Ron Swoboda

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Ronald Alan "Ron" Swoboda (born June 30, 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a former Major League Baseball player, debuting with the New York Mets on April 12, 1965. He played his final major league game with the New York Yankees, on September 30, 1973.

Swoboda joined the Mets as a 19-year-old in 1965 and hit 2 home runs in his first 4 Major League at bats. He set a club record for home runs by a rookie that year with 19, which was also his career single-season best. His output fell off in 1966, when, after commenting during a TV interview that he loved hitting fastballs, he hit only eight home runs and batted .222, as pitchers started throwing him a lot of breaking balls. He had perhaps his best year in 1967, hitting .281.

During his early years with the Mets, he acquired the nickname "Rocky" as a result of his less-than-reliable fielding. Although he possessed a strong throwing arm, a fly ball hit in his direction was, by no means, a sure out. Many Mets fans have unwanted memories of Swoboda circling helplessly under fly balls that he should have caught, but didn't.

Swoboda wore number 14 as a rookie in 1965. When the Mets acquired third baseman Ken Boyer from the Cardinals that winter, they granted him number 14, which he'd worn in St. Louis. Swoboda wore number 17 briefly during spring training in 1966, then eventually took number 4.

In the 1969 World Series, Swoboda, not known for his fielding, made a spectacular rally-snuffing catch of a ball hit by the Baltimore Orioles' Brooks Robinson in the 9th inning of Game Four. A photograph of Swoboda, stretched almost horizontally, just inches off the ground, became an iconic image for Mets fans. The Mets won the game in the 10th inning, and subsequently, the World Series.

Swoboda's other highlights had been in September of that championship season. The St. Louis Cardinals' Steve Carlton struck out 19 Mets, setting a major league record, but lost the game 4-3 by allowing a pair of two-run home runs, both hit by Swoboda (who also struck out twice in the game; in all four at-bats in the game Carlton had two strikes on Swoboda). A few days earlier, Swoboda hit a grand slam home run in Pittsburgh, propelling the Mets to a 5-2 win over the Pirates.

In 1971, Swoboda and minor leaguer Rich Hacker were traded to the Montreal Expos in exchange for young outfielder Don Hahn; later that year, the Expos traded Swoboda to the New York Yankees. He was released by the Yankees in 1973, and signed with the Atlanta Braves during spring training of 1974. The Braves, however, released him on March 25, 1974, after which Swoboda retired from baseball.

After his retirement from the baseball, Swoboda worked as a television sportscaster in New York City on WCBS-TV and for many years at WVUE in New Orleans. He also worked at Cox Television. Ron is currently the color commentator for telecasts of games played by the New Orleans Zephyrs, the AAA farm club of the New York Mets.

[edit] See also

• Montreal Expos all-time roster

[edit] External links

• Baseball-Reference.com