NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ernie Lombardi

Ernesto Natali (Ernie) Lombardi (born April 6, 1908 in Oakland, California — died September 26, 1977 in Santa Cruz, California), was a Major League Baseball catcher for the Brooklyn Robins, the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Braves and the New York Giants during a Hall of Fame career that spanned 17 years, from 1931 to 1947. His nickname was "Schnozz." The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890â€“present) West Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958â€“present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883â€“present) West Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958â€“present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-1885) Ballpark AT&T Park (2000â€“present) a. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... In baseball, a home run is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run, with no errors on the play that result in the batter achieving extra bases. ... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890â€“present) West Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958â€“present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Major league affiliations National League (1890â€“present) Central Division (1994â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958â€“present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames Big Red Machine, Redlegs[1] Ballpark... Major league affiliations National League (1876â€“present) East Division (1994â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966â€“present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Major league affiliations National League (1883â€“present) West Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers NY, NY, 3, 4, 11, 24, 27, 30, 36, 42, 44 Name San Francisco Giants (1958â€“present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-1885) Ballpark AT&T Park (2000â€“present) a. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning the Series in 7 games for their second championship, their first since the scandal-tainted victory in the 1919 World Series. ... The 1939 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds, who were making their first Series appearance since the scandal-tainted 1919 World Series. ... The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each the American League and National League who has the highest batting average in a particular season. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum 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 baseball-related... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum 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 baseball-related... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Willie McCovey is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and becomes the 16th player elected in his first year of eligibility. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ... The position of the catcher Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in cricket. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890â€“present) West Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958â€“present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Major league affiliations National League (1890â€“present) Central Division (1994â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958â€“present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames Big Red Machine, Redlegs[1] Ballpark... Major league affiliations National League (1876â€“present) East Division (1994â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966â€“present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... San Francisco Giants AAA Fresno Grizzlies AA Norwich Navigators A San Jose Giants Augusta GreenJackets Salem-Keizer Volcanoes R Arizona Giants Edit this box The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum 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 baseball-related... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ernie Lombardi played his rookie season for the-then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931, but was traded to the Cincinnati Reds shortly before the start of spring training for the 1932 season. Lombardi flourished his first year in Cincinnati, batting .303 with 11 home runs and 68 runs batted in. However, he became a national star in 1938 when he hit a league-leading .342 with 19 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and won the National League's MVP award. Ernie Lombardi became one of the Reds' most productive and popular players of all time. He also has the distinction of catching both of Reds left-hander Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters, accomplished on June 11 and June 15, 1938. To date, Vander Meer's feat has not been matched. See also: 1930 in sports, other events of 1931, 1932 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing 24 hours of Le Mans: Earl Howe and Tim Birkin, driving an Alfa Romeo 8C. Louis Schneider wins the Indy 500. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... This article is about the baseball concept. ... In baseball statistics, a run batted in (RBI) is given to a batter for each run scored as the result of a batters plate appearance. ... See also: 1937 in sports, other events of 1938, 1939 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Baseball World Series: New York Yankees defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4-0. ... The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League, is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada and the worlds oldest extant professional team sports league. ... In the game of baseball, both amateur and professional, it is tradition to annually recognize the one player in the league who has contributed the most to the success of the players team. ... John Samuel Vander Meer born November 2, 1914 - October 6, 1997 in Prospect Park, New Jersey was a Major League Baseball pitcher. ... In baseball and softball, a no-hit game (more commonly known as a no-hitter) refers to a contest in which one of the teams has prevented the other from getting an official hit during the entire length of the game, which must be at least 9 innings by the... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1937 in sports, other events of 1938, 1939 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Baseball World Series: New York Yankees defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4-0. ...

In 1942, the Boston Braves purchased Lombardi's contract, and despite his leading the league in hitting that season with a .330 batting average (albeit, in only 309 at-bats); the next batting title to be won by a catcher came more than 60 years later when Joe Mauer won the AL batting title in 2006, a testament to how difficult it is for a catcher to win the title. Boston opted to trade him to the New York Giants after the season. He enjoyed three productive if unspectacular seasons with the Giants before seeing his playing time diminish over the next two seasons. He retired after the 1947 season, having compiled a .306 career batting average, 190 home runs, 990 RBI, 601 runs and 430 walks. 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... This article contains a trivia section. ... American League The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... See also: 1946 in sports, other events of 1947, 1948 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto racing Wally Parks founds the Southern California Timing Association, to better organize drag racing. ... In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around all three bases and returns safely to home plate. ... In baseball statistics, a base on balls (BB), also called a walk, is credited to a batter and against a pitcher when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. ...

The six foot, three inch, 230-pound Ernie Lombardi was legendarily slow-footed, and during the course of his career he grounded into 261 double plays. Aside from being the yearly leader in grounding into double plays on 4 occasions, he holds the record for grounding into one every 25.3 plate appearances. An opposing manager once jokingly said that Lombardi was so slow, he ran like he was carrying a piano — and the man who was tuning it. Defenses would often position all four infielders in the outfield when Lombardi came to the plate. Despite this, he became an outstanding catcher on the basis of his strong, accurate arm and his ability to "call" a game.

Ernie Lombardi was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1958, and posthumously into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame was instituted in 1958 to recognize the career of former Cincinnati Reds players, managers and front-office executives. ... See also: 1957 in sports, other events of 1958, 1959 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing NASCAR Championship - Lee Petty Indianapolis 500 - Jimmy Bryan USAC Racing - Tony Bettenhausen won the season championship Formula One Championship - Mike Hawthorn of Great Britain February 23 - Cuban rebels kidnap... A posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has passed away. ... See also: 1981 in sports, other events of 1982, 1983 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing Stock car racing: NASCAR Championship - Darrell Waltrip Bobby Allison won the Daytona 500 CART Racing - Rick Mears won the season championship Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock Formula One Champion - Keke... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, United States, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests that serves as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in North America, the display of baseball-related... See also: 1985 in sports, other events of 1986, 1987 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto Racing Stock car racing: Geoff Bodine won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship - Dale Earnhardt CART Racing - Bobby Rahal Indianapolis 500 - Bobby Rahal Formula One Championship - Alain Prost of France 24... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Lawrence S. Ritter (1922 - 2004) was a writer whose specialty was baseball. ...

Controversy

Lombardi attempted to commit suicide during the 1953 season. He received life saving medical treatment and lived up until 1977. While Lombardi played for the reds as the starting catcher, teammate and backup catcher Willard Hershberger became the only major league player to commit suicide during a season. Hershberger oddly enough told manager Bill McKechnie that "my father killed himself, and I'm going to do it, too!" After failing to appear at the stadium the next day the reds checked Hershberger's room at the hotel only to find that he had slit throat and wrist. Williard McKee Hershberger (b. ...

See also

External links