Bobby Coombs

Raymond Franklin Coombs

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9½", Weight 160 lb.
• School Duke University
• High School Phillips Exeter Academy
• Debut June 8, 1933
• Final Game June 6, 1943
• Born February 2, 1908 in Goodwins Mills, ME USA
• Died October 21, 1991 in Ogunquit, ME USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"Bobby Coombs, who loved to tell how he struck out Ted Williams with a spitball, also held the distinction of having given up the longest home run Babe Ruth ever hit." - from a biography of Bobby Coombs

Bobby Coombs pitched two seasons in the majors, ten years apart. He endured over a decade in the minors, winning 122 games.

Coombs was born in Maine and attended private high school Phillips Exeter Academy. Another source says he was at Kennebunk High School and struck out 26 batters in a game. Bobby was the nephew of former major league pitcher Jack Coombs, who was his baseball coach at Duke. He was at Duke from 1931 to 1933 and made his major league debut in June 1933. Bobby appeared in 21 games that year for the Philadelphia Athletics. While his 7.47 ERA was not impressive, it was a lively ball era and the team ERA was 4.81. Several of the starters had ERAs above 5.00, and Tony Freitas, another pitcher on the team who got 9 starts in addition to some relief work, had an ERA of 7.27.

Thereafter, Bobby spent 1933 to 1943 in the minors. He usually won in double figures and, with the Jersey City Giants, went 17-11 with a 1.99 ERA in 1942 followed by 10-9, 2.50 in 1943. He was called up by the New York Giants in 1943, and pitched in nine games for manager Mel Ott. After his playing days, he coached at Williams College from 1946-1973, where there is now a Bobby Coombs Field.