[dennis_keith]

Just a .254 lifetime hitter, and probably not that well-remembered outside of Boston, but Dick Gernert played 11 consecutive seasons in the big leagues (1952-1962), his first 8, through 1959 with the Boston Red Sox and hit 103 career home runs. Mostly a platoon first baseman, but he did have two seasons where he played regularly enough to qualify for the batting title and he produced those years with 21 Home runs and 71 RBI in 1953 and 20 Home Runs and 69 RBI in 1958. He stuck around the big leagues scene long enough to become one of the original Astros for Houston's expansion franchise in 1962. He also played with the Cubs, Reds and Tigers in the early '60s, his final career years.