Bobby Mattick
From BR Bullpen
Robert James Mattick
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 178 lb.
- High School Beaumont High School
- Debut May 5, 1938
- Final Game August 18, 1942
- Born December 5, 1915 in Sioux City, IA USA
- Died December 16, 2004 in Scottsdale, AZ USA
Bobby Mattick had a career in baseball that spanned 70 years. Best known by many for his years with the Toronto Blue Jays, he played several seasons in the majors and was a scout for more than 30 years before joining the Jays.
The son of big league outfielder Wally Mattick, Bobby Mattick was born in Sioux City, Iowa while his father was a player for the city's Western League club. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Beaumont High School in 1933. A shortstop, he was signed by the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League that fall and made his pro debut the following year. He missed most of the 1935 season due to a broken wrist, and the next year, he was on the disabled list for several months after being struck near the eye by a foul ball. The latter eye injury caused double vision that plagued him throughout his career. Mattick finally played a full season with the Angels in 1937, hitting .279 with 66 RBIs in 167 games as the team's regular shortstop.
After that season, Mattick's contract was purchased by the Chicago Cubs, and he made his big league debut in 1938, getting a hit in his only plate appearance in the majors. However, he missed much of the season as a result of his previous eye injury. After splitting the next year between the Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association, he was the Cubs regular shortstop in 1940 but struggled at the plate, hitting just .218. After the season ended, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with outfielder Jim Gleeson in exchange for shortstop Billy Myers. He spent the next two years with the Reds, but his playing time was quite limited. After the 1942 season, Mattick retired as a player.
After his playing career ended, Mattick was a Birmingham Barons coach in 1944. From 1945 to 1975, he was a scout for nine different clubs. During his scouting career, he was responsible for signing Curt Flood, Vada Pinson, Rusty Staub, Don Baylor, Gorman Thomas, and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. In addition, he spent part of the 1948 season as manager of the Ogden Reds of the Pioneer League. Mattick was the Scouting Director of the Cleveland Indians in 1965-1966 and director of player development for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970-1971.
He joined the Toronto Blue Jays as a scout in 1976 as one of the expansion team's first employees. After two seasons, he became the club's Director of Player Development. At age 64, Mattick took over as the team's skipper in 1980, becoming the oldest rookie manager to start a season. After two years at the helm and two last place finishes, he became the Blue Jays' Vice President of Baseball Operations. Mattick remained with the club until his death from a stroke in 2004 at age 89.
Mattick was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, and in honor of his many years of service to the club, the Blue Jays named their spring training complex after Mattick.
"Bobby was a father figure to everyone here. His life was baseball and everyone here recognizes his worth to the organization. Bobby Mattick was the senior statesman of the Blue Jays family since Day 1" - Paul Godfrey, Blue Jays President
[edit] Year-by-Year Playing Record
| Year | Team | League | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BA | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Los Angeles Angels | Pacific Coast League | 53 | 137 | 10 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | .277 | 2 |
| 1935 | Los Angeles Angels | Pacific Coast League | 50 | 131 | 15 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | .267 | 2 |
| 1936 | Los Angeles Angels | Pacific Coast League | 73 | 241 | 30 | 67 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 30 | .278 | 3 |
| 1937 | Los Angeles Angels | Pacific Coast League | 167 | 612 | 61 | 171 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 66 | .279 | 10 |
| 1938 | Chicago Cubs | National League | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Indians | American Association | 29 | 67 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .119 | 1 | |
| Syracuse Chiefs | International League | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .063 | 0 | |
| 1939 | Milwaukee Brewers | American Association | 68 | 273 | 47 | 78 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 16 | .286 | 3 |
| Chicago Cubs | National League | 51 | 178 | 16 | 51 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 23 | .287 | 1 | |
| 1940 | Chicago Cubs | National League | 128 | 441 | 30 | 96 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 33 | .218 | 5 |
| 1941 | Cincinnati Reds | National League | 20 | 60 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .183 | 1 |
| 1942 | Cincinnati Reds | National League | 6 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 | 0 |
[edit] Scouting Career
- 1945 to 1947 - New York Yankees
- 1948 to 1951 - Cincinnati Reds
- 1952 - Chicago White Sox
- 1953 to 1960 - Cincinnati Reds
- 1961 to 1963 - Houston Colt .45s
- 1964 to 1966 - Cleveland Indians
- 1967 - Baltimore Orioles
- 1968 to 1969 - Seattle Pilots
- 1970 - Milwaukee Brewers
- 1972 to 1975 - Montreal Expos
- 1976 to 1977 - Toronto Blue Jays
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Ogden Reds | Pioneer League | 32-25 | 4th | Cincinnati Reds | Lost first round | Replaced Pip Koehler in midseason |
| 1958 | Visalia Redlegs | California League | Cincinnati Redlegs | Replaced Bruce Edwards July 27 / replaced by Larry Taylor July 29 | |||
| 1980 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 67-95 | 7th | Toronto Blue Jays | ||
| 1981 | Toronto Blue Jays | American League | 37-69 | 7th/7th | Toronto Blue Jays |
He also managed the Seattle Pilots team in the 1969 Arizona Instructional League.
| Preceded by Roy Hartsfield | Toronto Blue Jays Manager 1980-1981 | Succeeded by Bobby Cox |
