#582 Bob Schmidt

This is a pretty ho-hum photograph. But I took a spin on eBay and found Bob Schmidt's 1958 Topps issue. I'm a sucker for catcher's gear, and for those green backgrounds. Most of the 1958s in my collection are Orioles, and they primarily feature the more pedestrian yellow and blue backgrounds.

Fun facts about Bob Schmidt:

-Bob was born in St. Louis and signed with the Giants in 1951, when he was 18.

-He had to wait seven years to make his major league debut, due partly to his service in the Korean War (1953-1954).

-Schmidt made up for lost time by being selected to the National League All-Star team as a rookie in 1958. He carried a .265 average with 12 home runs and 32 RBI at the break. Despite a second-half slump, he still finished with a .244 mark and career highs of 14 homers and 54 RBI.

-On June 22, 1958, he caught all 14 innings of the Giants' 5-4 win over the Phillies. He reached base three times on a walk, a single, and a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning, and set a record by recording 22 putouts behind the plate.

-Drove in a career-high six runs against the Dodgers on August 31, 1958, including a first-inning grand slam off of Sandy Koufax.

-Achieved a personal best with a .267 average in 110 games in 1960.

-After a rough season with the Giants and Reds, Bob joined the Senators in 1962 and hit 10 home runs in a part-time role.

-The Yankees acquired him in May 1963 and he spent the final four seasons of his career at AAA, save for a 20-game cameo in New York in 1965.

-In parts of seven big-league seasons, Schmidt batted .243 with 39 home runs and 150 RBI.

-In his post-baseball life, Bob was a foreman for a construction company. He currently lives in St. Charles, MO.