Leonard Joseph Stephen Boehmer (born June 28, 1941) is a retired

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

player who appeared in 50

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Baseball ...

between the and seasons for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

. Primarily a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the major ...

, but also a

utility infielder In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...

, he was listed at tall and and threw and batted

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

. Boehmer grew up in

Flint Hill, Missouri Flint Hill is a town in northwestern St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 525 at the 2010 census. History Flint Hill was officially founded in 1838 by Captain Taliferro P. Grantham. The community took its name from Fl ...

, a town of about 100 residents. He attended

St. Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

and after his sophomore year, with both the Reds and Yankees showing interest in him, he signed with the Reds in 1961 for an $18,000 bonus. He was in his seventh season in the Cincinnati farm system when he was recalled for his Major League debut on June 18, 1967. In his first

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

, as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American ...

for

Gerry Arrigo Gerald William Arrigo (born June 12, 1941) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 194 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox between and . Ar ...

, he grounded out against

Claude Osteen Claude Wilson Osteen (born August 9, 1939), nicknamed "Gomer" because of his resemblance to television character Gomer Pyle, is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cinc ...

of the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...

. Boehmer stayed in the game and flied out in his second MLB at bat, then again went hitless as a

on July 2 before returning to the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

. At the close of the 1967 minor league baseball season, he was traded to the New York Yankees for

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

Bill Henry and Boehmer played the rest of his pro career in the Yankees organization. After

batting Batting may refer to: *Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score r ...

.268 in 144 games for the Triple-A

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States * Syracuse, New York ** East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

in 1968, Boehmer made the Yankee roster for the entire season, where in the team's 70th game of the season, against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...

, Boehmer earned his first major league hit (and RBI) and it was a big one—a 10th-inning single off

Garry Roggenburk Garry Earl Roggenburk (born April 16, 1940) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was listed as a lanky tall and . Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was a high school teammate of Mike Hegan's at Saint Ignatius High Sc ...

which scored

Horace Clarke Horace Meredith Clarke (June 2, 1939August 5, 2020) was an American Virgin Islander baseball second baseman who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres from 1965 to 1974. ...

to put the Yankees ahead for good, 4-3, and Boehmer later scored on a

Roy White Roy Hilton White (born December 27, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Yankees between 1965 and 1979. With the Yankees, he won ...

single for the final result of 5-3. For the season with the Yankees, he appeared in 45 games, starting 17 at first base and seven more at second base, hitting just .176 in 108 at bats. His 19 hits included four doubles. He then spent the entire 1970 season back at Syracuse (batting .288) before returning to the Yanks for a brief, three-game stint in July 1971, going hitless in five at bats. In his final season in pro ball, 1972, he batted .326 in 113 games with Syracuse. For his minor league career, Boehmer batted .274 with 91

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

in 1,196 games. In parts of three major league seasons, he tallied 19 hits (all in 1969) in 116 at bats. After baseball, he entered his father's plumbing supply business, where Boehmer and his brother ran Boehmer Brothers Utility Supply. After he retired, his sons Stephen and Robert became the third generation to run the business. Boehmer continues to live in his hometown of Flint Hill with his wife Alice. They have four children and twelve grandchildren.

References

External links

Baseball-Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boehmer, Len 1941 births Living people Baseball players from Missouri Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cincinnati Reds players Macon Peaches players Major League Baseball infielders New York Yankees players Rocky Mount Leafs players San Diego Padres (minor league) players Syracuse Chiefs players Tampa Tarpons (1957–1987) players 20th-century American sportsmen