Hobie Landrith

Infobox MLB retired


bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=#c6011f
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Hobie Landrith
position=Catcher
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1930|3|16
debutdate=July 30
debutyear=by|1950
debutteam=Cincinnati Reds
finaldate=August 7
finalyear=1963
finalteam=Washington Senators
stat2label=AVG
stat2value=.233
stat1label=Hits
stat1value=450
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=203
teams= As Player

*Cincinnati Reds (1950-1955)
*Chicago Cubs (1956)
*St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1958)
*San Francisco Giants (1959-1961)
*New York Mets (1962)
*Baltimore Orioles (1962-1963)
*Washington Senators (1963)
highlights=
* First pick of the New York Mets in the by|1961 MLB Expansion Draft

Hobert Neal Landrith (born March 16, 1930 in Decatur, Illinois) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from by|1950 through by|1963 for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs (1950-1955), Chicago Cubs (1956), St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1958), San Francisco Giants (1959-1961), New York Mets (1962), Baltimore Orioles (1962-1963) and Washington Senators (1963). 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 probably best known as the first pick of the New York Mets in the 1961 expansion draft. He had been a valuable backup catcher for Andy Seminick and Smoky Burgess in Cincinnati, and was a regular with the Cubs in 1956 and hit a .221 batting average in a career-high 111 games. The following two years he backed up All-Stars Hal Smith and Walker Cooper with the Cardinals. His most productive season came as a regular on the 1959 Giants, when he hit .251 with three home runs and 29 RBI and posted career-highs in hits (71), runs (30), and doubles (14) in 109 games.

After the Mets selected Landrith in the 1961 draft, New York manager Casey Stengel justified the choice explaining that "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed balls." But in the 1962 midseason, the Mets would make a trade that typified their early years when they sent Landrith to the Baltimore Orioles to complete an earlier deal for Marv Throneberry, who soon became the living symbol of Met futility.

Landrith played in part of two seasons with Baltimore and ended his major league career with the expansion Washington Senators in 1963. Following his playing career, he coached for the Senators in 1964.

In a 14-season career, Landrith was a .233 hitter with 34 home runs and 203 RBI in 772 games.

First NY Mets lineup

:1. Richie Ashburn, CF:2. Félix Mantilla, SS:3. Charlie Neal, 2B:4. Frank Thomas, LF:5. Gus Bell, RF:6. Gil Hodges, 1B:7. Don Zimmer, 3B:8. Hobie Landrith, C:9. Roger Craig, SP

External links

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/L/hobie-landrith.shtml The Baseball Cube]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/L/Landrith_Hobie.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.thebaseballpage.com/features/2002/mets_debut.htm The Baseball Page]
*baseball-reference|id=l/landrho01
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Plandh101.htm Retrosheet]