Hubbs died at age 22 when the private plane he was piloting crashed in a snow storm near Provo, Utah prior to the 1964 season.

In his short big-league career he was an excellent fielder, already earning a Gold Glove Award; assessments of his hitting were more mixed, as he was still developing as a hitter.

[6] Ken was the second oldest of five boys, raised with brothers Keith, Gary, and twins Kirk and Kraig.

When he was a few months old, in the spring of 1942, Hubbs suffered a ruptured hernia, and wore a truss for five years until it healed while he was in kindergarten.

[10] Two future big league players played on the Schenectady team: Jim Barbieri and Billy Connors.

[11] The video includes a play where Hubbs ran from the shortstop position to back up the second baseman and caught a bloop fly into short right field.

Hubbs had stepped in a hole during a picnic, just before Colton's trip to the Little League World Series, breaking his toe.

He excelled in three sports, baseball, basketball and football at a national level and also competed in track as a high jumper.

Honored by the California Interscholastic Federation in all three sports, Hubbs was an All-Southern Section for two years in football, basketball and baseball, an achievement matched at the time, 1959, by only three others: Glenn Davis, Bill McColl and Marty Keough.

[12] A gifted athlete, Hubbs could pitch with either arm and at 6'2", could stand flat-footed under a basket, jump and dunk a basketball behind his head with both hands.

[13][8] In 1958, in a well-publicized basketball game at Long Beach City College against Santa Maria High School, Hubbs made a half-court shot to end the first half.

Playing outfield and shortstop in the all-rookie competition, Hubbs appeared in 59 games, had 198 at-bats and a batting average of .298.

The Cubs' Triple-A club, the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association, recalled Hubbs in October and then purchased his contract outright in November.

[19][8] In 1960, Hubbs began the season with the Class A Lancaster Red Roses of the Eastern League, where he hit .216 with 6 home runs and 47 RBI in 97 games and 366 at bats playing under manager Phil Cavarretta.

He finished 1960 by playing 38 games with the Class AA San Antonio Missions of the Texas League, hitting .220 with one home run and 9 RBI.

"Every day, Lou Klein and Bobby Adams would have me out there practicing the double play, thousands of times, I was almost ready to quit and go home.

With Wenatchee, Hubbs played 138 games, hitting .286 with nine home runs and 68 RBI, along with 20 doubles, six triples and nine stolen bases.

[20] Hubbs made his major league debut on September 10, 1961 against the Philadelphia Phillies, with three at-bats, two hits and one run batted in in a 12-5 Cub loss.

[25] Partway through the 1962 season, Cubs owner Philip Wrigley called Hubbs into his office, tore up his existing contract and doubled his salary.

[8] Hubbs was well liked by his teammates, who included future Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Lou Brock.

Hubbs had not filed a flight plan but told airport staff that the pair were heading for Morrow Field near Colton, California.

[4] Euliss Hubbs, Ken's father, reported that they had not arrived in Colton by Friday the 14th, prompting a search in areas of Utah, Nevada and California along the possible flight path.

There was no radio contact with Hubbs after takeoff, prompting Utah's civil aeronautics director, Harlon Bement, to suspect "the plane could be fairly close [by].

Services were held in the Colton High School Whitmer Auditorium because of the huge crowd, and the automobile procession to his burial was two miles long.

Fellow Cubs Ron Santo, Ernie Banks, Glen Hobbie and Don Elston were among the pallbearers.

"[30] Ernie Banks said, "Any athlete who ever played with Hubbs will dedicate the rest of his career to Ken because he was the zenith in inspiration and enthusiasm as well as desire and determination.

"[7] Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Kenneth Douglass Hubbs was more than just another baseball player.

"[8][25] Lou Boudreau, who then was a Cubs' radio announcer, said, "At the time he died, I felt he was on his way to a Hall of Fame career.

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley donated gate receipts and other monies from a May 4, 1964 Cubs-Dodgers game to the foundation.

[25] Since 1964, the Ken Hubbs Award has been given to the best high school male athletes in the greater San Bernardino, California area.