Short for Cletus, which is almost as bad as his brother’s name, Cloyd. Today if you name your kid Cloyd you get reported to Family Services.

Anyway, Clete was only a lifetime .242 hitter, low for a third baseman, but his glove made up for it. The sixties Yank teams he played for had enough offense, so his glove more than paid for itself. Yes, Brooks Robinson had a great glove, but Clete was close to him if not his peer. Clete also had 162 career HR’s, he had some power. Finished his career with the Braves for six years, quite a long career in total. Coached with the Yanks also.

 I remember a game at the Stadium as a kid, sitting maybe 12 rows back behind Yank dugout. After the other team made out, the Yanks would stream back to the dugout. Boyer was the only one would stare into the stands and and scope the fans out intently every time, surveying for good looking women I suppose, a small thing I noticed at the time, but  never forgot. I can still see him doing that “in my mind’s eye”, and thought of it as soon as I heard he died. R.I.P.