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Ken Aspromonte
From BR Bullpen
Kenneth Joseph Aspromonte
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
- High School Lafayette High School (Brooklyn)
- Debut September 2, 1957
- Final Game June 21, 1963
- Born September 22, 1931 in Brooklyn, NY USA
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Biographical Information
Ken Aspromonte, the older brother of Bob Aspromonte, began working his way through the Boston Red Sox farm system in 1950. After two years in the military, he returned to baseball. He was the Pacific Coast League batting champion in 1957 with a .334 average in helping the San Francisco Seals to the pennant in their last year before the New York Giants came to the west coast.
Ken had a trial with the Red Sox late that season, but was traded to the Washington Senators the following year. He had his best season with a .288 average for the 1960 Cleveland Indians. Primarily a second baseman, Ken was also with the Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Braves, and Chicago Cubs, leaving the majors in 1963 with a lifetime .249 mark.
Aspromonte then hit .273/.323/.432 playing for the Chunichi Dragons and Taiyo Whales from 1964 to 1966. Ken then returned to the US to manage in the minors. Over four years managing in the Cleveland Indians farm system between 1968 and 1971, his teams compiled a record of 238-242. His 1968 GCL Indians team finished 3rd; the AA [Reno Silver Sox]] finished tied for third place in the 1969 California League. His last minor league assignment was for two years with the Tribe's AAA entry in the American Association, the Wichita Aeros. The Aeros finished in 8th place in 1970 and moved up to 6th place in 1971.
He then was promoted to and managed Cleveland to fifth, sixth and fourth place finishes from 1972 to 1974 in the American League East Division.
Like his brother Bob, Ken now (2008) lives in Houston where he also has a distributorship for Coors Beer.
Ken Served in the U.S. Army for 22 months during the Korean War and did radio broadcasting at SHAPE headquarters in Paris, France.
| Preceded by Johnny Lipon | Cleveland Indians Manager 1972-1974 | Succeeded by Frank Robinson |
Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | GCL Indians | Gulf Coast League | 33-27 | 3rd | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1969 | Reno Silver Sox | California League | 72-68 | 3rd (t) | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1970 | Wichita Aeros | American Association | 67-73 | 8th | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1971 | Wichita Aeros | American Association | 66-74 | 6th | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1972 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 72-84 | 5th | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1973 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 71-91 | 6th | Cleveland Indians | |
| 1974 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 77-85 | 4th | Cleveland Indians |
Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
