Hobie Landrith
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Hobert Neal Landrith (March 16, 1930 – April 6, 2023) was an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player. He played in
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as a
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from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs,
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
,
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
,
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,
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, and Washington Senators. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . For most of his career, Landrith was a second- or third-string catcher. He was a backup catcher for Andy Seminick and Smoky Burgess in Cincinnati, and later a regular with the Cubs in
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
. The following two years he backed up All-Stars Hal Smith and
Walker Cooper William Walker Cooper (January 8, 1915 – April 11, 1991) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1940 to 1957, most notably as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals with who ...
with the Cardinals. He then had a three-season campaign in San Francisco, including his most successful season in
1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
. He was the first pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft. Landrith closed out his career with short stints with the Mets, Orioles, and expansion Senators. In a career that spanned 14 seasons, Landrith had a career .233
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 34
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s, 203
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
, and 450
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in 772
games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Associat ...
.Batting Splits and Daily Batting Logs a
Retrosheet
an
Baseball-Reference.com
.


Early life

Originally from
Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
, Landrith from age 10 to 14 played for the "Firemen's Midgets" team in the Detroit Amateur Baseball Federation. From 15 to 18, he played with a Class D advanced simon-pure group and as a catcher for Northwestern High School in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. At 15, he went to
Briggs Stadium Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-use stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of ...
and helped warmup starting pitchers for the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
and get
Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", and "the Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), p ...
into shape after he returned from military service. Landrith was discovered by the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
after leading his Detroit team to a second-place finish in the 1948 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. Landrith attended
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
, where he played one season before turning professional.


Playing career


Cincinnati Reds

On February 8, 1949, the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
signed Landrith. This angered Spartans coach
John Kobs John H. Kobs (August 21, 1898 – January 26, 1968) 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 baske ...
, who was quoted as saying, "They ought to leave these young players alone and give them a chance to finish college." Reds general manager
Warren Giles Warren Crandall Giles (May 28, 1896 – February 7, 1979) was an American professional baseball executive. Giles spent 33 years in high-level posts in Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league comp ...
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 him. The
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
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, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
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 ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and at Michigan State University. He desperately wanted to play professional baseball with the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, 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 (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
Class A Charleston Senators of the
Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...
. He had a .250
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 111
total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hit (baseball), hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single (baseball), single, 2 for a double (baseball), double, 3 for a triple (baseball), triple and 4 ...
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 The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tulsa ...
of the Class AA
Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
. In the opening game for Tulsa against the Dallas Eagles on April 11 at the Cotton Bowl, Landrith went 1-for-2 with a
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before breaking his left ankle as he slid into home plate. 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 In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
. Landrith joined the Reds squad when they played an exhibition game in Detroit, his hometown, 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 Robert Boden Scheffing (August 11, 1913 – October 26, 1985) was an American professional baseball player, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager and front-office executive. Nicknamed "Grumpy", the native of Overland, Missouri, is ...
was having problems with his left elbow, and Dixie Howell's throwing hand had been sore. Reds Manager
Luke Sewell James Luther "Luke" Sewell (January 5, 1901 – May 14, 1987) was an American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach, and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians (1921 ...
made the decision to finally give Landrith his first major league start that day at the
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee 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 The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
of the Class AAA
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. 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 Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring ...
for spring training in
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...
, 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 four RBIs over that span, including a four hit day against the
Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...
on September 10 and a three hit day on the last game of the season against the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
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 often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
to not have been charged a
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, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a run ...
. On January 25, 1953, Landrith signed his newest contract to play with Cincinnati for the upcoming season. Going into the season, manager
Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager (baseball), manager, and coach (baseball), coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. ...
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 five RBIs against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
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 did not play another game until April 29, when despite going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, he allowed a passed ball against the
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning against hitter
Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing f ...
, 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 Seminick'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 three home runs and 16 RBIs in 52 games. Although he never played in a
Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
, 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 Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
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 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
Redlegs training camp in Tampa, with Landrith and
Ed Bailey Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. (April 15, 1931 – March 23, 2007) was an American professional baseball player and later served on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from through . A six-time All-St ...
the early favorites to back up 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 five home runs and 14 RBIs in 48 games. He did, however, have one dramatic game-winning
walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...
against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
' reliever
Al Corwin Elmer Nathan "Al" Corwin (December 3, 1926 – October 23, 2003) was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who appeared in Major League Baseball between 1951 and 1955 for the New York Giants. The Newburgh, New York, n ...
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 The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
for
second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...
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 an average of .342. The mark was good enough for third in the league, just behind
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
and
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December ...
. Landrith started the 1955 season as backup for Bailey. On April 30, Seminick was traded to the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
for Smoky Burgess, who immediately became the Reds' starting catcher. Bailey was optioned to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
of the
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, 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 walk-off, 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. Landrith hit .253 with four home runs and seven RBIs in 43 games. He had the seventh-highest
on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
(OPS) percentage out of all NL catchers with a mark of .755.Historical hitting stats fro
MLB.com


Chicago Cubs

On November 28, 1955, Landrith was traded to the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
for centerfielder turned
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
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 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
. 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 Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. 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 2, 1956, to May 2, 1957. Chicago ended the 1956 season with an atrocious 60–94 record. In September, general manager
Stan Hack Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the Na ...
was set to be fired at the end of the season.
Bob Scheffing Robert Boden Scheffing (August 11, 1913 – October 26, 1985) was an American professional baseball player, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager and front-office executive. Nicknamed "Grumpy", the native of Overland, Missouri, is ...
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 Jones, and Eddie Miksis was traded to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
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 Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
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 William Walker Cooper (January 8, 1915 – April 11, 1991) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1940 to 1957, most notably as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals with who ...
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 number 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 Muffett 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 Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), an immortal bird in ancient Greek mythology * Phoenix, Arizona, the capital of the U.S. state of Arizona and the most populous state capital in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: ...
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 baseman
Daryl Spencer Daryl Dean Spencer (July 13, 1928 – January 2, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and infielder who played shortstop, second base and third base in Major League Baseball between and for the New York / San Francisco Giants, ...
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 Daryl Dean Spencer (July 13, 1928 – January 2, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and infielder who played shortstop, second base and third base in Major League Baseball between and for the New York / San Francisco Giants, ...
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 The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
, 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 The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
where Phillies pitcher 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 A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
pitcher
Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1975, mostly with the San Francisco Giants. Known ...
. Marichal just missed being the first pitcher since 1898 to hurl a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
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 is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
. 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. New manager
Alvin Dark Alvin Ralph Dark (January 7, 1922 – November 13, 2014), nicknamed "Blackie" and "the Swamp Fox", was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager. He played fourteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee ...
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 Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. 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 Donald Lee Blasingame (March 16, 1932 – April 13, 2005), nicknamed "Blazer", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955–1959), San Francisco Giants (1960â ...
, and Sherman Jones to the Reds for catcher and noteworthy slugger
Ed Bailey Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. (April 15, 1931 – March 23, 2007) was an American professional baseball player and later served on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from through . A six-time All-St ...
. 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.


New York Mets

On October 10, 1961, the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, an
expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
used their first pick in the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft to select Landrith second overall. New York manager
Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
justified the choice by explaining that, "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of
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, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a run ...
s." When Landrith was sent a 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 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
. 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 The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
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 eighth 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 Curtis Charles Flood Sr. (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball center fielder and activist. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washin ...
stole two bases and second baseman Julián 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; the Mets used seven different catchers, with none playing in more than 70 games. Landrith's only home run as a Met came when he
pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Am ...
in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Mets down 2–1 against the Milwaukee Braves and all-time pitching great
Warren Spahn Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...
. 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 Gilbert Raymond Hodges (born Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Broo ...
, 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 a 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.


Baltimore Orioles

On June 7, 1962, the Mets traded Landrith to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
as the
player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
in the earlier trade in which the Mets acquired
Marv Throneberry Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern re ...
. With Orioles starting catcher
Gus Triandos Gus Triandos (July 30, 1930 – March 28, 2013) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman, most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles where he was a fou ...
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, Landrith was batting just above .100, although he made the most of his first five hits, slamming three home runs in three separate Baltimore victories, including a walk-off two-run home run on June 22 against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. Landrith made immediate headlines when he was involved in a scuffle against the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
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 Roger Eugene Maris (born Maras; September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new List of Major League Baseball p ...
. 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 Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, Manager (baseball), manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Bost ...
. 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 The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
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 five home runs and 24 RBIs in 83 games. He threw out 43.9% of runners that tried to steal a base off him, good enough for fourth-best 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, Charley 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.


Washington Senators

On May 8, 1963, 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 .173 with one home run and seven RBIs 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 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
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 Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...
, helping to raise over $8,000.


Playing style

Although Landrith was small for his position, standing at and weighing , 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) Hartnett." 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 A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...
, 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 once 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 Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
. 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, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...
, 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 Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Oriental Mi ...
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 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
to each pursue careers in private businesses. Hobie became a public relations worker for
Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
in the
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, and
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
tri-state territory. In 1998, Landrith, along with
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
, Mike McCormick, Orlando Cepeda, and Dave Righetti were invited to the San Francisco Giants spring training camp as guest instructors.


Personal life

Landrith met his wife, Peggy, at Estabrook Grammar School in tenth grade. They had six children: Gary, Carol, Randy, Beth, David and Linda. While Landrith was playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, his wife gave birth to Randy on November 18, 1954. With the team owner's approval, he flew home on
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
day to see his new son at his own expense. The downside to this was after paying to fly back and playing in just one game, his team released him despite having the 3rd highest batting average in the league. Four days after Landrith was drafted by the 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 The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
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 MLB draft. He had previously turned down an offer to play professional baseball after being drafted in the sixth round of the 1979 MLB draft by the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. A year later, David was part of the
Arizona Wildcats baseball The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. They compete in the Big 12 Conference (Big 12) of NCAA Division I. Arizona has won four c ...
team becoming national champions in winning the 1980 College World Series. David was the head coach of the Flowing Wells High School baseball team in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, for twenty years. After being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Landrith took a winter job as an auto salesman in Detroit, Michigan. When his career in baseball was over, Landrith joined the auto business full-time in January 1965 as a public relations agent. He was the director of sales for 45
Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
dealerships in northern
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Landrith died on April 6, 2023, at home in
Sunnyvale, California Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real (California), El Camino Real and U.S. Route 101 in California, Highway 1 ...
, at age 93.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landrith, Hobie 1930 births 2023 deaths Baltimore Orioles players Chicago Cubs players Cincinnati Redlegs players Cincinnati Reds players St. Louis Cardinals players San Francisco Giants players Texas Rangers players Washington Senators (1961–1971) players 20th-century American sportsmen Washington Senators (1961–1971) coaches Major League Baseball catchers Michigan State Spartans baseball players New York Mets players Charleston Senators players Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Baseball players from Decatur, Illinois Baseball players from Detroit Northwestern High School (Michigan) alumni