Len Boehmer

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1941)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Len Boehmer

|position=Utilityman

|image=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1941|6|28}}

|birth_place=Flint Hill, Missouri, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=June 18

|debutyear=1967

|debutteam=Cincinnati Reds

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=July 6

|finalyear=1971

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.164

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=7

|teams=

• Cincinnati Reds (1967)
• New York Yankees (1969, 1971)

}}

Leonard Joseph Stephen Boehmer (born June 28, 1941) is a retired American Major League Baseball player who appeared in 50 games played between the {{by|1967}} and {{by|1971}} seasons for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees.

Primarily a first baseman, but also a utility infielder, he was listed at {{convert|6|ft|1|in}} tall and {{convert|192|lb}} and threw and batted right-handed.

Boehmer grew up in Flint Hill, Missouri, a town of about 100 residents. He attended St. Louis University 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.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R3zxERYt7m4C&q=len+boehmer&pg=PA234 |title = Yankees: Where Have You Gone?|isbn = 9781582617190|last1 = Allen|first1 = Maury|year = 2004| publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}

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, as a pinch hitter for Gerry Arrigo, he grounded out against Claude Osteen of the Los Angeles Dodgers.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1967/B06180LAN1967.htm 1967-6-18 box score from Retrosheet] Boehmer stayed in the game and flied out in his second MLB at bat, then again went hitless as a pinch hitter on July 2 before returning to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

At the close of the 1967 minor league baseball season, he was traded to the New York Yankees for pitcher Bill Henry and Boehmer played the rest of his pro career in the Yankees organization.

After batting .268 in 144 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs in 1968, Boehmer made the Yankee roster for the entire {{by|1969}} season, where in the team's 70th game of the season, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Boehmer earned his first major league hit (and RBI) and it was a big one—a 10th-inning single off Garry Roggenburk which scored Horace Clarke to put the Yankees ahead for good, 4-3, and Boehmer later scored on a Roy White single for the final result of 5-3.{{Cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196906220.shtml | title=New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox Box Score, June 22, 1969}}

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 1,196 games.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=boehme001leo Minor league statistics] from Baseball Reference

In parts of three major league seasons, he tallied 19 hits (all in 1969) in 116 at bats.{{Cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/boehmle01.shtml | title=Len Boehmer Stats}}

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.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R3zxERYt7m4C&q=len+boehmer&pg=PA234 |title = Yankees: Where Have You Gone?|isbn = 9781582617190|last1 = Allen|first1 = Maury|year = 2004| publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}