Ernie Lombardi (1986)


Date of Birth: 4/6/1908
Date of Death: 9/26/1977
Birthplace: Oakland, California

Ernie Lombardi started his professional baseball career with the Pacific Coast League in 1926. He played with minor league teams from 1926 through 1930. In January, 1931, he was traded to the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers.

Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers

In 1931, Lombardi made his major league start, playing in 73 games with the Robins. He batted .297 with 54 hits.

After less than a full season playing with the Robins, Lombardi was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on March 14, 1932.

Cincinnati Reds

In 1932, his first full season in the major leagues, Lombardi batted .303 with 125 hits, 22 doubles, 11 home runs, and 68 RBIs in 118 games. He struck out 19 times and walked 41 times. The following season, he played in only 107 games and he batted .283. He had 99 hits, 21 doubles, and 47 RBIs in 1933.

Lombardi played in a career high 132 games in 1934. He batted .305 with 127 hits, 19 doubles, and 62 RBIs. He had a career high batting average of .343 in 1935. That season, he had 114 hits, 23 doubles, 12 home runs, and 64 RBIs in 120 games.

Lombardi continued to play well in 1936 and 1937. He had a .333 batting average in 1936, and a .334 average in 1937. He had 129 hits and 23 doubles in 1936, and 123 hits and 22 doubles the following year. He had 68 RBIs in 121 games in 1936, and 59 RBIs in 120 games in 1937.

In 1938, Lombardi won the NL MVP award and the Sporting News MVP award and he led the league in batting average. He had career highs in hits (167), doubles (30), and RBIs (95). He batted .342 in 129 games.

Lombardi's batting average dropped to .287 in 1939, but that year, he had a career high in home runs with 20. The following season, his average went back up to .319. He finished the 1940 season with 120 hits, 22 doubles, 14 home runs, and 74 RBIs in 109 games.

In 1941, Lombardi batted .264 in 117 games. He had 105 hits, 12 doubles, 10 home runs, and 60 RBIs.

Boston Braves

Lombardi was traded to the Boston Braves on February 7, 1942. He won the NL batting title that season, ending the year with a .330 batting average. He had 102 hits, 14 doubles, 11 home runs, and 46 RBIs in 105 games.

New York Giants

The Braves traded Lombardi to the New York Giants on April 27, 1943. In his first year with the Giants, he batted .305 in 104 games. He had 90 hits, 10 home runs, and 51 RBIs. He struggled the next season, batting just .255 in 117 games. He had 95 hits and 58 RBIs in 1944.

Lombardi played well again in 1945, when he batted .307. He had 113 hits, 19 home runs, and 70 RBIs in 115 games. He also played well defensively, leading NL catchers in putouts with 425.

Lombardi played in 88 games in 1946, and he batted .290. In 1947, he batted .282 in 48 games. The Giants released him on September 20, 1947.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL MVP
  • Sporting News MVP
  • Led NL in batting average (2 times)

Career Statistics

Career batting statistics for Lombardi include:

  • 1,853 games played
  • 1,792 hits
  • 277 doubles
  • 190 home runs
  • 990 RBIs
  • 262 strikeouts to 430 walks
  • .306 batting average
  • .358 on-base percentage
  • .818 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Lombardi as a catcher include:

  • 1,544 games played
  • 143 errors
  • 845 assists
  • 5,694 putouts
  • .979 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

Lombardi returned to the Pacific Coast League in 1948, for one final season as a professional baseball player.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Ernie Lombardi
ESPN - Ernie Lombardi
Baseball Reference - Ernie Lombardi

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