Hobie Landrith
Encyclopedia
Hobart "Hobie" Neal Landrith (born March 16, 1930 in Decatur, Illinois
) is a former American
professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs
, Chicago Cubs
, St. Louis Cardinals
, San Francisco Giants
, New York Mets
, Baltimore Orioles
, and Washington Senators
. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
For most of his career the well-traveled Landrith was a second or third string catcher, but he is best known as the first pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft
. He was a backup catcher for Andy Seminick
and Smoky Burgess
in Cincinnati, and later a regular with the Cubs in 1956
. The following two years he backed up All-Stars Hal Smith
and Walker Cooper
with the Cardinals. He then had a three season campaign in San Francisco, including his most successful season in 1959
. Landrith closed out his career with short stints with the Mets, Orioles, and expansion Senators before drawing his career to a close. In a career that spanned 14 seasons, Landrith had a career .233 batting average
with 34 home run
s, 203 runs batted in
, and 450 hits
in 772 games played
.
in Detroit, Michigan
. At the age of 15, he would go to Briggs Stadium and help warmup starting pitchers for the Detroit Tigers
and help to get Hank Greenberg
into shape after Hank returned from military service. Landrith was discovered by the Cincinnati Reds
after leading his Detroit team to a second place finish in the National Junior Amateur Federation Tournament. That year he also participated in the annual East-West all-star game in New York City
, being voted the city's most outstanding amateur player by the Detroit Sports Guild.
On February 8, 1949
, the Cincinnati Reds
signed Michigan State Spartans
star catcher Landrith. This angered Spartans coach John Kobs
, saying that, "They ought to leave these young players alone and give them a chance to finish college." Reds general manager Warren Giles
agreed with the coach's sentiment, but cited that he could not wait any longer to sign Landrith as eight other major league ball clubs were all interested in signing Landrith. The Big Ten Conference
made a brief effort to stop the "raid" of the conference of their star players, but nonetheless, the 18-year-old catcher out of Detroit agreed to a four-year contract with the Reds.
At the Reds spring training
camp in late March, murmurs started to surface that he was the "hottest thing" in camp. Landrith was a star in the sandlots of Detroit
and at Michigan State University. He desperately wanted to play professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers
, crying when his father convinced him to sign with Cincinnati. The Tigers offered Landrith a two-year minor league deal worth $8,000. However, Cincinnati offered him a four-year major league contract at $6,000 per year, totaling $24,000. Landrith learned that the Tigers had paid a $75,000 bonus to catcher Frank House, so he thought the Tigers had too much money tied up in House that he would never be given much of a chance. Landrith played in spring training games for the Reds before being assigned to the minor league baseball
Class A Charleston Senators
of the Central League
. He had a .250 batting average
with 111 total bases
in 110 games played.
In January 1950
, Landrith signed a new deal with the Cincinnati Reds. On March 10, he was assigned to the Tulsa Oilers
of the Class AA Texas League
. In the opening game for Tulsa, Landrith went 1 for 2 with a double
before breaking his left ankle.
While Landrith was still recovering from his ankle injury, the Cincinnati Reds brought him up the Major Leagues and placed him on the disabled list
. Landrith joined the Reds squad when they played an exhibition game in Detroit, his home town, on June 12. He worked out with the team from there on out, traveling with the team on all road trips, catching in batting practice and pulling bullpen duty. On July 30, the top three catchers on the Reds' depth chart were all recovering from ailing injuries. Johnny Pramesa
had a sprained ankle sustained the day before on July 29, Bob Scheffing
was having problems with his left elbow, and Dixie Howell
's throwing hand had been sore. Reds Manager Luke Sewell
made the decision to finally give Landrith his first major league start that day at the Boston Braves
, singling in his first at bat off Braves starter Vern Bickford
and driving in a run. Landrith played in three more games through August 8 before he was no longer used in games and resumed his duty of working solely in practice roles.
Landrith signed his new contract to play with the Reds in late January 1951
. He attended spring training with the Reds, but at the end of March became the first player cut from the roster, being optioned to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League
. Offensively, Hobie struggled at Buffalo, putting up a .191 average in 98 games. He suffered another injury in early August, but in mid-September he received another call up to the majors for the Reds. Landrith again only played in four games, but collected one or more hits in each game, including three runs
scored.
Landrith again joined the Reds in the Grapefruit League for spring training in 1952
, and again was optioned to the minor leagues in late March for more seasoning. This time he was sent back to Class AA Tulsa of the Texas League. This time, however, Landrith had the best season of his short professional career yet, hitting for a .300 batting average with 114 hits in 118 games played. His batting average was good enough for 13th in the Texas League. On September 4, Landrith was rewarded for his great play by being called upon once more to join the Reds squad. This time, however, he was given many more opportunities to show what he was made of. Landrith started the majority of the Reds' final 17 games, hitting .260 with 4 runs batted in
over that span, including a four hit day against the Boston Braves
on September 10 and a three hit day on the last game of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates
on September 28, both contributing to a Reds victory. Even though he played in only 16 games, Landrith was awarded the distinction of being one of only three catchers in the entire National League
to not have been charged a passed ball
.
On January 25, 1953, Landrith signed his newest contract to play with Cincinnati for the upcoming season. Going into the season, manager Rogers Hornsby
was optimistic that they would have a better club with more power overall, citing Landrith as one of the new players that could help the 1953 Reds be a success. Hornsby made it clear that veteran Andy Seminick
would be the number one catcher on the depth chart for the Reds, but also said that Landrith would get a "good look" after witnessing his performance with the Reds at the end of the 1952 season, praising that he liked his "hustle." Landrith impressed during spring training, capping off the exhibition season with a 5 RBI day against the Detroit Tigers
with a three-run home run in a 10-9 winning effort on April 12. Although Seminick was the definite starting catcher for the Reds, Landrith was the opening day catcher on April 13. He would not play another game until April 29, where despite going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, allowed a passed ball against the Brooklyn Dodgers
with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against hitter Duke Snider
, scoring Carl Furillo
from third base and losing the game 6-5.
Landrith soon emerged as the number two catcher on the depth chart behind Seminick, splitting many starts between the two from the end of May through July. In June and July, he started in 26 games to Andy's 37. With the Reds' hopes of a successful season dying and Landrith struggling to keep his batting average above .220, the veteran Seminick, hitting .219, took over the vast majority of the Reds' catching duties from August 1 through the end of the season. Landrith ended the season with a .240 batting average to go with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 52 games. Although he never played in a Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, Landrith was assigned the role of being the National League All-Stars batting practice catcher for the 1953 All-Star Game
by Dodgers manager Charlie Dressen.
At the height of anti-Communism
sentiment in the United States, the Reds officially changed their name to the Cincinnati Redlegs to remove any potential "confusion" between the baseball team and Communists. Five catchers entered the 1954 Redlegs training camp in Tampa, with Landrith and Ed Bailey
the early favorites to backup Seminick, but by the end of March, Landrith was fighting with Frank Baldwin
to hold on to the number three spot on the catcher depth chart. By April 8, however, Baldwin was optioned to the minors, leaving Landrith in sole possession of the Reds' third and final catcher roster spot. Landrith had little offense that season, hitting .198 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI in 48 games. He did, however, have one dramatic game winning walkoff home run against the New York Giants
' reliever Al Corwin
in the bottom of the 12th inning on July 19 to give the Reds a 1-0 victory. Trade talks arose after the conclusion of the 1954 season. One potential deal had Landrith along with outfielder Wally Post
going to the Brooklyn Dodgers
for second baseman
Junior Gilliam. The proposed deal was later amended to add Dodgers pitcher Bob Milliken
and Reds hurler Fred Baczewski
. The deal later fizzled out, with the Dodgers determined to keep Gilliam. Landrith participated in the Puerto Rican Winter Leagues after the 1954 season, hitting for an average of .342. The mark was good enough for 3rd in the league, just behind Willie Mays
and Roberto Clemente
.
Landrith started the 1955 season as backup for Bailey. On April 30, Seminick was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
for Smoky Burgess
, who immediately became the Reds' starting catcher. Bailey was optioned to the San Diego Padres
of the Pacific Coast League
, leaving Landrith as the direct backup behind Burgess. Landrith had the only multi home run game of his career on the second game of a doubleheader on May 8 against the Chicago Cubs, hitting a home run in the 6th inning and then a walkoff, game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Redlegs a 4-3 win. On June 27, Landrith broke his collarbone after being struck by a foul tip during an exhibition game. He would not return until August 23, almost two full months later. Hobie hit .253 with 4 home runs and 7 RBI in 43 games. He had the 7th highest OPS
(On-base plus slugging) percentage out of all NL catchers with a mark of .755.
for centerfielder turned pitcher
Hal Jeffcoat
. Originally, the move sparked eight year Cub veteran Jeffcoat to announce his retirement from baseball on November 29 and go into the insurance business. Hal later reconsidered, playing four more years of pro ball, but nonetheless, Landrith was now officially a Cub. He officially signed a contract to play with Chicago for the upcoming season on February 10, 1956
.
Throughout spring training, Landrith competed with Harry Chiti
for the starting role at catcher for the Cubs. Chiti carried the load behind the backstop for Chicago in 1955, playing in 113 games with 11 home runs and 41 RBI. By coincidence, both Landrith and Chiti played as catchers for exactly the same high school, Northwestern High School
in Detroit, Michigan
. Landrith was the third brother of three to recently catch for Northwestern High, and as Landrith graduated and briefly went to Michigan State before being signed by the Cincinnati Reds, his high school successor was Harry Chiti. Chiti broke a nine year streak of a Landrith catching behind the plate for the school.
By opening day, Landrith had won the starting role for the Cubs from Chiti. He played in a major league career-high 111 games, but only had a .222 average to go with 4 home runs and 32 RBI to show for it. He was 1st in the National League in gunning down runners attempting to steal a base with 23 and was 2nd in the league with assists as a catcher. However, Landrith was also 3rd in the National League with 10 passed balls and led all the majors in errors committed as a catcher with 14. He grounded into only 2 double plays, having a ratio of 181 plate appearances per double play, good enough for 3rd in the majors. Landrith had a streak of not grounding into a double play that lasted exactly one year, from May 2nd, 1956 to May 2nd, 1957.
Chicago ended the 1956 season with an atrocious 60-94 record. In September, general manager Stan Hack
was set to be fired at the end of the season. Bob Scheffing
was hired as new GM on October 12, and the new Cubs regime made it clear that they were not satisfied with the current platoon of Landrith and Chiti working behind the plate with a combined 50 RBI, also implying that defensively the teams catching "left something to be desired." There was reportedly a deal in the works to send Landrith back to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for former teammate and fellow catcher Smoky Burgess, but it fell through as Landrith was officially dealt to his new team.
, and Eddie Miksis
was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
for Wally Lamers, Jackie Collum
, Ray Katt
, and Tom Poholsky
. Landrith locked his in contract for the 1957
season by signing his pact with the Cardinals on December 18. When general manager Fred Hutchinson
commented on all the acquisitions the Cards had for the upcoming season, he said that Landrith would be a good backup catcher for current starter Hal Smith
, just coming off a successful rookie season.
As planned, Landrith started the season as the Cardinals' number two catcher behind Hal Smith. However, Smith suffered a split index finger on just the third game of the season on April 21 after a foul tip from Cubs hitter Ernie Banks
hit Smith's finger and gave him an inch-long cut. It required four stitches to close. Landrith took over in the 3rd inning and closed the game out, then played the full second game of the doubleheader. Landrith took over as starting catcher for most of the week with the newly activated Walker Cooper
his backup until Smith returned to action on April 30. In the later months of the season, Landrith started replacing Hal whenever they were up against a right-handed pitcher. His most active month was July, where he hit .279 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 21 games for the Cards. He had a better season overall than his one year stint with the Cubs, hitting .243 with 52 hits and 26 RBI in 75 games.
Landrith was the final Cardinals player to sign his contract for the upcoming 1958
season. He had declined the Cards' first offer, but came to terms on February 5, 1958 for a raise in salary to an estimated $12,000. The Cardinals needed help at the catcher position, but only because they lacked a third catcher that would serve as a suitable backup to Hal and Landrith after last year's third stringer, Walker Cooper, retired from active playing to become a minor league manager. The role would later go to newly reacquired Ray Katt
from the San Francisco Giants.
By April, the catching depth chart for St. Louis was no longer set in stone. Hal Smith was in an extended slump during the Cardinals spring training, so Landrith was the opening day starting catcher on April 15 against the Chicago Cubs in a 4-0 defeat. After batting .125 in his first three games, Hal Smith and Ray Katt alternated starting at catcher through May 11 before Smith finally began to work his way out of his hitting funk and once again became the team's number one catcher. Landrith did not see much playing time through the first three months of the season, but carried most of the workload behind the plate in the month of June. Although he played in about the same amount of games he did in the previous season, his offensive numbers were way down, putting up only a .215 batting average and 13 RBI in 70 games.
and Benny Valenzuela
for Ernie Broglio
and Marv Grissom
on October 8, 1958. Landrith was originally considered to be a throw-in player for this five player deal. The Giants announced in late February they would only be keeping two catchers on the roster. Bob Schmidt
already had a foothold on the starting job, so the battle for Schmidt's backup came down to Landrith and Albert Stieglitz. Stieglitz was optioned to the AAA Phoenix Giants
at the beginning of April, removing all doubt that Landrith would serve as Schmidt's backup to begin the 1959
season. For the first two months, Schmidt pulled most of the duty behind the plate for the Giants. However, in June Landrith began to get more starts, and before the month was out Hobie had become the Giants new number 1 catcher.
On one of his first starts on June 5 after becoming the Giants' new starting catcher, Landrith was involved in a bizarre play against Cincinnati Reds runner Pete Whisenant
. Whisenant was caught in a rundown between Giants second basmean Daryl Spencer
and third baseman Jim Davenport
, with the fielders continually playing a game of catch in an effort to tag the runner out. Unknown to Whisenant, Landrith had suddenly rushed up all the way from behind home plate, chest protector and all. Davenport flipped the ball to Landrith and he tagged the runner out. Giants beat writers with combined experience of over 100 years covering the club remarked that it was a dazzling play they had never seen before in professional baseball. Landrith had the best season of his career in 1959. Although he only hit .251 with 29 RBI and 71 hits in 109 games, Giant management was very pleased with Landrith's performance for the season. What was once considered a throw-in player in a trade that was centered on reliever Billy Muffett for the Giants, club President Horace Stoneham
said it was a very lucky deal for them, referring to Landrith. He threw out 24 runners attempting to steal a base, which ranked 5th in the National League. Landrith was also 5th in assists and 4th in putouts for National League catchers.
On February 10, 1960
, Landrith came to contract terms with the Giants for the upcoming season, reportedly earning between $10,500 and $15,000. On March 2, there was a special clubhouse meeting where the players elected Landrith as the Giants official player representative, succeeding Daryl Spencer
after he was traded to the Cardinals. Landrith joked that he won with a platform of, "more pay, shorter hours, fewer umpires and more base-hits." In mid-March, Giants manager Bill Rigney
brought in former all-star hitter Lefty O'Doul
for hitting drills and learning sessions with some of the team's lighter hitters, including Landrith. Landrith responded the next day by hitting a game winning home run in the 11th inning of a spring training game off rookie Jim Brewer
to help the Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 7-6.
By late March sports writers were already penciling in Landrith as the definite opening day starter behind home plate for San Francisco, but on April 3 Landrith had a freak accident with his hand in an exhibition game against the Cubs, suffering a hair-line fracture on the back of his index finger. He hit the bat or helmet of Cubs hitter Lou Johnson
when Lou got out in front of the plate after a swinging strike out in the 4th inning. Landrith attempted to throw the ball to second base as Johnson swung his bat, causing the injury. Frank Bowman, trainer for the Giants, expected him to miss 10 days and opening day. He returned to batting practice on April 19 and pinch hit for the Giants on April 22 against the Cubs, but did not return to full action until almost a full month later on May 2.
On his return game against the Milwaukee Braves, his teammates joked that he had a "perfect" night, as he went 1 for 1 with a single, two walks, and a successful squeeze play
. On May 25, there was a play at the plate with the Giants up 2-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies
where Phillies pitcher 6'0", 200 pound Robin Roberts attempted to run for home off a ground ball in the third inning. He collided with Landrith, knocking Landrith unconscious as he rolled over onto his back. Despite being knocked out, he held onto the ball, saving the Giants lead. At the end of May, Landrith lost his starting role back to Bob Schmidt. He only had a .208 batting average combined with a .221 slugging percentage. Landrith hit very well in July and August, hitting .305 over the two month stretch.
On July 19, Landrith caught for the historical debut game of legendary Dominican Hall of Fame
pitcher Juan Marichal
. Marichal just missed being the first pitcher since 1898 to hurl a no-hitter
in his first major league start. He settled for being the first National League rookie to ever throw a one-hitter in his debut. Landrith said of the young 21 year old: "The kid showed a lot of poise. He's got good control and he doesn't scare." On August 16 against the Cardinals, Landrith hit 4 for 5 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI, helping the Giants beat St. Louis 7-3. He finished the season with a .242 average and 20 RBI in 71 games.
In October, the Giants toured Japan. Landrith was looking forward to his first trip to the Orient after just missing out on a tour after the 1958 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had gotten all of his shots and inoculations, all ready to make the trip to Japan, and just three days before the Cards went to Japan he was traded to the Giants. He was greatly disappointed that he didn't receive the chance to play against the greats in Japan. "I wanted to make that trip more than anything else." He didn't miss this trip, playing behind the plate for the Giants against all challengers in Japan. To further United States-Japan good will, Landrith and the Giants placed flowers at the Atomic Bomb Memorial Shrine in Hiroshima
. After the ceremony, the Giants played the final game of their 16-game tour of Japan, beating the Japanese All-Stars 4 to 1 before a crowd of 12,000. Landrith hit .348 for the series.
Landrith signed his contract for the 1961
season on February 11 for roughly $80,000. New general manager Alvin Dark
warned veteran regulars that there would be battles for spots on the depth chart at every position for the upcoming season, and the catcher position was no exception. In February, Schmidt and Landrith had two new competitors thrown into the foray. Tom Haller
and John Orsino
were originally considered threats to shake up the depth chart order. Haller was the strongest threat, going getting 10 hits, including 4 home runs, 2 doubles, and 2 triples in just his first 20 at bats for spring training. Tom's impressive play continued through mid-April, earning him the opening day starting job over Schmidt and Landrith. Hobie retained his spot as the number two catcher, with Schmidt dropping all the way from first to third. Landrith played in only three games in April, but made the most of his season debut game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. The Pirates were up 1-0 with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th when Landrith hit a game tying home run to deep right field off reliever Roy Face
.
Haller quickly fell out of favor with Giants management. The team got off to a fair 7-5 start, but the once hot bat cooled off considerably, hitting just .133 in 30 at bats. This sparked the Giants to go looking elsewhere for a catcher that could provide significant offense for the team, and they found it in Cincinnati on April 27 when they traded Schmidt, Don Blasingame
, and Sherman Jones
to the Reds for catcher and noteworthy slugger Ed Bailey
. Bailey immediately took over as starting catcher for the Giants, with Landrith remaining the second-string catcher and Haller demoted to third. Landrith's playing time was severely limited for the season, playing in only 43 games. He got occasional starts in August to catch for starting pitcher Mike McCormick
after manager Dark thought Landrith's catching was likely a major factor in McCormick winning 15 games in 1960, but that was about all. Landrith hit .239 with just 10 RBI in 71 at bats.
and the New York Mets
. On October 10, 1961, the Mets and club president George Weiss
used their first pick in the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft to select Landrith second overall. New York manager Casey Stengel
justified the choice by explaining that, "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed ball
s." Landrith's salary was $75,000, as it was a required minimum for all first round picks in the draft. When Landrith was sent the contract offer by Weiss, he turned it down as Landrith said it was at least a $3,000 pay cut. He told Weiss that the offer was "totally unacceptable." Weiss sent exactly the same contract three times, eventually leading to Landrith giving up and signing the deal. He signed his official contract to play in the inaugural season of the New York Mets on February 11, 1962
. Landrith was slated to be the first-string catcher, with young players Chris Cannizzaro
and Choo Choo Coleman as his backups. Before opening day, Landrith had a brief scare against the Chicago White Sox
on April 4. Chicago outfielder Floyd Robinson
fouled off a pitch with a hard swing. In the follow-through, the bat hit the right side of Landrith's head, knocking him to the ground. Landrith was led off to the dressing room, but was in good enough shape to play in the fast approaching regular season.
Landrith played at catcher in the New York Mets very first regular season game on April 11, 1962 against the St. Louis Cardinals, batting 8th in the order and going 0 for 4 in an 11-4 loss. The Cardinals stole three bases with Landrith behind the plate. Centerfielder Curt Flood
stole two bases and second baseman Julian Javier
also stole a base. Landrith was also charged with an error, one of three Mets errors on the day. Stengel gave up on Landrith after one game, giving the starting job to Joe Ginsberg
. After Ginsberg had an 0 for 4 day in the Mets' second game, he then gave the job to Cannizaro. A round robin of catchers played for the Mets that season. 7 different catchers were used, with none playing in more than 70 games.
Landrith's only home run as a Met came at a prime moment on May 12. He was set to pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th inning with the Mets down 2-1 against the Milwaukee Braves and all-time pitching great Warren Spahn
. When Landrith reached the batter's box, Stengel called time out, going to the batter's box and whispering something in Landrith's ear. On the first pitch, Landrith hit a game-winning two-run home run. After the game, Stengel remarked, "I told him to hit a home run." In typical Mets form for the inaugural season, the win was almost voided when Rod Kanehl
, pinch runner for Gil Hodges
, failed to touch third base after the home run. Third base coach Solly Hemus
gave Landrith a sign to slow down, then escorted Kanehl back to third base. If Landrith touched third base before Kanehl, Rod would have been called out and the Braves would have gained an unprecedented win on a walk-off home run by the opposing team. After Landrith's game-winning blast, he had raised his average all the way to .421, including a one month stint between April 21 and May 19 where he hit .391 with a 1.169 OPS, but even with his excellent hitting, the New York Mets were compounding one of the worst seasons in the history of Major League Baseball.
for a player to be named later, the soon infamous Marv Throneberry
. The news came as a complete surprise to Landrith. With Orioles starting catcher Gus Triandos
injured with a fractured knuckle, Landrith took over the starting role for almost all games in the month of June. In his first two weeks, Hobie was by no means hitting well for average with a mark just above .100, but he made the most of his first five hits, slamming three home runs in three separate Baltimore victories, including a walkoff two-run home run on June 22 against the Boston Red Sox
.
Landrith made immediate headlines when he was involved in a scuffle against the New York Yankees
on June 11. Rookie Oriole outfielder Boog Powell
was hospitalized after Yankees pitcher Bud Daley
beaned
Powell in the head with a pitch in the top of the 4th. In the bottom of the 4th, Baltimore pitcher Robin Roberts immediately threw a fastball over the head of Yankees star Roger Maris
. Maris started walking toward the mound, bat in hand. Roberts was afraid that if things got physical he would break his hand. Landrith jumped on Maris' back, clearing the benches. No punches were thrown in the incident, nor were any suspensions or fines levied by American League president Joe Cronin
. The Orioles won 5-3.
Journalists that covered the Mets claimed that Landrith was incapable of throwing out runners that attempted to steal bases off him. The Orioles ignored the claim, insisting that they sought after him because he could indeed throw well. Based on the New York scouting report, American League
teams aggressively tried to steal bases against the Orioles when Landrith joined the team. In his first week, 11 runners tried to steal a base off Landrith. He threw out six runners, immediately removing the stigma that he could not throw. The blame for the high stolen base count against the Mets was promptly shifted away from Landrith and onto the New York Mets pitching.
Landrith's hot bat cooled off in the final three months of the season. Split between the Mets and the Orioles, he hit .236 with 5 home runs and 24 RBI in 83 games. He threw out 43.9% of runners that tried to steal a base off him, good enough for 4th among all AL catchers.
For the 1963
season, former Giants teammate John Orsino was slated to continue being the Orioles starter at catcher, with Landrith, Charlie Lau
, and Dick Brown
competing for roster spots on the probable three deep catcher depth chart. Landrith did make the roster, but only had one at bat in two games before being sold to the Washington Senators
.
, the Baltimore Orioles sold Landrith to the Washington Senators for a reported $20,000, with his salary estimated to be around $14,000. He struggled with the Senators, hitting only .173 with a home run and 7 RBI in 42 games before breaking his hand on a foul tip off a pitch from Steve Ridzik
of the New York Yankees on August 7. He was given his unconditional release from Washington on December 6.
Landrith rejoined the Senators on February 15, 1964
as a coach, with the possible option that he would return as an active player should the Senators trade away one of their current catchers. However, the opportunity never arose. Landrith brought his playing career to a close in an AL-NL benefit game on February 14, 1965 for the widow of Red Adams, a deceased custodian at Candlestick Park, helping to raise over $8,000.
." His shrill "holler" was heard throughout the whole ballpark.
Aside from being the loudest catcher in the Majors, Landrith also had a philosophy of talking things over with his pitcher face to face on the mound, early and often. It is normal for catchers to occasionally call a timeout and go the mound to talk with his pitcher, especially in crucial situations, but Hobie took this facet of the game to new extremes. It was not unusual for Hobie to make many as five visits to the mound in an inning. He onced visited the mound ten times in a single inning to chat with Giants pitcher Sam Jones
. Landrith was once described as a "legendary chatterbox". He was inspired to have his frequent consultations at the mound by Birdie Tebbetts
and Yogi Berra
. He insisted that he did not commit this practice to stall for time, but because he believed "there should be a closer relationship between pitcher and catcher. [...] I run out to the mound to eliminate any indecision on the pitcher's part and mine. Some batsmen have to be pitched to very carefully."
, Landrith said that his main ambition was to become a manager, and that he was preparing himself daily for when the time came.
Landrith was in line to become the manager of Leones de Ponce
of the Puerto Rico Baseball League in the winter of 1955, but a newer regulation prevented him from being allowed to take the position. In November 1963, Hobie was one of two candidates to become the new bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles, but it fell through.
On February 15, 1964, the Washington Senators announced that they hired Landrith as a coach. After the Senators compiled a 62-100 record for the 1964 season, he and Danny O'Connell
surprised Senator management when they quit as coaches of the team on January 19, 1965
to each pursue careers in private businesses. Hobie became a public relations worker for Volkswagen
in the California
, Nevada
, and Utah
tri-state territory.
In 1998, Landrith, along with Willie Mays
, Mike McCormick
, Orlando Cepeda
, and Dave Righetti
were invited to the San Francisco Giants spring training camp as guest instructors.
While playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, his wife gave birth to a son on November 18, 1954. With the team owner's approval, he flew home on Christmas
day to see his new son at his own expense. The downside to all this was after paying to fly back and playing just one game, his team released him despite having the 3rd highest batting average in the league.
Four days after being drafted to the New York Mets, his son David was born at Mills Hospital in San Mateo, California on October 14, 1961. David Landrith played two seasons in the minor leagues from 1983 to 1984 in the Kansas City Royals
farm system for the Butte Copper Kings and Charleston Royals
after being drafted in the 12th Round, 309th overall by Kansas City in the 1983 amateur draft
. He had previously turned down an offer to play professional baseball after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1979 draft
by the Cleveland Indians
. David is the current head baseball coach of the Flowing Wells High School Caballeros in Tucson, Arizona
.
Landrith attended Michigan State University
, where he pursued a degree in physical education
. After learning that the state of Michigan
required a master's degree
to be a coach in high school, Landrith made the decision to go into professional baseball. As Hobie was just beginning his professional career, his father, Charles, operated a fishing and boat and bait equipment camp at Lake Erie
.
Before playing at catcher for Northwestern High School, his two brothers Nuel and Charles played behind the plate for the team, starting a streak of nine years of Landriths playing at catcher for the school. Nuel played in the minor leagues for the 1942 and 1946 seasons for the Lamesa Dodgers
and Quincy Gems
, and Charles also contributed two years in the minor league system, playing from 1948 to 1949 for the Pine Bluff Cardinals and Ogdensburg Maples.
After being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Hobie took a winter job as a successful auto salesman
in Detroit, Michigan. When his career in baseball was over, Landrith went on to be the director of sales for 45 Volkswagen
dealerships in northern California
as of 1983, joining the auto business full-time in January 1965 as a public relations agent.
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
For most of his career the well-traveled Landrith was a second or third string catcher, but he is best known as the first pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft
1961 MLB Expansion Draft
The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on October 10, 1961 to fill the rosters of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s. The Mets and the Colts were the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season...
. He was a backup catcher for Andy Seminick
Andy Seminick
Andrew Wasal Seminick was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1943 and 1951, and the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs from 1952 through part of 1955, when he rejoined the Phillies for the rest of his career until...
and Smoky Burgess
Smoky Burgess
Forrest Harrill "Smoky" Burgess was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1949 to 1967. Later in his career, he became known for his ability as a pinch hitter, setting the major league career record for career pinch-hits...
in Cincinnati, and later a regular with the Cubs in 1956
1956 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* November 27, 1955: 1955 rule 5 draft**Billy Muffett was drafted from the Cubs by the St. Louis Cardinals.**Vito Valentinetti was drafted by the Cubs from the Toronto Maple Leafs....
. The following two years he backed up All-Stars Hal Smith
Hal Smith (catcher)
Harold Raymond Smith is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates . Smith batted and threw right-handed. He debuted on May 2, 1956, and played his final game on July 8, 1965.Smith was a competent catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals...
and Walker Cooper
Walker Cooper
William Walker Cooper was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for six National League teams from 1940 to 1957...
with the Cardinals. He then had a three season campaign in San Francisco, including his most successful season in 1959
1959 San Francisco Giants season
The 1959 San Francisco Giants season involved the 83-71 team's third-place finish in the National League standings, four games behind the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
. Landrith closed out his career with short stints with the Mets, Orioles, and expansion Senators before drawing his career to a close. In a career that spanned 14 seasons, Landrith had a career .233 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 34 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 203 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and 450 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 772 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
Early career
From age ten to age fourteen, Landrith played for the "Firemen's Midgets" team in the Detroit Amateur Baseball Federation. From fifteen to eighteen, he played with a Class D advanced simon-pure group. Landrith played as a catcher for Northwestern High SchoolNorthwestern High School (Michigan)
Northwestern High School is a secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC,...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. At the age of 15, he would go to Briggs Stadium and help warmup starting pitchers for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and help to get Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
into shape after Hank returned from military service. Landrith was discovered by the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
after leading his Detroit team to a second place finish in the National Junior Amateur Federation Tournament. That year he also participated in the annual East-West all-star game in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, being voted the city's most outstanding amateur player by the Detroit Sports Guild.
On February 8, 1949
1949 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 62-92, 35 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.- Notable transactions :...
, the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
signed Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
star catcher Landrith. This angered Spartans coach John Kobs
John Kobs
John H. Kobs was an American athlete and coach. He was the head baseball coach at Michigan State University from 1925 to 1963 where he compiled a career record of 576–377–16. He also coached men's basketball and ice hockey at Michigan State...
, saying that, "They ought to leave these young players alone and give them a chance to finish college." Reds general manager Warren Giles
Warren Giles
Warren Crandall Giles was a National League executive in Major League Baseball.-Baseball:Giles was elected president of the Moline, Illinois baseball club in the Three-I League in 1919 and began a 50-year career in baseball that saw him rise all the way to the presidency of the National League...
agreed with the coach's sentiment, but cited that he could not wait any longer to sign Landrith as eight other major league ball clubs were all interested in signing Landrith. The Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
made a brief effort to stop the "raid" of the conference of their star players, but nonetheless, the 18-year-old catcher out of Detroit agreed to a four-year contract with the Reds.
At the Reds spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp in late March, murmurs started to surface that he was the "hottest thing" in camp. Landrith was a star in the sandlots of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and at Michigan State University. He desperately wanted to play professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, crying when his father convinced him to sign with Cincinnati. The Tigers offered Landrith a two-year minor league deal worth $8,000. However, Cincinnati offered him a four-year major league contract at $6,000 per year, totaling $24,000. Landrith learned that the Tigers had paid a $75,000 bonus to catcher Frank House, so he thought the Tigers had too much money tied up in House that he would never be given much of a chance. Landrith played in spring training games for the Reds before being assigned to the minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Class A Charleston Senators
Charleston Senators
The Charleston Senators were an American minor league baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They were the first professional baseball team to play in Charleston, beginning play in 1910. The team was inactive during a few periods, playing their last game in 1960....
of the Central League
Central League (baseball)
The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...
. He had a .250 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 111 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
in 110 games played.
In January 1950
1950 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the National League with a record of 66-87, 24½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.- Offseason :* December 14, 1949: Harry Walker was traded by the Reds to the St...
, Landrith signed a new deal with the Cincinnati Reds. On March 10, he was assigned to the Tulsa Oilers
Tulsa Oilers (baseball)
The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...
of the Class AA Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. In the opening game for Tulsa, Landrith went 1 for 2 with a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
before breaking his left ankle.
While Landrith was still recovering from his ankle injury, the Cincinnati Reds brought him up the Major Leagues and placed him on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Landrith joined the Reds squad when they played an exhibition game in Detroit, his home town, on June 12. He worked out with the team from there on out, traveling with the team on all road trips, catching in batting practice and pulling bullpen duty. On July 30, the top three catchers on the Reds' depth chart were all recovering from ailing injuries. Johnny Pramesa
Johnny Pramesa
John Steven Pramesa was an American professional baseball player, a catcher in the Major Leagues from – for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. A native of Barton, Ohio, he threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed .Pramesa spent the full seasons of and as the Reds' second-string...
had a sprained ankle sustained the day before on July 29, Bob Scheffing
Bob Scheffing
Robert Boden Scheffing was an American baseball player, coach, manager and front-office executive. Nicknamed "Grumpy," the native of Overland, Missouri is most often identified with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he played as a catcher , coached , and managed .Scheffing also spent 2½ years as...
was having problems with his left elbow, and Dixie Howell
Dixie Howell
-External links:...
's throwing hand had been sore. Reds Manager Luke Sewell
Luke Sewell
James Luther Sewell was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Browns . Sewell batted and threw right-handed...
made the decision to finally give Landrith his first major league start that day at the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, singling in his first at bat off Braves starter Vern Bickford
Vern Bickford
Vernon Edgell Bickford was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Braves in Boston and Milwaukee , and for the Baltimore Orioles...
and driving in a run. Landrith played in three more games through August 8 before he was no longer used in games and resumed his duty of working solely in practice roles.
Landrith signed his new contract to play with the Reds in late January 1951
1951 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the National League with a record of 68-86, 28½ games behind the New York Giants.- Offseason :...
. He attended spring training with the Reds, but at the end of March became the first player cut from the roster, being optioned to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. Offensively, Hobie struggled at Buffalo, putting up a .191 average in 98 games. He suffered another injury in early August, but in mid-September he received another call up to the majors for the Reds. Landrith again only played in four games, but collected one or more hits in each game, including three runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
scored.
Landrith again joined the Reds in the Grapefruit League for spring training in 1952
1952 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League.- Offseason :...
, and again was optioned to the minor leagues in late March for more seasoning. This time he was sent back to Class AA Tulsa of the Texas League. This time, however, Landrith had the best season of his short professional career yet, hitting for a .300 batting average with 114 hits in 118 games played. His batting average was good enough for 13th in the Texas League. On September 4, Landrith was rewarded for his great play by being called upon once more to join the Reds squad. This time, however, he was given many more opportunities to show what he was made of. Landrith started the majority of the Reds' final 17 games, hitting .260 with 4 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
over that span, including a four hit day against the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
on September 10 and a three hit day on the last game of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on September 28, both contributing to a Reds victory. Even though he played in only 16 games, Landrith was awarded the distinction of being one of only three catchers in the entire National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
to not have been charged a passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...
.
Cincinnati Reds
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
was optimistic that they would have a better club with more power overall, citing Landrith as one of the new players that could help the 1953 Reds be a success. Hornsby made it clear that veteran Andy Seminick
Andy Seminick
Andrew Wasal Seminick was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1943 and 1951, and the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs from 1952 through part of 1955, when he rejoined the Phillies for the rest of his career until...
would be the number one catcher on the depth chart for the Reds, but also said that Landrith would get a "good look" after witnessing his performance with the Reds at the end of the 1952 season, praising that he liked his "hustle." Landrith impressed during spring training, capping off the exhibition season with a 5 RBI day against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
with a three-run home run in a 10-9 winning effort on April 12. Although Seminick was the definite starting catcher for the Reds, Landrith was the opening day catcher on April 13. He would not play another game until April 29, where despite going 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, allowed a passed ball against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against hitter Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
, scoring Carl Furillo
Carl Furillo
Carl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
from third base and losing the game 6-5.
Landrith soon emerged as the number two catcher on the depth chart behind Seminick, splitting many starts between the two from the end of May through July. In June and July, he started in 26 games to Andy's 37. With the Reds' hopes of a successful season dying and Landrith struggling to keep his batting average above .220, the veteran Seminick, hitting .219, took over the vast majority of the Reds' catching duties from August 1 through the end of the season. Landrith ended the season with a .240 batting average to go with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 52 games. Although he never played in a Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, Landrith was assigned the role of being the National League All-Stars batting practice catcher for the 1953 All-Star Game
1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 20th playing of the mid-summer classic between the All-Stars teams of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 1953 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of...
by Dodgers manager Charlie Dressen.
At the height of anti-Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
sentiment in the United States, the Reds officially changed their name to the Cincinnati Redlegs to remove any potential "confusion" between the baseball team and Communists. Five catchers entered the 1954 Redlegs training camp in Tampa, with Landrith and Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from through . Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee...
the early favorites to backup Seminick, but by the end of March, Landrith was fighting with Frank Baldwin
Frank Baldwin
Frank Dwight Baldwin , a native of Constantine, Michigan, and born in Manchester, Michigan, is one of only 19 servicemen to receive the Medal of Honor twice. Baldwin received this award for his actions during the Atlanta Campaign where he led his company to battle at Peachtree Creek and captured...
to hold on to the number three spot on the catcher depth chart. By April 8, however, Baldwin was optioned to the minors, leaving Landrith in sole possession of the Reds' third and final catcher roster spot. Landrith had little offense that season, hitting .198 with 5 home runs and 14 RBI in 48 games. He did, however, have one dramatic game winning walkoff home run against the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
' reliever Al Corwin
Al Corwin
Elmer Nathan "Al" Corwin , was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played from -. He played for the New York Giants. He had a 18-10 career record.-External links:...
in the bottom of the 12th inning on July 19 to give the Reds a 1-0 victory. Trade talks arose after the conclusion of the 1954 season. One potential deal had Landrith along with outfielder Wally Post
Wally Post
Walter Charles Post was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1949 through 1964, Post played for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs , Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...
going to the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Junior Gilliam. The proposed deal was later amended to add Dodgers pitcher Bob Milliken
Bob Milliken
Robert Fogle Milliken was a reliever and spot starter in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers . Milliken batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Majorsville, West Virginia....
and Reds hurler Fred Baczewski
Fred Baczewski
Fredereric John "Lefty" Baczewski was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. After some time in the independent minor leagues, Baczewski was purchased from his Shreveport club in October 1949 by the Cubs for $30,000 and a player to be named...
. The deal later fizzled out, with the Dodgers determined to keep Gilliam. Landrith participated in the Puerto Rican Winter Leagues after the 1954 season, hitting for an average of .342. The mark was good enough for 3rd in the league, just behind Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
and Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
.
Landrith started the 1955 season as backup for Bailey. On April 30, Seminick was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Smoky Burgess
Smoky Burgess
Forrest Harrill "Smoky" Burgess was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1949 to 1967. Later in his career, he became known for his ability as a pinch hitter, setting the major league career record for career pinch-hits...
, who immediately became the Reds' starting catcher. Bailey was optioned to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, leaving Landrith as the direct backup behind Burgess. Landrith had the only multi home run game of his career on the second game of a doubleheader on May 8 against the Chicago Cubs, hitting a home run in the 6th inning and then a walkoff, game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Redlegs a 4-3 win. On June 27, Landrith broke his collarbone after being struck by a foul tip during an exhibition game. He would not return until August 23, almost two full months later. Hobie hit .253 with 4 home runs and 7 RBI in 43 games. He had the 7th highest OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(On-base plus slugging) percentage out of all NL catchers with a mark of .755.
Chicago Cubs
On November 28, 1955, Landrith was traded to the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for centerfielder turned pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Hal Jeffcoat
Hal Jeffcoat
Harold Bentley Jeffcoat was an outfielder and pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Cincinnati Redlegs and St...
. Originally, the move sparked eight year Cub veteran Jeffcoat to announce his retirement from baseball on November 29 and go into the insurance business. Hal later reconsidered, playing four more years of pro ball, but nonetheless, Landrith was now officially a Cub. He officially signed a contract to play with Chicago for the upcoming season on February 10, 1956
1956 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* November 27, 1955: 1955 rule 5 draft**Billy Muffett was drafted from the Cubs by the St. Louis Cardinals.**Vito Valentinetti was drafted by the Cubs from the Toronto Maple Leafs....
.
Throughout spring training, Landrith competed with Harry Chiti
Harry Chiti
Harry Chiti was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. From 1950 through 1962, he played for the Chicago Cubs , Kansas City Athletics , Detroit Tigers and New York Mets . A native of Kincaid, Illinois, Chiti batted and threw right-handed...
for the starting role at catcher for the Cubs. Chiti carried the load behind the backstop for Chicago in 1955, playing in 113 games with 11 home runs and 41 RBI. By coincidence, both Landrith and Chiti played as catchers for exactly the same high school, Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School (Michigan)
Northwestern High School is a secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC,...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Landrith was the third brother of three to recently catch for Northwestern High, and as Landrith graduated and briefly went to Michigan State before being signed by the Cincinnati Reds, his high school successor was Harry Chiti. Chiti broke a nine year streak of a Landrith catching behind the plate for the school.
By opening day, Landrith had won the starting role for the Cubs from Chiti. He played in a major league career-high 111 games, but only had a .222 average to go with 4 home runs and 32 RBI to show for it. He was 1st in the National League in gunning down runners attempting to steal a base with 23 and was 2nd in the league with assists as a catcher. However, Landrith was also 3rd in the National League with 10 passed balls and led all the majors in errors committed as a catcher with 14. He grounded into only 2 double plays, having a ratio of 181 plate appearances per double play, good enough for 3rd in the majors. Landrith had a streak of not grounding into a double play that lasted exactly one year, from May 2nd, 1956 to May 2nd, 1957.
Chicago ended the 1956 season with an atrocious 60-94 record. In September, general manager Stan Hack
Stan Hack
Stanley Camfield Hack , nicknamed "Smiling Stan," was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top third baseman in the late 1930s and early 1940s...
was set to be fired at the end of the season. Bob Scheffing
Bob Scheffing
Robert Boden Scheffing was an American baseball player, coach, manager and front-office executive. Nicknamed "Grumpy," the native of Overland, Missouri is most often identified with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he played as a catcher , coached , and managed .Scheffing also spent 2½ years as...
was hired as new GM on October 12, and the new Cubs regime made it clear that they were not satisfied with the current platoon of Landrith and Chiti working behind the plate with a combined 50 RBI, also implying that defensively the teams catching "left something to be desired." There was reportedly a deal in the works to send Landrith back to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for former teammate and fellow catcher Smoky Burgess, but it fell through as Landrith was officially dealt to his new team.
St. Louis Cardinals
On December 11, 1956, Landrith, along with Jim Davis, Sam JonesSam Jones (baseball)
Samuel Jones , known during his career as "Toothpick Sam" Jones or "Sad Sam" Jones, was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to ....
, and Eddie Miksis
Eddie Miksis
Edward Thomas Miksis was an American Major League Baseball player. Born in Burlington, New Jersey, he stood 6' 0" and weighed 185 lbs...
was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Wally Lamers, Jackie Collum
Jackie Collum
John Dean Collum was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for eight different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 7", 163 lb., Collum batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Victor, Iowa....
, Ray Katt
Ray Katt
Raymond Frederick Katt was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball during the 1950s, and later the longtime and highly successful head baseball coach of Texas Lutheran University. A lifelong resident of New Braunfels, Texas, Katt stood 6'2" tall, weighed 200 pounds , and threw and...
, and Tom Poholsky
Tom Poholsky
Thomas George Poholsky was an American professional baseball player, and a pitcher in Major League Baseball from –. A right-hander, he stood tall and weighed ....
. Landrith locked his in contract for the 1957
1957 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 76th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 66th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 87-67 during the season and finished second in the National League, eight games behind the Milwaukee Braves....
season by signing his pact with the Cardinals on December 18. When general manager Fred Hutchinson
Fred Hutchinson
Frederick Charles Hutchinson was an American professional baseball player, a major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He also was a manager for three major league teams...
commented on all the acquisitions the Cards had for the upcoming season, he said that Landrith would be a good backup catcher for current starter Hal Smith
Hal Smith (catcher)
Harold Raymond Smith is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates . Smith batted and threw right-handed. He debuted on May 2, 1956, and played his final game on July 8, 1965.Smith was a competent catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, just coming off a successful rookie season.
As planned, Landrith started the season as the Cardinals' number two catcher behind Hal Smith. However, Smith suffered a split index finger on just the third game of the season on April 21 after a foul tip from Cubs hitter Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
hit Smith's finger and gave him an inch-long cut. It required four stitches to close. Landrith took over in the 3rd inning and closed the game out, then played the full second game of the doubleheader. Landrith took over as starting catcher for most of the week with the newly activated Walker Cooper
Walker Cooper
William Walker Cooper was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for six National League teams from 1940 to 1957...
his backup until Smith returned to action on April 30. In the later months of the season, Landrith started replacing Hal whenever they were up against a right-handed pitcher. His most active month was July, where he hit .279 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 21 games for the Cards. He had a better season overall than his one year stint with the Cubs, hitting .243 with 52 hits and 26 RBI in 75 games.
Landrith was the final Cardinals player to sign his contract for the upcoming 1958
1958 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 77th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 67th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 72-82 during the season and finished 5th in the National League.- Offseason :...
season. He had declined the Cards' first offer, but came to terms on February 5, 1958 for a raise in salary to an estimated $12,000. The Cardinals needed help at the catcher position, but only because they lacked a third catcher that would serve as a suitable backup to Hal and Landrith after last year's third stringer, Walker Cooper, retired from active playing to become a minor league manager. The role would later go to newly reacquired Ray Katt
Ray Katt
Raymond Frederick Katt was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball during the 1950s, and later the longtime and highly successful head baseball coach of Texas Lutheran University. A lifelong resident of New Braunfels, Texas, Katt stood 6'2" tall, weighed 200 pounds , and threw and...
from the San Francisco Giants.
By April, the catching depth chart for St. Louis was no longer set in stone. Hal Smith was in an extended slump during the Cardinals spring training, so Landrith was the opening day starting catcher on April 15 against the Chicago Cubs in a 4-0 defeat. After batting .125 in his first three games, Hal Smith and Ray Katt alternated starting at catcher through May 11 before Smith finally began to work his way out of his hitting funk and once again became the team's number one catcher. Landrith did not see much playing time through the first three months of the season, but carried most of the workload behind the plate in the month of June. Although he played in about the same amount of games he did in the previous season, his offensive numbers were way down, putting up only a .215 batting average and 13 RBI in 70 games.
San Francisco Giants
Landrith was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with teammates Billy MuffettBilly Muffett
Billy Arnold Muffett was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1957-1962. He would play for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox. In his playing days, he stood 6"1" tall, weighed 198 pounds , and threw and batted right-handed...
and Benny Valenzuela
Benny Valenzuela
Benjamin Beltrán Valenzuela is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for one season. He played in games for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1958 St. Louis Cardinals season. After retirement, he became a manager of the Alijadores de Tampico in the Mexican League.-External links:...
for Ernie Broglio
Ernie Broglio
Ernest Gilbert Broglio is a former right-handed pitcher in American Major League Baseball from 1959-66. Broglio signed with the independent Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League after he attended West Contra Costa Junior College. He was acquired by the New York Giants in 1956...
and Marv Grissom
Marv Grissom
Marvin Edward Grissom was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . He was born in Los Molinos, California.He helped the Giants win the 1954 World Series...
on October 8, 1958. Landrith was originally considered to be a throw-in player for this five player deal. The Giants announced in late February they would only be keeping two catchers on the roster. Bob Schmidt
Bob Schmidt (baseball)
Robert Benjamin Schmidt , is an American former professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1958 to 1965...
already had a foothold on the starting job, so the battle for Schmidt's backup came down to Landrith and Albert Stieglitz. Stieglitz was optioned to the AAA Phoenix Giants
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
at the beginning of April, removing all doubt that Landrith would serve as Schmidt's backup to begin the 1959
1959 San Francisco Giants season
The 1959 San Francisco Giants season involved the 83-71 team's third-place finish in the National League standings, four games behind the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
season. For the first two months, Schmidt pulled most of the duty behind the plate for the Giants. However, in June Landrith began to get more starts, and before the month was out Hobie had become the Giants new number 1 catcher.
On one of his first starts on June 5 after becoming the Giants' new starting catcher, Landrith was involved in a bizarre play against Cincinnati Reds runner Pete Whisenant
Pete Whisenant
Thomas Peter Whisenant was an American outfielder and coach in Major League Baseball. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Whisenant stood 6'2" , weighed 200 pounds , and threw and batted right-handed....
. Whisenant was caught in a rundown between Giants second basmean Daryl Spencer
Daryl Spencer
Daryl Dean Spencer , is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder, playing shortstop, second base, and third base in the major leagues from 1952-1963. He played for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, St...
and third baseman Jim Davenport
Jim Davenport
James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...
, with the fielders continually playing a game of catch in an effort to tag the runner out. Unknown to Whisenant, Landrith had suddenly rushed up all the way from behind home plate, chest protector and all. Davenport flipped the ball to Landrith and he tagged the runner out. Giants beat writers with combined experience of over 100 years covering the club remarked that it was a dazzling play they had never seen before in professional baseball. Landrith had the best season of his career in 1959. Although he only hit .251 with 29 RBI and 71 hits in 109 games, Giant management was very pleased with Landrith's performance for the season. What was once considered a throw-in player in a trade that was centered on reliever Billy Muffett for the Giants, club President Horace Stoneham
Horace Stoneham
Horace C. Stoneham was the principal owner of Major League Baseball's New York/San Francisco Giants from the death of his father, Charles Stoneham, in 1936 until 1976. During his ownership, the team won National League pennants in 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954 and 1962, a division title in 1971, and a...
said it was a very lucky deal for them, referring to Landrith. He threw out 24 runners attempting to steal a base, which ranked 5th in the National League. Landrith was also 5th in assists and 4th in putouts for National League catchers.
On February 10, 1960
1960 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants season involved the team moving their home games from Seals Stadium to the new Candlestick Park. In their third season in the Golden Gate City, the Giants finished in fifth place in the National League, 16 games behind the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.- Offseason :*...
, Landrith came to contract terms with the Giants for the upcoming season, reportedly earning between $10,500 and $15,000. On March 2, there was a special clubhouse meeting where the players elected Landrith as the Giants official player representative, succeeding Daryl Spencer
Daryl Spencer
Daryl Dean Spencer , is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder, playing shortstop, second base, and third base in the major leagues from 1952-1963. He played for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, St...
after he was traded to the Cardinals. Landrith joked that he won with a platform of, "more pay, shorter hours, fewer umpires and more base-hits." In mid-March, Giants manager Bill Rigney
Bill Rigney
William Joseph Rigney was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of Alameda, California, he batted and threw right-handed....
brought in former all-star hitter Lefty O'Doul
Lefty O'Doul
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan.-Player:Born in San Francisco, California, O'Doul began his...
for hitting drills and learning sessions with some of the team's lighter hitters, including Landrith. Landrith responded the next day by hitting a game winning home run in the 11th inning of a spring training game off rookie Jim Brewer
Jim Brewer
James Thomas Brewer was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1960 through 1976, Brewer played for the Chicago Cubs , Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels...
to help the Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 7-6.
By late March sports writers were already penciling in Landrith as the definite opening day starter behind home plate for San Francisco, but on April 3 Landrith had a freak accident with his hand in an exhibition game against the Cubs, suffering a hair-line fracture on the back of his index finger. He hit the bat or helmet of Cubs hitter Lou Johnson
Lou Johnson
Louis Brown Johnson , nicknamed "Sweet Lou" and "Slick", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder...
when Lou got out in front of the plate after a swinging strike out in the 4th inning. Landrith attempted to throw the ball to second base as Johnson swung his bat, causing the injury. Frank Bowman, trainer for the Giants, expected him to miss 10 days and opening day. He returned to batting practice on April 19 and pinch hit for the Giants on April 22 against the Cubs, but did not return to full action until almost a full month later on May 2.
On his return game against the Milwaukee Braves, his teammates joked that he had a "perfect" night, as he went 1 for 1 with a single, two walks, and a successful squeeze play
Squeeze play (baseball)
In baseball, the squeeze play is a maneuver consisting of a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third base. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but providing the runner on third base an opportunity to score...
. On May 25, there was a play at the plate with the Giants up 2-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
where Phillies pitcher 6'0", 200 pound Robin Roberts attempted to run for home off a ground ball in the third inning. He collided with Landrith, knocking Landrith unconscious as he rolled over onto his back. Despite being knocked out, he held onto the ball, saving the Giants lead. At the end of May, Landrith lost his starting role back to Bob Schmidt. He only had a .208 batting average combined with a .221 slugging percentage. Landrith hit very well in July and August, hitting .305 over the two month stretch.
On July 19, Landrith caught for the historical debut game of legendary Dominican Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
pitcher Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
. Marichal just missed being the first pitcher since 1898 to hurl a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in his first major league start. He settled for being the first National League rookie to ever throw a one-hitter in his debut. Landrith said of the young 21 year old: "The kid showed a lot of poise. He's got good control and he doesn't scare." On August 16 against the Cardinals, Landrith hit 4 for 5 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI, helping the Giants beat St. Louis 7-3. He finished the season with a .242 average and 20 RBI in 71 games.
In October, the Giants toured Japan. Landrith was looking forward to his first trip to the Orient after just missing out on a tour after the 1958 season with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had gotten all of his shots and inoculations, all ready to make the trip to Japan, and just three days before the Cards went to Japan he was traded to the Giants. He was greatly disappointed that he didn't receive the chance to play against the greats in Japan. "I wanted to make that trip more than anything else." He didn't miss this trip, playing behind the plate for the Giants against all challengers in Japan. To further United States-Japan good will, Landrith and the Giants placed flowers at the Atomic Bomb Memorial Shrine in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
. After the ceremony, the Giants played the final game of their 16-game tour of Japan, beating the Japanese All-Stars 4 to 1 before a crowd of 12,000. Landrith hit .348 for the series.
Landrith signed his contract for the 1961
1961 San Francisco Giants season
- Regular season :Willie Mays had both a three home run game and a four home run game during the 1961 season. Mays became the ninth player, and first Giant, in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game.- Opening Day starters :...
season on February 11 for roughly $80,000. New general manager Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
warned veteran regulars that there would be battles for spots on the depth chart at every position for the upcoming season, and the catcher position was no exception. In February, Schmidt and Landrith had two new competitors thrown into the foray. Tom Haller
Tom Haller
Thomas Frank Haller was an American professional baseball player and baseball executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers...
and John Orsino
John Orsino
John Joseph Orsino is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , and Washington Senators .Orsino made his major league debut on July 14, 1961 against the...
were originally considered threats to shake up the depth chart order. Haller was the strongest threat, going getting 10 hits, including 4 home runs, 2 doubles, and 2 triples in just his first 20 at bats for spring training. Tom's impressive play continued through mid-April, earning him the opening day starting job over Schmidt and Landrith. Hobie retained his spot as the number two catcher, with Schmidt dropping all the way from first to third. Landrith played in only three games in April, but made the most of his season debut game against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The Pirates were up 1-0 with 1 out in the bottom of the 11th when Landrith hit a game tying home run to deep right field off reliever Roy Face
Roy Face
Elroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...
.
Haller quickly fell out of favor with Giants management. The team got off to a fair 7-5 start, but the once hot bat cooled off considerably, hitting just .133 in 30 at bats. This sparked the Giants to go looking elsewhere for a catcher that could provide significant offense for the team, and they found it in Cincinnati on April 27 when they traded Schmidt, Don Blasingame
Don Blasingame
Don Lee Blasingame was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played with the St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , Cincinnati Reds , Washington Senators and Kansas City Athletics . Blasingame batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, and Sherman Jones
Sherman Jones
Sherman Jarvis Jones , nicknamed "Roadblock," was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who went on to a career in Kansas politics....
to the Reds for catcher and noteworthy slugger Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from through . Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee...
. Bailey immediately took over as starting catcher for the Giants, with Landrith remaining the second-string catcher and Haller demoted to third. Landrith's playing time was severely limited for the season, playing in only 43 games. He got occasional starts in August to catch for starting pitcher Mike McCormick
Mike McCormick (pitcher)
Michael Francis McCormick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Giants from 1956 to 1958, then the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1970...
after manager Dark thought Landrith's catching was likely a major factor in McCormick winning 15 games in 1960, but that was about all. Landrith hit .239 with just 10 RBI in 71 at bats.
New York Mets
saw the addition of two brand new teams to the National League, the Houston Colt .45sHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. On October 10, 1961, the Mets and club president George Weiss
George Weiss (baseball)
George Martin Weiss was an American baseball executive. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.Weiss was one of Major League Baseball's most successful farm system directors and general managers...
used their first pick in the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft to select Landrith second overall. New York manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
justified the choice by explaining that, "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...
s." Landrith's salary was $75,000, as it was a required minimum for all first round picks in the draft. When Landrith was sent the contract offer by Weiss, he turned it down as Landrith said it was at least a $3,000 pay cut. He told Weiss that the offer was "totally unacceptable." Weiss sent exactly the same contract three times, eventually leading to Landrith giving up and signing the deal. He signed his official contract to play in the inaugural season of the New York Mets on February 11, 1962
1962 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the first regular season for the Mets, as the National League returned to New York for the first time since . They went 40-120 and finished tenth and last in the National League, games behind the NL Champion San Francisco Giants, who once called New York home...
. Landrith was slated to be the first-string catcher, with young players Chris Cannizzaro
Chris Cannizzaro
Christopher John "Chris" Cannizzaro was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates , San Diego Padres , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Choo Choo Coleman as his backups. Before opening day, Landrith had a brief scare against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
on April 4. Chicago outfielder Floyd Robinson
Floyd Robinson
Floyd Andrew Robinson is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox , Cincinnati Reds , Oakland Athletics , and Boston Red Sox...
fouled off a pitch with a hard swing. In the follow-through, the bat hit the right side of Landrith's head, knocking him to the ground. Landrith was led off to the dressing room, but was in good enough shape to play in the fast approaching regular season.
Landrith played at catcher in the New York Mets very first regular season game on April 11, 1962 against the St. Louis Cardinals, batting 8th in the order and going 0 for 4 in an 11-4 loss. The Cardinals stole three bases with Landrith behind the plate. Centerfielder Curt Flood
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
stole two bases and second baseman Julian Javier
Julián Javier
Manuel Julián Javier Liranzo , best known as Julián Javier [hoo-lee-AN hah-vee-ER], is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter. He played with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds...
also stole a base. Landrith was also charged with an error, one of three Mets errors on the day. Stengel gave up on Landrith after one game, giving the starting job to Joe Ginsberg
Joe Ginsberg
Myron Nathan "Joe" Ginsberg was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and New York Mets...
. After Ginsberg had an 0 for 4 day in the Mets' second game, he then gave the job to Cannizaro. A round robin of catchers played for the Mets that season. 7 different catchers were used, with none playing in more than 70 games.
Landrith's only home run as a Met came at a prime moment on May 12. He was set to pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th inning with the Mets down 2-1 against the Milwaukee Braves and all-time pitching great Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
. When Landrith reached the batter's box, Stengel called time out, going to the batter's box and whispering something in Landrith's ear. On the first pitch, Landrith hit a game-winning two-run home run. After the game, Stengel remarked, "I told him to hit a home run." In typical Mets form for the inaugural season, the win was almost voided when Rod Kanehl
Rod Kanehl
Roderick Edwin Kanehl was an American second baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the New York Mets . Beloved by Mets fans, his attitude was exemplary for a team that lost a modern-era record 120 games in its inaugural season...
, pinch runner for Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, failed to touch third base after the home run. Third base coach Solly Hemus
Solly Hemus
Solomon Joseph Hemus is a retired infielder, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball.As a player with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, Hemus was primarily a shortstop, although he also saw significant time as a second baseman. He compiled a lifetime batting average...
gave Landrith a sign to slow down, then escorted Kanehl back to third base. If Landrith touched third base before Kanehl, Rod would have been called out and the Braves would have gained an unprecedented win on a walk-off home run by the opposing team. After Landrith's game-winning blast, he had raised his average all the way to .421, including a one month stint between April 21 and May 19 where he hit .391 with a 1.169 OPS, but even with his excellent hitting, the New York Mets were compounding one of the worst seasons in the history of Major League Baseball.
Baltimore Orioles
On June 7, 1962, after the Mets just lost their 16th and 17th straight ballgames, Stengel broke the news to Landrith that he had been sold to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for a player to be named later, the soon infamous Marv Throneberry
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry was an American Major League Baseball player, best remembered as the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern record for most losses in a season with 120....
. The news came as a complete surprise to Landrith. With Orioles starting catcher Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
injured with a fractured knuckle, Landrith took over the starting role for almost all games in the month of June. In his first two weeks, Hobie was by no means hitting well for average with a mark just above .100, but he made the most of his first five hits, slamming three home runs in three separate Baltimore victories, including a walkoff two-run home run on June 22 against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
Landrith made immediate headlines when he was involved in a scuffle against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on June 11. Rookie Oriole outfielder Boog Powell
Boog Powell
John Wesley Powell is a former major league first baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers...
was hospitalized after Yankees pitcher Bud Daley
Bud Daley
Leavitt Leo "Bud" Daley , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1955-1964....
beaned
Beanball
"Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head...
Powell in the head with a pitch in the top of the 4th. In the bottom of the 4th, Baltimore pitcher Robin Roberts immediately threw a fastball over the head of Yankees star Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
. Maris started walking toward the mound, bat in hand. Roberts was afraid that if things got physical he would break his hand. Landrith jumped on Maris' back, clearing the benches. No punches were thrown in the incident, nor were any suspensions or fines levied by American League president Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
. The Orioles won 5-3.
Journalists that covered the Mets claimed that Landrith was incapable of throwing out runners that attempted to steal bases off him. The Orioles ignored the claim, insisting that they sought after him because he could indeed throw well. Based on the New York scouting report, American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
teams aggressively tried to steal bases against the Orioles when Landrith joined the team. In his first week, 11 runners tried to steal a base off Landrith. He threw out six runners, immediately removing the stigma that he could not throw. The blame for the high stolen base count against the Mets was promptly shifted away from Landrith and onto the New York Mets pitching.
Landrith's hot bat cooled off in the final three months of the season. Split between the Mets and the Orioles, he hit .236 with 5 home runs and 24 RBI in 83 games. He threw out 43.9% of runners that tried to steal a base off him, good enough for 4th among all AL catchers.
For the 1963
1963 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1963 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing fourth in the American League with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.- Offseason :* November 21, 1962: Jimmie Coker purchased by the Orioles from the Philadelphia Phillies....
season, former Giants teammate John Orsino was slated to continue being the Orioles starter at catcher, with Landrith, Charlie Lau
Charlie Lau
Charles Richard Lau was an American catcher and hitting coach in Major League Baseball....
, and Dick Brown
Dick Brown (baseball)
Richard Ernest Brown was a catcher in American Major League Baseball during the 1950s and 1960s. The native of Shinnston, West Virginia, attended Florida State University and batted and threw right-handed...
competing for roster spots on the probable three deep catcher depth chart. Landrith did make the roster, but only had one at bat in two games before being sold to the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
Washington Senators
On May 8, 19631963 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing 10th in the American League with a record of 56 wins and 106 losses.-Offseason:* October 5, 1962: Paul Casanova was signed as a free agent by the Senators....
, the Baltimore Orioles sold Landrith to the Washington Senators for a reported $20,000, with his salary estimated to be around $14,000. He struggled with the Senators, hitting only .173 with a home run and 7 RBI in 42 games before breaking his hand on a foul tip off a pitch from Steve Ridzik
Steve Ridzik
Stephen George Ridzik was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five teams from to , primarily the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators....
of the New York Yankees on August 7. He was given his unconditional release from Washington on December 6.
Landrith rejoined the Senators on February 15, 1964
1964 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing 9th in the American League with a record of 62 wins and 100 losses.- Offseason :* October 14, 1963: Minnie Miñoso was released by the Senators....
as a coach, with the possible option that he would return as an active player should the Senators trade away one of their current catchers. However, the opportunity never arose. Landrith brought his playing career to a close in an AL-NL benefit game on February 14, 1965 for the widow of Red Adams, a deceased custodian at Candlestick Park, helping to raise over $8,000.
Career statistics
Landrith's career totals as recognized by Baseball-Reference.com.| G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... |
R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... |
SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
CS Caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder while making the attempt... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
OBP On base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes... |
SLG | TB Total bases In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total.... |
SH Sacrifice hit In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice... |
SF Sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield.... |
HBP Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:... |
| 772 | 1929 | 179 | 450 | 69 | 5 | 34 | 203 | 5 | 12* | 253 | 188 | .233 | .320 | .327 | 631 | 23 | 19* | 3 |
- ' * ' denotes stats that were not officially recognized during parts or all of his career, and are incomplete.
Playing style
Although he was not very large for his position, standing at 5 feet, 10 inches, and only 170 pounds, he made his presence known on the field with his loud voice. Barely a month after his first call-up to the majors with the Cincinnati Reds, he made national news for being a "Holler Guy", bringing to the league what was referred to as "a brand of on-the-field chatter which hasn't been heard since the days of Leo (Gabby) HartnettGabby Hartnett
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs. Until the career of Johnny Bench, Hartnett was considered the greatest catcher in the history of the National League...
." His shrill "holler" was heard throughout the whole ballpark.
Aside from being the loudest catcher in the Majors, Landrith also had a philosophy of talking things over with his pitcher face to face on the mound, early and often. It is normal for catchers to occasionally call a timeout and go the mound to talk with his pitcher, especially in crucial situations, but Hobie took this facet of the game to new extremes. It was not unusual for Hobie to make many as five visits to the mound in an inning. He onced visited the mound ten times in a single inning to chat with Giants pitcher Sam Jones
Sam Jones (baseball)
Samuel Jones , known during his career as "Toothpick Sam" Jones or "Sad Sam" Jones, was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to ....
. Landrith was once described as a "legendary chatterbox". He was inspired to have his frequent consultations at the mound by Birdie Tebbetts
Birdie Tebbetts
George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians from to...
and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
. He insisted that he did not commit this practice to stall for time, but because he believed "there should be a closer relationship between pitcher and catcher. [...] I run out to the mound to eliminate any indecision on the pitcher's part and mine. Some batsmen have to be pitched to very carefully."
Coaching career
As early as 1948, Hobie Landrith expressed great interest in becoming a baseball general manager. At the Chicago Cubs training camp in Mesa, ArizonaMesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Landrith said that his main ambition was to become a manager, and that he was preparing himself daily for when the time came.
Landrith was in line to become the manager of Leones de Ponce
Leones de Ponce (baseball)
This article is about the Ponce baseball team. For the basketball team of the same name, see Ponce Lions .The Leones de Ponce are a baseball team in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. The organization is based in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The team plays at the Francisco Montaner Stadium...
of the Puerto Rico Baseball League in the winter of 1955, but a newer regulation prevented him from being allowed to take the position. In November 1963, Hobie was one of two candidates to become the new bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles, but it fell through.
On February 15, 1964, the Washington Senators announced that they hired Landrith as a coach. After the Senators compiled a 62-100 record for the 1964 season, he and Danny O'Connell
Danny O'Connell
Daniel Francis O'Connell was an American infielder in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Braves , New York/San Francisco Giants andWashington Senators...
surprised Senator management when they quit as coaches of the team on January 19, 1965
1965 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 70 wins and 92 losses.- Offseason :* November 30, 1964: Tim Cullen was drafted by the Senators from the Boston Red Sox in the 1964 first-year draft....
to each pursue careers in private businesses. Hobie became a public relations worker for Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
in the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
tri-state territory.
In 1998, Landrith, along with Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, Mike McCormick
Mike McCormick (pitcher)
Michael Francis McCormick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Giants from 1956 to 1958, then the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1970...
, Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
, and Dave Righetti
Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
were invited to the San Francisco Giants spring training camp as guest instructors.
Personal life
Landrith met his wife, Peggy, at Estrabrook Grammar School in tenth grade. They had five children; Gary, Carol, Randy, Beth Anne, and David.While playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, his wife gave birth to a son on November 18, 1954. With the team owner's approval, he flew home on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day to see his new son at his own expense. The downside to all this was after paying to fly back and playing just one game, his team released him despite having the 3rd highest batting average in the league.
Four days after being drafted to the New York Mets, his son David was born at Mills Hospital in San Mateo, California on October 14, 1961. David Landrith played two seasons in the minor leagues from 1983 to 1984 in the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
farm system for the Butte Copper Kings and Charleston Royals
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
after being drafted in the 12th Round, 309th overall by Kansas City in the 1983 amateur draft
1983 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Other notable players :*Kevin Ward, 6th round...
. He had previously turned down an offer to play professional baseball after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1979 draft
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. David is the current head baseball coach of the Flowing Wells High School Caballeros in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
Landrith attended Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, where he pursued a degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. After learning that the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
required a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
to be a coach in high school, Landrith made the decision to go into professional baseball. As Hobie was just beginning his professional career, his father, Charles, operated a fishing and boat and bait equipment camp at Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
.
Before playing at catcher for Northwestern High School, his two brothers Nuel and Charles played behind the plate for the team, starting a streak of nine years of Landriths playing at catcher for the school. Nuel played in the minor leagues for the 1942 and 1946 seasons for the Lamesa Dodgers
Lamesa Dodgers
The Lamesa Dodgers were a minor league baseball team based in Lamesa, Texas. Formerly known as the Lamesa Lobos they played in the West Texas-New Mexico League in 1942 as an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers....
and Quincy Gems
Quincy Gems (minor league team)
The Quincy Gems were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1907 to 1964. Based in Quincy, Illinois, they played in the Iowa State League in 1907, the Central Association in 1908, the Three-I League from 1913 to 1917 and from 1946 to 1956, and the Midwest League in 1964...
, and Charles also contributed two years in the minor league system, playing from 1948 to 1949 for the Pine Bluff Cardinals and Ogdensburg Maples.
After being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Hobie took a winter job as a successful auto salesman
Automobile salesperson
The automobile salesperson is one of many sales professions. The automobile salesman is a retail salesperson, who sells new and/or used cars. Unlike traditional retail sales, car sales are usually negotiable...
in Detroit, Michigan. When his career in baseball was over, Landrith went on to be the director of sales for 45 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
dealerships in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as of 1983, joining the auto business full-time in January 1965 as a public relations agent.