Dec. 14, 1963 - Carl Yastrzemski, 24-year-old Boston Red Sox outfielder, won the American League batting title in 1963, official averages confirmed today. It was the fifth time in the last seven years that a Red Sox player had finished on top. Yastrzemski, a left-handed hitter, wound up with a .321 mark. Only three others among those who qualified for the crown with a minimum of 502 plate appearances batted .300 or higher. They were Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers, .312; Rich Rollins, Minnesota Twins, .307; and Albie Pearson, Los Angeles Angels, .304. Yastrzemski, who is from Southampton, N.Y., and a Notre Dame alumnus, hit .266 in 1961, his rookie year with the Red Sox, and .296 the following year. Ted Williams of Boston captured the crown in 1957 and 1958, while Pete Runnels, then a Red Sox infielder, won it in 1960 and 1962. Yastrzemski also led in hits, with 183, and doubles, with 40. Dick Stuart, Boston’s slugging first baseman, was the pace-setter in runs batted in, 118, and total bases, 319. Minnesota’s Harmon Killebrew again led the league in home runs with 45. Luis Aparicio of the Baltimore Orioles led in stolen bases for the eighth consecutive season with 40.
