Ernie Lombardi
Ernie Lombardi | |
---|---|
Catcher | |
Born: Oakland, California, U.S. | April 6, 1908|
Died: September 26, 1977 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. | (aged 69)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 15, 1931, for the Brooklyn Robins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 17, 1947, for the New York Giants | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .306 |
Home runs | 190 |
Runs batted in | 990 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1986 |
Election method | Veterans Committee |
Ernesto Natali Lombardi (April 6, 1908 – September 26, 1977) was an American
Baseball writer Bill James called Lombardi "the slowest man to ever play major league baseball well." Lombardi was an All-Star for seven seasons,[a] he hit over .300 for ten seasons and finished his major league career with a .306 batting average despite infields playing very deep for the sloth-like baserunner. He is listed at 6'3" and 230 lbs, but he probably approached 300 lbs towards the end of his career. He was also known as a gentle giant, and this made him hugely popular among Cincinnati fans.[1]
Early life
Lombardi was born and raised in Oakland, California. He attended McClymonds High School, the same school from which baseball star Frank Robinson and basketball star Bill Russell later graduated.[2]
Baseball career
Minor League
Lombardi started his professional baseball career for his hometown
Major league
Lombardi played his rookie season for the Robins in 1931 and hit .297. However, Brooklyn had too many quality catchers at the time and Robins' manager
While Lombardi played for the Reds as the starting catcher, three-year teammate and backup catcher Willard Hershberger became the only major league player to commit suicide during a season. Hershberger, who thought he had been having difficulties playing as a replacement for an injured Lombardi for a few games in 1940, told manager Bill McKechnie in private that "my father killed himself, and I'm going to do it, too!" After failing to appear at the stadium the next day, the Reds checked Hershberger's room at the hotel on August 3 to find that he had slit his throat and wrist.
In 1942, the Boston Braves (NL team) purchased Lombardi's contract, and he became an All-Star and led the NL and Braves that season with a .330 batting average (albeit, in only 309 at-bats); the next batting title to be won by a catcher came more than 60 years later when
The six foot, three inch, 230-pound Lombardi was legendarily slow-footed, and during the course of his major league career he grounded into 261 double plays. Aside from being the leader in grounding into double plays during four seasons, he also holds the MLB record for grounding into a double play once in every 25.3 plate appearances. An opposing manager once jokingly said that Lombardi was so slow, he ran like he was carrying a piano — and the man who was tuning it. Defenses would often position all four infielders in the outfield when Lombardi came to the plate.[citation needed] Despite this, he became an outstanding catcher on the basis of his strong, accurate arm and his ability to "call" a game.
Lombardi began the 1948 season with the Sacramento Solons. In May 1948, Sacramento sold Lombardi back to the Oakland Oaks.[5]
"Lombardi's Big Snooze"
During the fourth game of the 1939 World Series, in the 10th inning, with the score tied and runners on first and third, Joe DiMaggio singled. One run scored, then Reds outfielder Ival Goodman fumbled the ball. Yankees right fielder Charlie Keller, well known for his sturdy physique, beat the throw to catcher Lombardi and inadvertently hit "The Schnozz" in his groin. Unfortunately for the Reds and Lombardi, he had failed to wear his protective cup and Lombardi was in pain and dazed. DiMaggio raced around the bases and scored while the ball was just a few feet away from the dazed Lombardi. The press was hugely critical of the sensitive catcher because of this and it came to be known as "Lombardi's Big Snooze". Bill James, in his Historical Baseball Abstract, says that "Lombardi was now the Bill Buckner of the 1930s, even more innocent than Buckner, and Buckner has plenty of people who should be holding up their hands to share his disgrace." James called Lombardi's selection as the Series goat "absurd." James noted the Yankees were already ahead three games to none and that DiMaggio's run merely made the final score 7–4 instead of 6–4.
Later life
In 1953, Lombardi had been battling depression and agreed to go to a sanatorium. While on his way to the facility, Lombardi slit his throat from ear to ear with a razor. He received blood transfusions and was initially listed in critical condition, but within a couple of days newspaper reports said that he would survive.
Legacy
Lombardi was
The Cincinnati Chapter of the
See also
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
- Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
Notes
- ^ MLB cancelled the 1945 All-Star Game and did not name All-Stars that season.
References
- ISBN 978-0-684-80697-6. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ "Individual achievements". California Interscholastic Federation Oakland. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ "BROOKLYN ROBINS PURCHASE THE CONTRACT OF CATCHER ERNIE LOMBARDI FROM THE OAKLAND OAKS". thisdayinbaseball.com. 19 January 1931. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Baseball Did You Know? – VII, 1945 All Star Game Replacements [1] Retrieved July 28, 2015
- ^ "20 May 1948, Page 29 - Oakland Tribune at". Newspapers.com. 1948-05-20. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
- ^ "Lombardi to survive cut". Sarasota Journal. April 10, 1953. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
- ^ "Ernie Lombardi". Downtown Cincinnati Inc. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ See: Cincinnati Reds award winners and league leaders § Other achievements
External links
- Ernie Lombardi at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Ernie Lombardi at Find a Grave