1962 produced Retzer's most hits, 97 of them for the Washington Senators. The Lg AVG column puts Retzer's 1962 at .285 against .257, the widest margin among the busiest seasons at 11%.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ken Retzer
- What years did Ken Retzer play?
- Ken Retzer played in Major League Baseball from 1961 to 1964.
- Was Ken Retzer a pitcher?
- No. Ken Retzer was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Ken Retzer hit?
- Ken Retzer hit 14 career home runs with 182 hits.
- What was Ken Retzer's career batting average?
- Ken Retzer batted .264 over his career, with 182 hits in 690 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ken Retzer have?
- Ken Retzer drove in 72 runs in his career.
- Is Ken Retzer in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ken Retzer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.