Fun Facts about Ken Singleton

[Tony-OH]

https://www.facebook.com/OriolesHangout

Some Fun Fact about Ken Singleton. What are yours?

1) Drew 100 walks of more in four separate seasons but never led any league in walks.

2) 3 time All-Star whose career .388 OBP is 112th best all time.

3) Possessed a good arm leading the National League in assists (21) in 1973 while playing mostly LF.

4) Terribly slow with limited range in the outfield, he stole just 21 bases in 57 tries and put up a -17.8 dWAR during his career before mercifully being moved to DH late in his career.

5) Walked (1263) more than he struck out (1246) in career

6) Despite having limited range, he was sure-handed and and accurate thrower finishing 1st or 2nd in the league in fielding percentage 5 times in his career including committing no errors in 1981.

7) Finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1979 despite his 5.2 rWAR being 14th in AL. Don Baylor, who was a DH mostly, won it with just a 3.7 rWAR. Fred Lynn topped the AL with an incredible 8.8 rWAR.

8) Currently a New York Yankee broadcaster but still lives outside of Baltimore.

[mdbdotcom]

Watching Singleton chase down a ball in the RF corner of Memorial Stadium was painful. He made Markakis look like a sprinter.

[mdbdotcom]

He also hit home runs the days Flanny pitched.

[waroriole]

I'm too young to have seen him play, so my only exposure to him is as an overly obnoxious announcer for the MFY.

I know people say he's just upset with the ownership, but he sells it way too much.

[weams]

I know people say he's just upset with the ownership, but he sells it way too much.

It's a gimmick. That works well with his present employment. Always very personable in any social setting I have seen him in. Just wants to build on his history here and justify why he is where he is.

[SteveA]

Before every at bat he picked up three pebbles from the dirt and tossed them over his shoulder.

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[OFFNY]

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1) Beat Mickey Rivers by 2 points for the Bronze in the 1977 batting title.

GOLD: Rod Carew (.388)

SILVER: Lyman Boston (.336)

BRONZE: Ken Singleton (.328)

4th Place: Mickey Rivers (.326)

7th Place: Al Bumbry (.317)

2) Accidentally hit Ron Guidry with the bat while striking out against him in 1978. Singleton let go of the bat when he swung, and it landed on Guidry's ankle.

3) Although he grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, right next to the Bronx, he WAS NOT a Yankee fan. Singleton's father was a NY Giants (baseball) fan, and Singleton himself was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.

4) What originally looked like a lopsided trade in favor of the Mets wound up benefiting both teams (the Expos and the Mets) just prior to the 1972 season.

Rusty Staub wound up knocking down fences for the Mets for 4 years (1972-1975), helping lead them to the National League Pennant and a trip to the World Series in 1973.

The Expos did not fare badly in the long run either, as they acquired Singleton, who came into his own in Montreal (23 HR, 100 RBI, 100 Runs Scored, a league-leading .425 OBP in 1973), Tim Foli, who was an excellent defensive shortstop for the Canadians from 1972 through early 1977, and Mike Jorgensen, who had a .365 OBP for 5-plus season for the Expos from 1972 through early 1977.

5) After having a sub-par season for the Expos in 1974, Singleton found out why after he was traded to the Orioles and went back to hitting well in 1975 ...... he was allergic to the wool uniforms that the Expos had been using that season.

[clapdiddy]

Before every at bat he picked up three pebbles from the dirt and tossed them over his shoulder.

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I thought he just flicked them behind him.

EDIT: I was right...not trying to brag...but go to the 19:15 mark here:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU3KqggB2es" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[mdbdotcom]

He grew up in a home previously owned by Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca, the fellow who gave up the home run to Bobby Thompson known as the shot hears 'round the world.

[Ohfan67]

I thought he just flicked them behind him.

EDIT: I was right...not trying to brag...but go to the 19:15 mark here:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NU3KqggB2es" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

During his at bat the camera focused on his at bat. Cosell said, "a man can smile with a broad like that." Wow! I guess I was not old enough or aware enough to remember comments like that on national tv.

[DrungoHazewood]

6) Despite having limited range, he was sure-handed and and accurate thrower finishing 1st or 2nd in the league in fielding percentage 5 times in his career including committing no errors in 1981.

That's my go-to counter evidence whenever someone says fielding percentage is meaningful. Kenny successfully fielded all six balls he managed to get to in 1981. Slight exaggeration...

I also remember Singleton's off year in, I don't know, might have been 1982, or it could have been his last year, '84. He was having particular trouble from one side of the plate and the announcers said they'd done some tests and found out one of his arms was significantly weaker than the other. That caused the discrepancy, and he'd started some targeted exercises and weightlifting to try to fix it.

[weams]

During his at bat the camera focused on his at bat. Cosell said, "a man can smile with a broad like that." Wow! I guess I was not old enough or aware enough to remember comments like that on national tv.

I remember when they smoked. And when the Marlboro man was the commercial.

[mdbdotcom]

That's my go-to counter evidence whenever someone says fielding percentage is meaningful. Kenny successfully fielded all six balls he managed to get to in 1981. Slight exaggeration...

I also remember Singleton's off year in, I don't know, might have been 1982, or it could have been his last year, '84. He was having particular trouble from one side of the plate and the announcers said they'd done some tests and found out one of his arms was significantly weaker than the other. That caused the discrepancy, and he'd started some targeted exercises and weightlifting to try to fix it.

I used to say that when they tore down Memorial Stadium, they first had to move Kenny Singleton out of right field, where he was still chasing down a ball in the corner.

[DrungoHazewood]

There have been 1808 player-seasons in modern Oriole history. In other words, Adam Jones has eight seasons he's appeared in for the O's, so that's eight of the 1808. If you rank all 1808 by fWAR Singleton has five seasons in the top 100, with his best being 41st place with his 5.7-win 1979. His 1984 season, worth -1.8 wins, is ranked 1806th, ahead of only Felix Pie's 2011, and Billy Ripken's 1988.

[mdbdotcom]

There have been 1808 player-seasons in modern Oriole history. In other words, Adam Jones has eight seasons he's appeared in for the O's, so that's eight of the 1808. If you rank all 1808 by fWAR Singleton has five seasons in the top 100, with his best being 41st place with his 5.7-win 1979. His 1984 season, worth -1.8 wins, is ranked 1806th, ahead of only Felix Pie's 2011, and Billy Ripken's 1988.

Hank Peters wanted to let all the old guys go (Palmer, Singleton, Bumbry) after the 1983 WS season, but EBW wouldn't let him. When a team has success, owners and fans want to keep the band together.