Ralph Kiner, Alhambra’s Baseball Star

Ralph Kiner, Alhambra’s Baseball Hall of Famer is memorialized with a statue at Almansor Park just west of the baseball fields (Photo – Joyce Amaro)

Alhambra has had more than its share of great athletes, but none have been greater than Ralph McPherran Kiner.

By Joyce Amaro

Known as the “Maulin’ Moor,” Kiner played at Alhambra High School (1938-1940). Kiner enlisted in the U.S. Navy on the day after Pearl Harbor and served as a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II. He returned to play professional baseball (1946-1955) and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. His career then took him into the broadcast booth where he announced major league baseball games for another 52 years (1961-2013).

In September, the Alhambra Historical Society presented their fall program “Swinging for the Fences — Alhambra’s Baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner.” The evening’s presenter was Joe Castillo, Alhambra Historical Society Board Trustee and Treasurer, author of five historical books and a historical column for the San Gabriel Valley Examiner.

The Alhambra Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working towards preserving Alhambra’s history and educating residents about the historically significant people and places that are unique to Alhambra and surrounding San Gabriel Valley. The Alhambra Historical Society Museum is located at 1550 West Alhambra Road, Alhambra and is open from 1:00 – 4:00 pm on the first and third Saturday of every month.

> For more information, visit alhambrahistoricalsociety.org.