1961 Topps #31, Bob Schmidt

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Bob Schmidt's 1961 Topps #31 baseball card is shown
here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/031_Schmidt-a.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/031_Schmidt-b.jpg

The three cartoons on the back of Bob's card really tell
the story of his career. The first one, about him holding
the record for the most putouts by a catcher in a single
game, was true, but has since been broken.

In the second cartoon, Bob led the National League
catchers in double plays with 10, in 1958.

And in the third cartoon, Bob carried on his excellent
fielding from the minor leagues. He led all A.L. catchers
in fielding percentage in 1962, with a .997, although he
was only in 88 games that year.

Bob came up with the San Francisco Giants in 1958,
and started off strong. Strong enough, in fact, to be
selected to the All-Star game in his rookie season. He
was on the roster, but didn't play in the game.

On June 4th, 1958, Bob entered the Major League
record books when, in the 10th inning of game against
the Braves, Hank Sauer was sent to the plate as a
pinch hitter. Hank hit a home run off of Ernie Johnson.
Then Bob was sent in as a pinch hitter. He also hit
a home run off of Ernie. Back-to-back pinch homers
was a first in Major League history.

Bob did cool off that year, and ended up with 14 home
runs, and a .244 batting average.

As are most catchers, bob was a slow 6' 2'', 205 pounds.
In his career of 7 years, he had zero stolen bases, and
was caught stealing 6 times, no doubt from hit-and-runs
that went terribly wrong. Bob tied for 4th in the league,
in 1958, grounding into 19 double plays.

1959 would see Bob play in only 71 games, and his
batting average remained a low .243, but in 1960, he
improved his average to .267 in 110 games.

In 1961, the year of this card, even though he is wearing
a Giants cap in the photo, he would only play in 2 games
for them before being traded to the Reds in April. Bob
would only play in 27 games for them, and his batting
average would fall to .132 for the year.

In the off season, Bob was traded to the Senators,
and would play in 88 games for them in 1962, while
hitting for a .242 average.

In May of 1963, he was dealt off to the Yankees, but
he didn't play for them until 1965, when he was in 20
games before his last Major League game on June 9th.

In his last big league outing, he helped his Yankees
win a game over the Athletics, by hitting a double in
the 3rd inning and scoring, getting a single in the 7th,
and drawing a walk in the 9th. Not a bad way to end
a career.

Bob had a lifetime batting average of .243, and a
very nice lifetime fielding percentage of .988.
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John Wade