Ya Gotta Believe 40th Anniversary Player Profile: Ken Boswell

By Rich Sparago
facebooktwitterreddit

This week’s tribute to the 1973 Mets goes to infielder, Ken Boswell. In his career, Boswell primarily played second base, but played a little bit at third base as well. In 1973, Boswell was hurt for part of the season, appearing in only 73 games. In that season, Boswell hit .227 with 2 home runs and 14 RBI. Boswell had one at-bat in the NLCS against the Reds, and was hitless. However, in the World Series against the As, Boswell was 3 for 3 with a run scored. Ken also saw action in the 1969 post-season. He hit .333 against the Braves in the NLCS (with 2 home runs), and he also hit .333 in the World Series against Baltimore.

Aug 17, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baseball gloves of the Pittsburgh Pirates sit along the dugout rail waiting use in the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets drafted Ken Boswell in 1965, and he made his major league debut in 1967. Boswell spent 8 years with the Mets, and posted a composite average of .250 with 31 home runs. Boswell was traded to the Houston Astros after the 1974 season for Bob Gallagher. Boswell played for 3 years in Houston, posting a combined batting average of .242 with no home runs. Overall in his 11-year career, Boswell hit .248 with 31 home runs.

Ken Boswell now resides in his native Austin, Texas. He is in the antique car business. There are rumors that he has a strained relationship with the Mets organization, stemming from his trade to the Astros in 1974. Whether or not those rumors are true, Boswell has not been seen around the organization very often since he retired from baseball after the 1977 season (at the age of 30). That’s a shame, because Boswell was a solid player, who contributed both as a starter and off the bench. This week’s Rising Apple hat tip goes to Ken Boswell, a steady member of the pennant-winning 1973 Mets.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow@RisingAppleBlog on Twitter and Instagram, and Like Rising Apple’s Facebook page to keep up with the latest news, rumors, and opinion.

facebooktwitterreddit