#379) DARYL BOSTON

Daryl Boston was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox by the New York Mets on April 30, 1990. The club was in need of a centerfielder at that time after trading away both Lenny Dykstra and Mookie Wilson. Second basemen Juan Samuel and Keith Miller had both tried unsuccessfully to convert to the position. So Daryl's defense was a welcome relief.

On April 23, 1992, the Mets were facing the rival St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium. The two teams played to a scoreless tie through 12 innings. Boston came to the plate with the bases-loaded in the bottom of the 13th inning. Cards' reliever, Juan Agosto would hit Daryl with a pitch to force in the lone run of the day. The ball struck him in the stomach, unbuttoning his jersey, and settling between his uniform and undershirt. "It just slipped out of my hand." Agosto would say. Final result was a Mets 1-0 victory.

Boston left the Mets when he signed as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies on December 21, 1992.

After retiring as a player, Daryl became a minor league coach. In 1998, he was the hitting coach with the Bristol White Sox, and the next year, held the same position for the Burlington Bees. Boston spent the 2000 season on the Winston-Salem Warthogs staff and since then has been a minor league outfield instructor for the Chicago White Sox.

Daryl Boston signed his card in the set for my friend, Sam Lynagh when he visited the Chicago White Sox spring training camp in Glendale, Arizona during March of 2010.