3251 Bobby Malkmus

Bobby Malkmus  Philadelphia Phillies

Career: Bobby Malkmus was a good glove, bad bat infielder for three big-league clubs over bits and pieces of six seasons. He broke in with the '57 Braves and went on to play for the Senators and Phils. His busiest time came in 1960 and '61 when he played in a total of  200 games for Philadelphia over both years.

When he got nearly 400 plate appearances in '61 he responded with his best hitting. He had a .231 average that year while also launching seven of his eight career homers. 

His time with the Braves in their title season of 1957 came in June so he wasn't around to watch the Series from the bench.

Malkmus was, as they say, a baseball 'lifer'. His last seasons as a pro were spent as a player/coach in the Phils organization. He went on to manage in the minors for them, the Expos, and the Orioles.  He was involved in scouting for the Giants as late as 2013 and has been active in baseball schools and camps.

In 1960: Malkmus played in 79 games, 32 as a starter. He was the clubs utility guy and divided his time between second, third, and short. He hit just .211 but had his first home run, a grand slam against the Giants. Details below.

This nugget from his SABR bio is a 1960 story: On September 15 at Connie Mack Stadium, Malkmus clubbed his first big-league home run, a grand slam off the San Francisco Giants’ Sam Jones to tie the score in the sixth inning of an eventual extra-inning loss. Starting at second base the following evening in Milwaukee, he was involved in a memorable game. With two outs in the ninth inning facing Warren Spahn, Malkmus hit a screeching liner back to the mound. Spahn reached for the ball reflexively, but it ricocheted off his glove, only to be scooped up by shortstop Logan, who threw to Adcock at first to record the final out in Spahn’s first career no-hitter.

Off The Charts: Recycled from my post of his 1958 card... On September 16, 1960, 39-year-old former teammate Warren Spahn threw the first no-hitter of his illustrious career against the Phils, striking out 15. He struck out every player in the starting lineup except Malkmus.

Malkmus was a product of Newark N.J.'s South Side High School and played football and baseball there. I'm from nearby Nutley and NSS was one of my home town's football rivals. He was before my time though.

The Card: This photo was taken in the same session as the one used on his '59 card. That 'P' they drew on his cap for the 'action' shot would have been visible from Delaware.