Ken Singleton

Infobox MLB retired
name=Ken Singleton

---

position=Outfielder / Designated Hitter
bats=Switch
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1947|6|10
Manhattan, New York
deathdate=
debutdate=June 24
debutyear=by|1970
debutteam=New York Mets
finaldate=September 25
finalyear=by|1984
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.282
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=246
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=1,065
teams=
* New York Mets (by|1970-by|1971)
* Montreal Expos (by|1972-by|1974)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1975-by|1984)
highlights=
* 3x All-Star selection (1977, 1979, 1981)
* World Series champion (1983)
* 1982 Roberto Clemente Award

Kenneth Wayne Singleton (born June 10 1947) is a retired American Major League Baseball outfielder/designated hitter and current television announcer. Born in Manhattan, New York City and raised in nearby Mount Vernon, Singleton played both baseball and basketball in high school, and also played baseball in the Bronx Federation League at Macombs Dam Park, across the street from Yankee Stadium.

Baseball career

Out of Hofstra University, Singleton was drafted 3rd overall in 1967 by the New York Mets, with whom he began his career in 1970. Singleton played for the Mets through the 1971 season. 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 runs, 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. His batting average of .328 in 1977, good for third in the league, was a career high, and he posted 35 homers and 111 RBIs in 1979, also the best totals of his career in those departments. He retired after the 1984 season.

An All-Star in 1977, 1979 and 1981, he won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1982. His highest finish in MVP balloting was in 1979, when he finished 2nd to Don Baylor. He was third in 1977, behind Al Cowens and the winner, Rod Carew.

Broadcasting career

Currently, Singleton is a commentator for the New York Yankees on the YES Network, serving as both a color commentator and play-by-play announcer (when Michael Kay is unavailable). He also worked as a television announcer for Yankee games on the MSG Network, before the inception of YES and joined the Yankees broadcasting team in 1997. He has worked as a television and radio announcer for the Expos and as a color commentator for Fox. 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.

Personal life

Singleton is a cousin of former NBA player and current Boston Celtics head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers, [ [http://www.nba.com/coachfile/doc_rivers/index.html?nav=page Doc Rivers Coaching Info] at NBA.com] [ [http://www.insidehoops.com/coach/doc-rivers.shtml InsideHoops.com - Doc Rivers ] ] and the father of 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. [ [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092633/index.htm] ]

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* List of major league players with 2,000 hits
* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
* Montreal Expos all-time roster

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=s/singlke01 |fangraphs=1012011 |cube=S/ken-singleton