Ernie Lombardi

Ernesto Natali Lombardi, born April 6, 1908, in Oakland, California, and died September 26, 1977, was a Major League Baseball catcher for 17 seasons, from 1931 through 1947. He played for the Brooklyn Robins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and New York Giants. Known by a handful of nicknames—"Schnozz," "Lumbago," "Bocci," "the Cyrano of the Iron Mask," and "Lom"—he entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.

Baseball writer Bill James described Lombardi as "the slowest man to ever play major league baseball well." Despite his lack of speed, Lombardi made the All-Star team seven times, batted above .300 for ten seasons, and finished his career with a .306 average. Infields played unusually deep against him because he was such a slow runner. Listed at 6'3" and 230 pounds, he likely weighed close to 300 pounds late in his career. His gentle nature made him a fan favorite, especially in Cincinnati.

Lombardi grew up in Oakland and attended McClymonds High School, the same school that later produced Frank Robinson and Bill Russell. He began his professional career with the hometown Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, hitting over .350 with power in 1929 and 1930 while showing off a strong arm. The Brooklyn Robins bought his contract for $50,000.

He debuted for Brooklyn in 1931, hitting .297, but the team had too many catchers. Manager Wilbert Robinson considered using Lombardi as a pitcher but instead traded him to the Reds just before spring training in 1932. Lombardi thrived in Cincinnati, batting .303 with 11 home runs and 68 RBIs in his first year. He hit .343 in 1935 but wasn't named an All-Star until 1936, when he batted .333. He made the All-Star team again in 1937 (.334) and 1938, when he led the National League with a .342 average, 19 home runs, and 95 RBIs, earning the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Lombardi became one of the Reds' most productive and beloved players. He caught Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters on June 11 and June 15, 1938. He was an All-Star the next two seasons, and his hitting and leadership helped Cincinnati win the National League pennant in 1939 and 1940, and the World Series in 1940.

During Lombardi's time as the Reds' starting catcher, backup Willard Hershberger became the only major league player to commit suicide during a season. In 1940, after struggling while filling in for an injured Lombardi, Hershberger told manager Bill McKechnie, "My father killed himself, and I'm going to do it, too!" He failed to show up at the ballpark the next day, and on August 3 the Reds found him in his hotel room, dead from a slit throat and wrist.

In 1942, the Boston Braves bought Lombardi's contract. He made the All-Star team and led the National League with a .330 batting average, though in only 309 at-bats. That batting title was the last won by a catcher until Joe Mauer took the American League crown in 2006. As of 2017, Lombardi is one of only three National League catchers to win a batting title, joining Bubbles Hargrove (1926) and Buster Posey (2012). His final All-Star selection came in 1943, by which time Boston had traded him to the New York Giants. He had three solid but unspectacular seasons with the Giants before his playing time dropped. He retired after 1947 with a .306 career average, 1,792 hits, 277 doubles, 27 triples, 190 home runs, 990 RBIs, 601 runs, and 430 walks.

Lombardi's lack of speed was legendary. He grounded into 261 double plays over his career, leading the league in that category four times. He holds the MLB record for grounding into a double play once every 25.3 plate appearances. One opposing manager joked that Lombardi ran like he was carrying a piano and the man tuning it. Defenses sometimes moved all four infielders into the outfield when he batted. Still, he became an outstanding catcher thanks to his strong, accurate arm and skill at calling games.

After retiring from the majors, Lombardi started the 1948 season with the Sacramento Solons. In May 1948, Sacramento sold him back to the Oakland Oaks.

The most infamous moment of his career came during the fourth game of the 1939 World Series. In the 10th inning, with the score tied and runners on first and third, Joe DiMaggio singled. One run scored, and Reds outfielder Ival Goodman mishandled the ball. Yankees right fielder Charlie Keller, a sturdy player, barreled into Lombardi at home plate, accidentally hitting him in the groin. Lombardi had not worn a protective cup, and he lay on the ground in pain and dazed. DiMaggio circled the bases and scored while the ball sat a few feet from the afflicted catcher. The press harshly criticized Lombardi, and the play became known as "Lombardi's Big Snooze." Bill James later wrote that Lombardi became the Bill Buckner of the 1930s, even more innocent than Buckner.