Lou Boudreau

High school

Thornton Township High School

College

University of Illinois

Pro team(s)

Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox

Hall of Fame

⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame

Lou Boudreau was born in Harvey, Illinois, and starred at Thornton Township High School and the University of Illinois before joining the Cleveland Indians at 20. By 24 he was the Indians' player-manager — the youngest to serve in that dual role in modern big-league history. In 1948 he led both his own stats (batting .355 with 18 homers) and his team to the World Series title, earning AL MVP honors along the way. Known for inventing the "Williams Shift" to neutralize Ted Williams, Boudreau was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970.