Daryl Boston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daryl Boston
Boston with the Chicago White Sox in 2013
Outfielder / Coach
Born: (1963-01-04) January 4, 1963 (age 62) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
May 13, 1984, for the Chicago White Sox
Last appearance
August 11, 1994, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.249
Home runs	83
Runs batted in	278
Teams
As player Chicago White Sox (1984–1990) New York Mets (1990–1992) Colorado Rockies (1993) New York Yankees (1994) As coach Chicago White Sox (2013–2023)

Daryl Lamont Boston (born January 4, 1963) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He also worked as a first base coach for the Chicago White Sox.

Daryl Boston's Early Baseball Career

Daryl Boston was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the first round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the seventh player picked overall. Before joining the major leagues, he played three seasons in the White Sox's minor league system. During that time, he had a batting average of .265. He also hit 36 home runs and brought in 164 runs batted in (RBIs).

Making His MLB Debut

Boston was called up to the major leagues in early 1984. In his very first MLB game on May 13, he played as the lead-off batter. He had a great start, getting 3 hits in 5 tries. He also hit a triple, stole a base, and scored two runs. However, he soon faced challenges and was sent back to the minor leagues. He returned to the White Sox in September but struggled to get hits. Overall, he batted .169 with no home runs for the White Sox that year. In the minor leagues, he had a much better season, batting .312 with fifteen home runs.

Playing for the Chicago White Sox

In 1985, Boston had a chance to become the White Sox's main center fielder. But he struggled again, batting only .215 before being sent back to the minor leagues. He played well in Triple-A, hitting .274 with ten home runs. When he returned to the White Sox in September, he improved his batting average to .261.

Becoming a Regular Player

During Spring training in 1986, Boston did not win the starting center field job. However, later that season, the White Sox traded another player. This opened up a spot for Boston. He was called back up to Chicago to play center field. He batted .266 with 22 RBIs and five home runs. One of his home runs was against pitcher Bert Blyleven. This was the 50th home run Blyleven allowed that year, which was a record at the time.

Boston had his best season with the White Sox in 1987. He batted .258 with ten home runs and 29 RBIs. He often played as a fourth outfielder, filling in for other players. In April 1990, the New York Mets picked him up.

Time with the New York Mets

When Boston joined the Mets, he immediately became their starting center fielder. He started slowly but quickly began to hit well. On May 7, he hit his first home run for the Mets, helping them win a game. Even though he joined the team in May, his first season with the Mets was his best career year. He had a career-high 45 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. He also had a good fielding percentage of .985, which means he made very few errors.

Later Seasons with the Mets

In 1991, the Mets signed Vince Coleman to play center field. This meant Boston would play more of a backup role. However, Coleman was injured for much of the season. Because of this, Boston ended up playing a lot of innings in center field.

For the 1992 season, Boston often filled in when other players were injured or suspended. He batted .249 and hit eleven home runs, which was the third-highest on the team.

Playing for Other Teams

In 1993, Boston signed with the Colorado Rockies. This was their very first season as an expansion team. He played well, batting .261 with fourteen home runs and forty RBIs. He played all three outfield positions for the team.

He then joined the New York Yankees for the 1994 season. His role was much smaller with the Yankees. He batted only .182 in 52 games. The season ended early due to a player strike. This stopped Boston from possibly playing in the postseason for the first time in his career.

Career Statistics and Coaching Role

After his playing career, Boston continued to be involved in baseball. In 2001, he became a minor league outfield instructor for the White Sox. In 2013, he was named the team's first base coach, a position he held until the end of the 2023 season.

Daryl Boston's Baseball Family

Baseball runs in Daryl Boston's family. His father, Henry, played in the Negro leagues for the Cincinnati Tigers. Daryl's twin brother, David, was also an outfielder in the Cincinnati Reds organization. His younger brother, D.J., played minor league and Independent League baseball for sixteen years. D.J. now works as a hitting coach for the Milwaukee Milkmen.