Ken Oberkfell

Infobox MLB retired
name =Ken Oberkfell
bgcolor1 =#c41e3a
bgcolor2 =#c41e3a
textcolor1 =white
textcolor2 =white


width =
caption =
position =Third base
birthdate =birth date and age|1956|5|4
deathdate =
bats =Left
throws =Right
debutdate =August 22
debutyear =1977
debutteam =St. Louis Cardinals
finaldate =October 4
finalyear =1992
finalteam =Los Angeles Angels
stat1label =BA
stat1value =.278
stat2label =Hits
stat2value =1354
stat3label =RBI
stat3value =446
teams =
* St. Louis Cardinals (1977-1984)
* Atlanta Braves (1984-1988)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (1988-1989)
* San Francisco Giants (1989)
* Houston Astros (1990-1991)
* Los Angeles Angels (1992)
highlights =
* World Series champion (1982)

Kenneth Raymond Oberkfell (born May 4, 1956, in Highland, Illinois) was a Major League Baseball player whose Major League career spanned the better part of 16 seasons. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions. He also served as the manager of the New Orleans Zephyrs from January 4, 2007 until June 17, 2008. He currently serves as first base coach for the New York Mets.

Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1975, Oberkfell would make his Major League Baseball debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on August 22, 1977, and appear in his final game on October 4, 1992. Oberkfell was a member of the 1982 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, hitting .292 in that series. During his stint with the pennant winning San Francisco Giants, the team held an Oberkfellfest in his honor at Candlestick Park.

After his retirement as a player in 1992, Oberkfell embarked on a successful managerial career that saw him named Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America in 2005.

On June 17, 2008, he was promoted from his managerial position with the Mets' AAA New Orleans affiliate to the Mets' first base coach, replacing the Tom Nieto.

Famous beard

Oberkfell was part of the "Bearded Braves" triumvirate along with Glenn Hubbard and Bruce Sutter. He told Neil Holfeld of the Houston Chronicle in a May 17, 1985 story that, "the beards make us stand out from the clean cut Dale Murphy types. Consider us a modern era House of David team."

External links

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Persondata
NAME=Oberkfell, Kenneth Raymond
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Oberkfell, Ken
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Baseball player and manager
DATE OF BIRTH=May 4, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH=Highland, Illinois
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=