Books and articles about Hobie Landrith

RELATED LINKS

Landrith is perhaps best known as the Mets' first pick in the expansion draft; manager Casey Stengel explained the choice by saying, "You gotta have a catcher or you're gonna have a lot of passed balls." Landrith had been a backup for the Reds (1950-55) but was traded after the 1955 season, when he had missed time with a broken collarbone. He was a regular for a weak Cubs team in 1956 and hit .221 while leading the league's catchers in errors. As a regular on the 1959 Giants, he had his best season, hitting .251 with 29 RBI and 30 runs in 283 at-bats. (JFC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » November 28, 1955: The Cubs trade P Hal Jeffcoat to the Redlegs for C Hobie Landrith. » May 27, 1956: Thanks to a dropped 3rd strike by C Hobie Landrith, P Jim Davis of the Cubs fans four straight Cardinals in the 6th inning. Wally Moon leads off the inning with a double and then steals 3B. The knuckler then K's Hal Smith and Jackie Brandt. His 3rd strike on Lindy McDaniel eludes Landrith, and the pitcher reaches first while Moon scores. Don Blasingame then strikes out for the 4th strikeout in the inning. Not since Guy Morton, in 1916, has a pitcher fanned four in one inning. But the Cubs still lose, 11–9. The Cards pummel the Cubs in the 2nd game as well, winning 12–2. » December 10, 1956: The Cubs buy perennial backup C Charlie Silvera from the Yankees. They also trade pitchers Sad Sam Jones and Jim Davis, IF Eddie Miksis, and C Hobie Landrith to the Cardinals for pitchers Tom Poholsky and Jackie Collum, C Ray Katt, and a minor league pitcher. » April 13, 1961: Alvin Dark pulls all the right strings to give the Giants a 6–5 win over the Pirates. Joey Amalfitano, hitting for cleanup man Willie McCovey in the 8th, singles in Willie Mays for a 4-4 tie; new catcher Hobie Landrith homers in the 11th to tie at five apiece, and Harvey Kuenn's single in the 12th wins it. » October 10, 1961: An expansion draft to stock the new National League clubs takes place in Cincinnati. Selecting 1st, Houston takes Giants SS Eddie Bressoud; the Mets take 31-year-old Giant C Hobie Landrith. Second choices are Bob Aspromonte (45s) and Elio Chacon. Other Houston selections include Bobby Shantz, Ken Johnson, Dick Farrell, and Bob Lillis. New York takes Roger Craig, Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, Gus Bell, Jay Hook, among others. Also, Cards C Chris Cannizzaro, out much of this year due to an appendectomy. » May 9, 1962: The Orioles ship Marvelous Marv Throneberry to the Mets for C Hobie Landrith and cash. » May 12, 1962: New York Mets relief P Craig Anderson wins both games of a doubleheader against the Braves to go 3–1. He will not win another game in the ML, losing his next 19 decisions, 16 of them this season. Ninth-inning home runs win the games as Hobie Landrith hits one in the opening 3–2 win and Gil Hodges closes a game-two 9–8 victory.