| Ernie Lombardi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: April 6, 1908 Oakland, California, U.S. | |
| Died: September 26, 1977 (aged 69) Santa Cruz, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1931, for the Brooklyn Robins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 17, 1947, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .306 |
| Home runs | 190 |
| Runs batted in | 990 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1986 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Ernesto Natali Lombardi (April 6, 1908 – September 26, 1977) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Brooklyn Robins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and New York Giants during a career that spanned 17 years, from 1931 through 1947. He had several nicknames, including "Schnozz", "Lumbago", "Bocci", "the Cyrano of the Iron Mask", and "Lom". He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Baseball writer Bill James called Lombardi "the slowest man to ever play major league baseball well." Lombardi was an All-Star for seven seasons,[a] he hit over .300 for ten seasons and finished his major league career with a .306 batting average despite infields playing very deep for the sloth-like baserunner. He is listed at 6'3" and 230 lbs, but he probably approached 300 lbs towards the end of his career. He was also known as a gentle giant, and this made him hugely popular among Cincinnati fans.[1]
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- ^ James, Bill (2003). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (1st paperback ed.). New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore: Free Press. p. 381. ISBN 978-0-684-80697-6. Retrieved June 17, 2017.