Ken Singleton
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Wayne Singleton (born June 10, 1947) is an American
former professional
baseball
player and current television sports commentator
. He played as an outfielder
and designated hitter
in Major League Baseball
for the New York Mets
, Montreal Expos
, and Baltimore Orioles
.
, New York City
, and raised in nearby Mount Vernon
, Singleton played both baseball and basketball in high school. He also played baseball
in the Bronx Federation League at Macombs Dam Park
, across the street from Yankee Stadium. Singleton was drafted out of Hofstra University
by the New York Mets
as the third overall pick in the 1st round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
. He made his major league debut with the Mets on June 24, 1970
at the age of 23. In April 1972, he was part of a package traded to the Montreal Expos
for Rusty Staub
.
Singleton's best year of the three in Montreal was 1973
, when he led the league in on-base percentage (one of nine top-ten finishes in that category over the course of his career) and collected 23 home run
s, 103 RBIs and a .302 batting average
(first .300 season). Following the 1974 season, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
.
During his ten years in Baltimore, Singleton played the best baseball of his career as the Orioles won two pennants, in 1979 and 1983, and won the 1983 World Series
. In 1977
, he posted a career-high .328 batting average, third highest in the American League. In 1979
he had career-highs with 35 homer runs and 111 RBIs. Singleton played in his final major league game on September 25, 1984
at the age of 37.
, accumulating 2,029 hits
in 7,189 at bats for a .282 career batting average along with 246 home runs, 1,065 runs batted in and an on base percentage
of .388. He had a career .980 fielding percentage
. Singleton ranks among the Orioles all-time leaders in numerous offensive statistics. An All-Star
in 1977, 1979 and 1981, he won the Roberto Clemente Award
in 1982. His highest finish in the Most Valuable Player Award balloting was in , when he finished second to Don Baylor
. He was third in , behind Al Cowens
and the winner, Rod Carew
.
on the YES Network
, serving as both a color commentator
and play-by-play announcer (when Michael Kay is unavailable). He also worked as an announcer for Yankee games on the MSG Network
, before the inception of YES and joined the Yankees broadcasting team in 1997.
After retiring as a baseball player, Singleton began his broadcasting career as a sportscaster for WJZ-TV
in Baltimore in the middle 1980s and, has worked for TSN
(The Sports Network) as a television color commentator and as a radio color commentator on Montreal Expos broadcasts and as a color commentator for Fox Sports
. His famous calls include "This one is gone" for a home run and "Lookout!" for a hard hit foul ball into the crowd or dugout, or when a pitch comes close to/hits a batter. He will also occasionally call a pitch a "chuck and duck" for a ball hit right back toward the pitcher.
In the 2003 edition of the Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James, James' wife Susan McCarthy picked Ken Singleton and Carlton Fisk as the best looking players in the 1970s. Upon reading the entry, Singleton sent her a thank you card.
player and current Boston Celtics
head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers
, and the father of former minor league outfielder Justin Singleton.
Singleton grew up in a house in Mount Vernon, New York, once owned by the family of former Brooklyn Dodger Ralph Branca
. According to broadcast references, Singleton still resides in the Baltimore, MD, area.
Singleton also sits on the Board of Directors for the Cool Kids Campaign, a non-profit organization based in Cockeysville, MD. One of Singleton's roles on the Board of Directors is to host the Celebrity Golf Tournament each June.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and current television sports commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Baseball career
Born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and raised in nearby Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
, Singleton played both baseball and basketball in high school. He also played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the Bronx Federation League at Macombs Dam Park
Macombs Dam Park
Macombs Dam Park is a park in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The park is situated in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, between Jerome Avenue and the Major Deegan Expressway, near the Harlem River and the Macombs Dam Bridge. The park is administered and maintained by the New York City...
, across the street from Yankee Stadium. Singleton was drafted out of Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
as the third overall pick in the 1st round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
1967 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The June draft was filled with talented prospects who would go on to pro careers...
. He made his major league debut with the Mets on June 24, 1970
1970 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 9th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Led by manager Gil Hodges, the team had a 83-79 record yielding a third place finish in the National League's Eastern Division.- Offseason :...
at the age of 23. In April 1972, he was part of a package traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
for Rusty Staub
Rusty Staub
Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder, designated hitter, and first baseman. He enjoyed a 23-year baseball career with 5 different teams...
.
Singleton's best year of the three in Montreal was 1973
1973 Montreal Expos season
-Offseason:* January 10, 1973: Dan Boitano was drafted by the Expos in the 2nd round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft , but did not sign.* February 28, 1973: Carl Morton was traded by the Expos to the Atlanta Braves for Pat Jarvis....
, when he led the league in on-base percentage (one of nine top-ten finishes in that category over the course of his career) and collected 23 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 103 RBIs and a .302 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(first .300 season). Following the 1974 season, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
During his ten years in Baltimore, Singleton played the best baseball of his career as the Orioles won two pennants, in 1979 and 1983, and won the 1983 World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
. In 1977
1977 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing second in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 64 losses.- Offseason :* November 1, 1976: Darryl Cias was released by the Orioles....
, he posted a career-high .328 batting average, third highest in the American League. In 1979
1979 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1979 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The Orioles finished first in the American League East division of Major League Baseball with a record of 102 wins and 57 losses...
he had career-highs with 35 homer runs and 111 RBIs. Singleton played in his final major league game on September 25, 1984
1984 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 5th in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 78 losses.- Offseason :...
at the age of 37.
Career statistics
In a fifteen-year major league career, Singleton played in 2,082 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 2,029 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 7,189 at bats for a .282 career batting average along with 246 home runs, 1,065 runs batted in and an on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .388. He had a career .980 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. Singleton ranks among the Orioles all-time leaders in numerous offensive statistics. An All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1977, 1979 and 1981, he won the Roberto Clemente Award
Roberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame...
in 1982. His highest finish in the Most Valuable Player Award balloting was in , when he finished second to Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
. He was third in , behind Al Cowens
Al Cowens
Alfred Edward Cowens, Jr. was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From through , Cowens played for the Kansas City Royals , California Angels , Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners . He batted and threw right-handed.A native of Los Angeles, California, Cowens was a product of the Kansas...
and the winner, Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
.
Broadcasting career
Currently, Singleton is a commentator for the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
, serving as both a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
and play-by-play announcer (when Michael Kay is unavailable). He also worked as an announcer for Yankee games on the MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, before the inception of YES and joined the Yankees broadcasting team in 1997.
After retiring as a baseball player, Singleton began his broadcasting career as a sportscaster for WJZ-TV
WJZ-TV
WJZ-TV, channel 13, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Baltimore, Maryland. WJZ-TV's studios and offices are located on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore, adjacent to the transmission tower it shares with four other Baltimore...
in Baltimore in the middle 1980s and, has worked for TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
(The Sports Network) as a television color commentator and as a radio color commentator on Montreal Expos broadcasts and as a color commentator for Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
. His famous calls include "This one is gone" for a home run and "Lookout!" for a hard hit foul ball into the crowd or dugout, or when a pitch comes close to/hits a batter. He will also occasionally call a pitch a "chuck and duck" for a ball hit right back toward the pitcher.
In the 2003 edition of the Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James, James' wife Susan McCarthy picked Ken Singleton and Carlton Fisk as the best looking players in the 1970s. Upon reading the entry, Singleton sent her a thank you card.
Personal life
Singleton is a cousin of former NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player and current Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
, and the father of former minor league outfielder Justin Singleton.
Singleton grew up in a house in Mount Vernon, New York, once owned by the family of former Brooklyn Dodger Ralph Branca
Ralph Branca
Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.From 1944 through 1956, Branca played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Detroit Tigers , and New York Yankees...
. According to broadcast references, Singleton still resides in the Baltimore, MD, area.
Singleton also sits on the Board of Directors for the Cool Kids Campaign, a non-profit organization based in Cockeysville, MD. One of Singleton's roles on the Board of Directors is to host the Celebrity Golf Tournament each June.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1,000 runs batted in