Bob Schultz

Robert Duffy Schultz

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 200 lb.

• Debut April 20, 1951
• Final Game April 15, 1955
• Born November 27, 1923 in Louisville, KY USA
• Died March 31, 1979 in Nashville, TN USA

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Biographical Information

Bob Schultz served in the United States Marines during World War II. Upon returning home in 1946, he hooked up with the class D Kitty League Fulton Bulldogs and this was the beginning of an eleven-year professional baseball career. He had one of the best years of this career that first season, going 19-10 with a 3.62 ERA. He also led the league in strikeouts with 361 in 221 innings. This performance earned him a spot on the league All-Star roster.

This showing caught the eye of the Chicago White Sox and he signed in 1947 to play with their affiliate in the class C Cotton States League, the Greenville Bucks. He went 15-11 with a 2.02 ERA. Schultz then went 11-11 in 1948 with the Memphis Chickasaws of the class AA Southern Association. With Memphis again in 1949, he posted a 1-5 mark and was sent to the Muskegon Clippers of the class A Central League and wound up there at 8-10 with a 3.16 ERA.

The Chisox put the lefthander on waivers in March of 1950 and the Nashville Vols, AA farm team of the National League Chicago Cubs, picked him up for the minimum $2,500 fee. The 1950 season was the best of the lefthander's career. He went 25-6 for the Nashville club, 18 of his wins came in succession at home, and four of them where shutouts. He also fanned 202 in 222 innings and posted a 2.68 ERA.

Schultz was brought to Wrigley Field in 1951. He went 3-6 while pitching 77 innings before being sent back to the Nashville club for more seasoning. He also spent part of the year with the Springfield Cubs of the AAA International League.

1952 saw Schultz spend the entire season with the Cubs, going 6-3 while appearing in 29 games and posting a 4.01 ERA. Schultz started out 1953 with the Cubs, going 0-2 in 7 appearances, then on June 4th, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with Bob Addis, Toby Atwell, George Freese, Gene Hermanski, Preston Ward and $150,000 for Ralph Kiner, Joe Garagiola, Howie Pollet and Catfish Metkovich. With the Pirates he appeared in 11 games, posted an 0-2 mark and was sent to the Southern Association New Orleans Pelicans team. He finished out 1953 with a 9-4 record and a 2.74 ERA.

1954 saw him again with the Pelicans where he went 18-11 with a 3.52 ERA. This prompted the Detroit Tigers of the American League to purchase his contract in December of that year. The 31-year-old Schultz made one appearance as a Tiger in 1955, with no record; he was sent down to the International League Buffalo Bisons early in the year. He went 10-14 with a 5.75 ERA. 1956 saw him with three different minor league clubs, where he had a combined 7-8 record. It marked the end of his professional career.

On March 31, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee, Bob Schultz was shot and killed. The assailant was charged with first degree murder.

Source

SABR Minor League Data base
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Third Edition
Frank Russo and Gene Racz History Book
baseball-reference.com