Ed Bouchee

Who is Ed Bouchee?

Edward Francis Bouchee was an American professional baseball player. He appeared in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for three National League clubs from 1956 to 1962.

Bouchee attended Washington State University, where he played college baseball for the Cougars in 1952.

He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1957, hitting .293 with 17 home runs and 76 RBI. Those would all prove to be career highs.

After the 1957 season was over, Bouchee was arrested for exposing himself to young girls. He eventually pled guilty to a series of charges, including indecent exposure. Bouchee was sentenced to three years of probation, spent a few months in a psychiatric institution in Connecticut, and then was allowed to return to the Phillies on July 1, 1958. It is for this reason that the 1958 Topps card #145 was not issued.

On April 24, 1957, Bouchee's bases-loaded triple against Bob Friend of the Pittsburgh Pirates allowed pinch runner John Kennedy, the first black player in Phillies' history, to score his only Major League run.

He was drafted by the New York Mets from the Cubs in the 1961 MLB expansion draft.