A Midcentury Modern-style home built for baseball legend Ralph Kiner proved to be a hit in the Rancho Mirage housing market, selling for $1.133 million, or $38,000 more than the asking price.
The property, which came up for sale in January and sold in about a month, was designed by architect E. Stewart Williams. Williams designed scores of homes across the Coachella Valley, including Frank Sinatra’s famous Twin Palms house, the chic Edris House and the Palm Springs Desert Museum.
The stylish abode built for Kiner sits on a quarter-acre in Thunderbird Country Club. Dating to the 1950s, it was the second one built in the community.
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The low-lying residence packs three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms into a single story. Splashes of brick and burnt orange adorn the otherwise white exterior, which features a hedge-lined driveway and landscaped courtyard.
Inside, an expansive open floor plan anchors the 2,444-square-foot interior. Lined with glass and topped by wood beams, the living space includes a formal living room, an open dining area and a kitchen with rounded countertops. A wall of stone holds a fireplace. Limestone floors run underneath.
Outside, palm trees border the saltwater pool and spa.
Chuck Bennett of HK Lane Real Estate was the listing agent. Ed Borquez of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.
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Kiner spent a decade in the major leagues, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, making six all-star teams and leading the National League in home runs seven times. After retiring, he served as an announcer for the New York Mets and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
He died in 2014 at age 91.