ST. LOUIS — One of the key Cardinals of the 1970s and 1980 has died.
Former Cardinals third baseman Ken Reitz passed away recently, his family announced on Thursday.
Reitz was drafted by the Cardinals in the 31st round of the 1969 MLB Draft. He played for St. Louis from 1972-1975, and then again from 1977-1980. As a Cardinal, Reitz was an All-Star in 1980 and a Gold Glover at third base in 1975. He was a .263 hitter during his time in St. Louis, accumulating 1,033 hits, 61 home runs and 454 RBI.
But Reitz was more known for his slick fielding skills in St. Louis, where he earned the nickname, "The Zamboni."
"On behalf of my dad and my family I'd like to thank the Cardinals organization for allowing my father to live out his dream. Also Cardinals fans for the endless support over the years. The only thing my dad loved as much as his family was baseball," Reitz's son Brett said in a statement released by the Cardinals. "He ate, slept and breathed baseball and truly loved the city of St. Louis and the Cardinals. The loss of 'Grandpa Kenny', as his six grandkids called him, is heartbreaking. He will be truly missed."
Reitz, a native of San Francisco, also played for the Giants, Cubs and Pirates during his 11-year big league career. He played in 1,344 games overall with an overall batting average of .260.
The Cardinals recently lost Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Bob Gibson at the end of the 2020 season as well.