Ken Boswell

Kenneth George Boswell

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 172 lb.
• School Sam Houston State College
• High School W.B. Travis High School
• Debut September 18, 1967
• Final Game October 1, 1977
• Born February 23, 1946 in Austin, TX USA

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Biographical Information

“When I get home to Austin they are going to have a Welcome Home Ken Boswell Parade. I hope they mean me and not some other Ken Boswell.” - Ken Boswell to Sports Illustrated, October 27, 1969

Texan Ken Boswell was a sure-handed second baseman who possessed only limited range. A left-handed batter, he became an excellent pinch-hitter with the Houston Astros when his playing days with the New York Mets came to an end after the 1974 season.

Originally called up at the end of 1967, Ken was the Mets' starting second baseman (at least against right-handers) from 1969 to 1972, playing over 100 games each season. During the Mets run to the 1969 championship, where they won 38 of their last 49 regular season games, Boswell was a major cog in the run scoring machine. He had 37 hits in 91 at-bats during those 49 games, a batting average of .407, with 7 doubles and 3 triples. If the 17 walks he received in those games are considered, he reached base in half of his trips to the dish (54 times in 108 plate appearances). In the 1969 NLCS, Boswell hit 2 home runs in the Mets' three-game sweep of the Braves. However, Wayne Garrett got to start in the Fall Classic, with Boswell only starting Game 3 against Jim Palmer, going 1 for 3 with a run scored, as the Baltimore Orioles started left-handers Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally in the other four games.

In 1973, the Mets acquired Felix Millan to play second base, and Boswell moved from irregular duties to pinch-hitting specialist. He tied a record with three pinch hits in the World Series against the A's. After the 1974 season, he was traded to the Astros for outfielder Bob Gallagher and spent his final three seasons as a pinch-hitter and utility man.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1969

Related Sites

• Ken Boswell at the SABR Bio Project