Ken Poulsen
- August 4, 1947
- December 28, 2017
- 70 years
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About Ken Poulsen
Ken Poulsen, 70, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox).
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Full Biography
|Ken Sterling Poulsen (August 4, 1947 – December 28, 2017) was a professional baseball utility player who played for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1967 season. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 190 pounds (86 kg), he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Biography
Poulsen played three years of varsity baseball at Birmingham High School in Los Angeles, where he helped his team win the championship of the West Valley League in 1963, 1964, and 1965, being named a first-team all-star in the league and third-team all-star on the All-City team. He was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the third round of the 1965 MLB draft, and played in the minor leagues in 1966 for the Winston-Salem Red Sox in the Class A Carolina League, batting .238 in 110 games with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs.
In 1967, Poulsen played 73 games with Winston-Salem, and 19 games for the Double-A Pittsfield Red Sox. He gained a promotion to Boston as a replacement for infielder Dalton Jones.
Poulsen made his major league debut on July 3, 1967, and appeared in five games with the Red Sox. He had one hit (a double) in five at-bats for a .200 average. He also made three fielding appearances; twice at third base and once at shortstop, recording a .667 fielding percentage (one error in three chances). He played his final MLB game on July 14, 1967. The Red Sox would go on to win the American League title, in a season known as "The Impossible Dream".
Following his brief stint in the majors, Poulsen returned to the minor leagues. From 1968 through 1973, he played in the farm system of the New York Yankees, where he experienced some success as a pitcher, posting two seasons with a winning record; 1971 with the Class A Kinston Indians (10–8) and 1972 with the Double-A West Haven Yankees (9–8). Overall as a minor league pitcher, Poulsen had a 33–34 record in 109 games (56 starts) with a 3.02 ERA. As a minor league hitter, he had a .233 average with 37 home runs and 153 RBIs, recorded in 497 games played during eight seasons.
Poulsen died in Fresno, California, on December 28, 2017. In July 2019, the Red Sox recognized Poulsen's contribution, albeit only during five games, to their 1967 pennant-winning season by presenting his family with a commemorative ring in a ceremony at Fenway Park.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Poulsen
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 26, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Ken Poulsen's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of birth of Ken Sterling Poulsen?
- A.December 28, 1947
- B.August 14, 1947
- C.July 3, 1947
- D.August 4, 1947correct
Ken Sterling Poulsen was born on August 4, 1947.
Source: introductory section
2.Which high school did Ken Sterling Poulsen attend?
- A.Birmingham High Schoolcorrect
- B.Harvard-Westlake School
- C.Fenway High School
- D.Los Angeles High School
Ken Sterling Poulsen played three years of varsity baseball at Birmingham High School in Los Angeles.
Source: biography section
3.How many games did Ken Sterling Poulsen play for the Boston Red Sox in the major leagues?
- A.19 games
- B.110 games
- C.5 gamescorrect
- D.73 games
Ken Sterling Poulsen appeared in five games with the Boston Red Sox in 1967.
Source: biography section
4.What was Ken Sterling Poulsen's primary batting style?
- A.Right-handed
- B.Switch-handed
- C.Ambidextrous
- D.Left-handedcorrect
Ken Sterling Poulsen batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Source: introductory section
5.In which round of the 1965 MLB draft was Ken Sterling Poulsen selected?
- A.Second round
- B.Fourth round
- C.Third roundcorrect
- D.First round
Ken Sterling Poulsen was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the third round of the 1965 MLB draft.
Source: biography section
6.What was the specific fielding percentage recorded by Ken Sterling Poulsen in his five major league games?
- A..200
- B..667correct
- C..500
- D..800
Ken Sterling Poulsen recorded a .667 fielding percentage during his major league stint.
Source: biography section
7.What team did Ken Sterling Poulsen play for in the minor leagues during the 1966 season?
- A.Pittsfield Red Sox
- B.Winston-Salem Red Soxcorrect
- C.Kinston Indians
- D.West Haven Yankees
In 1966, Ken Sterling Poulsen played for the Winston-Salem Red Sox in the Class A Carolina League.
Source: biography section
8.Which player did Ken Sterling Poulsen replace when he was promoted to the Boston Red Sox in 1967?
- A.Tony Conigliaro
- B.Carl Yastrzemski
- C.Jim Lonborg
- D.Dalton Jonescorrect
Ken Sterling Poulsen gained a promotion to Boston as a replacement for infielder Dalton Jones.
Source: biography section
9.What year did Ken Sterling Poulsen play his final Major League Baseball game?
- A.1966
- B.1973
- C.1967correct
- D.1965
Ken Sterling Poulsen played his final MLB game on July 14, 1967.
Source: biography section
10.Which professional organization did Ken Sterling Poulsen join for his minor league career from 1968 through 1973?
- A.New York Yankeescorrect
- B.Cleveland Indians
- C.Boston Red Sox
- D.Los Angeles Dodgers
From 1968 through 1973, Ken Sterling Poulsen played in the farm system of the New York Yankees.
Source: biography section
11.How many total home runs did Ken Sterling Poulsen hit as a minor league hitter?
- A.153
- B.37correct
- C.49
- D.11
As a minor league hitter, Ken Sterling Poulsen had 37 home runs recorded during eight seasons.
Source: biography section
12.Where did Ken Sterling Poulsen die?
- A.Boston, Massachusetts
- B.Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- C.New York City, New York
- D.Fresno, Californiacorrect
Ken Sterling Poulsen died in Fresno, California, on December 28, 2017.
Source: biography section
13.What was the era of Ken Sterling Poulsen as a minor league pitcher?
- A.4.67
- B.2.33
- C.3.02correct
- D.1.23
Overall as a minor league pitcher, Ken Sterling Poulsen had a 3.02 ERA.
Source: biography section
14.In what month and year did the Red Sox present Ken Sterling Poulsen's family with a commemorative ring?
- A.December 2017
- B.July 2019correct
- C.July 2017
- D.August 2019
In July 2019, the Red Sox presented Ken Sterling Poulsen's family with a commemorative ring.
Source: biography section
15.During which league championship years did Ken Sterling Poulsen help Birmingham High School win?
- A.1963, 1964, 1965correct
- B.1965, 1966, 1967
- C.1967, 1968, 1969
- D.1961, 1962, 1963
Ken Sterling Poulsen helped Birmingham High School win the championship of the West Valley League in 1963, 1964, and 1965.
Source: biography section
16.How many total games did Ken Sterling Poulsen play as a minor league hitter?
- A.110
- B.497correct
- C.109
- D.73
As a minor league hitter, Ken Sterling Poulsen played in 497 games during eight seasons.
Source: biography section
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