Former big league infielder Bobby Malkmus has passed away at 93. His obituary is available courtesy of a New Jersey funeral home.
Malkmus was a Newark native. A 5’9″ second baseman, he reached the majors with the 1957 Milwaukee Braves team that won the World Series. Malkmus appeared in 13 games as a rookie. The Washington Senators selected him in the Rule 5 draft the following offseason. He spent two years in a depth role before landing with the Phillies via another Rule 5 selection.
The righty-hitting infielder concluded his career with parts of three seasons for Philadelphia. He appeared in a career-high 121 games in 1961, hitting .231/.276/.327 with seven homers and 31 RBI while playing good defense at three infield positions. He received one NL MVP vote, finishing 22nd on the ballot. Malkmus finished his playing days as a .215/.265/.301 hitter in parts of six MLB seasons.
After his playing career, Malkmus worked as a minor league manager and scout. He began scouting for Cleveland in 1980 and continued in that role in a part-time capacity into the 2010s. MLBTR sends our condolences to Malkmus’ family, friends, loved ones and former colleagues.
R.I.P. Bobby Malkmus. I love that he received an MVP vote as a 1961 Phillie.
(I wonder if he’s any relation to Stephen Malkmus of Pavement.)
They actually look a lot alike
Pavement rocks.
They are not related. Took a few minutes to find out. “Google A.I.” didn’t help much.
I was curious myself, thanks for putting in the work
I had to bring out my 1961 Topps set to check out Bobby. It’s rare that I don’t remember picking up a card. Good Rule 5 story.
RIP Bobby Malkmus.
Dude please tell me you’re not handling the Mantle, Mays, Koufax, Aaron, or Clemente cards. Get the stars in that set graded and slabbed if you haven’t done so already.
I have the Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax 1963 Topps in PSA 8 and the Mantle in 7.
My 1961 set is raw in a binder.
I started collecting on the second series in 1961 and did not stop until the first series in 1969.Stopped cold turkey.
The last card that I needed from 1961 was Joe Ginsberg and I sent away for him.
I later got the complete sets from 1959 and 1960 to complete the 1959-1968 ten year run.
My mother told me never to trade my singles which I stopped after trading Mel Roach and Dave Sisler in 1961 but I got them back soon thereafter.
Those were the days.
Great stuff!
Joe Ginsberg an original Met! He had a 13 year MLB career and accumulated 0.0 WAR. Has to be a record of some sort,
I am wondering why the cold turkey stop?
I have a complete run from 1960 to 1980. I stopped when the printing totals went way up. So the rookie card of Rickey Henderson was the last year for me, but I still collect every HOF player.
Roster-Good question.
I thought that my collection was impressive but you take the cake!
I think that I quit because I really enjoyed high school turning 16 and got a lot of new friends and became much busier doing things.I like you knew every player in the 1960’s.It filled a void in many ways,and I have always been a collector,but I just started to become more of a social animal around that time in my life.
I usually either do things or I don’t- no in between.
I think that that is the reason for cold turkey.
You asked a very good question which made me think.
Thanks for bringing back fond memories of my youth.
With the death of Bobby Malkmus, only 105 players whose MLB careers began before 1960 are still alive. One of them, Bobby Shantz, played before 1950 and lives near me. He usually throws out the first pitch of the local Little League season, but he couldn’t make it last year.
If that doesn’t make you feel old, there are just 720 remaining Major Leaguers whose careers began before 1970.
El, interesting stats. Thanks for providing that info!
letitbelowenstein, thanks.
Did you ever hear this song? It namechecks players who died in 2020. A bunch of Hall of Famers that year.
youtube.com/watch?v=3mtbcRaJ52o
Great song El.Thank you.
El Kabong, I am just curious as to where you get your stats from. Not to question your post, just to do research.
I met Bobby Malkmus when he scouted for the Indians and he floated out of the Eastern League parks (New Britain, Reading, and the Waterbury Indians with Cory Snyder) in the mid 1980’s.
I was a minor league baseball executive and he would come into the office to talk baseball with my owner Joe Buzas. ( Joe had a very brief big league career, but was the Opening Day shortstop for the 1944 New York Yankees because Phil Rizzuto was in the military)
I do miss those baseball talks. Glad they posted this, and other tributes to these older guys.
@Imissjoebuzas, I used this list. Too much time on my hands. I guess it’s kind of eerie. It started from my tracking the deaths of the 565 players and managers represented in the 1968 Topps set (the first set I vigorously collected in candy stores. If I made mistakes in the research, I would appreciate anyone letting me know.
I agree about the storytelling. In my lifetime, I’ve been fortunate enough to interview World War II and Vietnam veterans, and even a Holocaust survivor. Journeys into history. I wish that I would have done more with it.
baseball-almanac.com/players/Oldest_Living_Basebal…
Re: Joe Buzas. His being the Yankees’ opening day SS was similar to 16-year-old Tommy Brown briefly taking Pee Wee Reese’s spot during the war. Brown died a couple of months ago.
Bobby Shantz is the last Philly A’s alive, and the oldest living MVP- won it in 1952 with the A’s. I met him once at a show, nice guy. I have a Philly A’s #30 jersey signed by him displayed in my man cave.
Bobby Shantz is the last living Major Leaguer to have played for Connie Mack.
Great fact. Thanks for sharing that.
Had no clue the rule 5 draft went back that far. As far as 1892! Prayers up to his family. RIP
I can’t imagine anyone getting selected two times in the Rule 5 draft. Most of those guys are fringy big leaguers offered back to their original clubs after Spring Training.
But rules were different back then. Without free agency. All the options were on the owners side. Now fringy big leaguers with exhausted options are passed around the league because they aren’t owned by the club who signed them. They have the ability to declare free agency, and move onto the next club with a mlb or minor league deal.
A true baseball lifer, over 70 years in the game as a MLB and MiLB player, minor league manager and coach, a full-time scout well into his 80s, still apparently doing work with Cleveland part time until his death. Condolences to his family, friends, teammates and fans, and at 93, a celebration of a life well lived.
I had recently sent an autograph request to him on his 1961 Topps card, and I just got the card back signed last week. I feel lucky for my timing but it’s unfortunate he passed soon after.
RIP
RIP Bobby…..
A 1961 Phillies legend. Team lost 23 consecutive games. He played for Gene Mauch.
Will be missed. Nice dude.
RIP Bobby Malkmus.
A baseball lifer.
Just like the rest of us.