Bobby Mattick

Name: Robert James Mattick

Nickname: Bobby

Induction year: 1999

Born (date, year, place): December 5, 1915 in Sioux City, Iowa

Died (date, year, place): December 16, 2004 in Scottsdale, Arizona

Primary Position: Builder

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Years Played: 1938 to 1942

Teams Played: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds

Bobby Mattick served as a player, manager, scout and administrator in his eight decades in professional baseball. Blessed with good baseball genes – his father, Wally, was also a big leaguer – Mattick inked his first pro contract with the Chicago Cubs in 1933. After making his major league debut in 1938, the right-handed hitting shortstop suited up for a career-high 128 games in 1940, before being dealt to Cincinnati, where he would toil for his final two seasons.

The Sioux City, Iowa native managed in the Southern League in 1944 and 1945, before cementing a reputation as one of baseball’s top scouts and player development executives. Employed by nine different organizations – including the Montreal Expos – over the next 30 years, Mattick recruited and signed an impressive list of talent, including Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, Vada Pinson, Rusty Staub, Gary Carter and Dave Stieb.

One of the Toronto Blue Jays’ original employees, Mattick was hired as the club’s scouting supervisor in 1976, prior to his promotion to director of player development in 1978. When he accepted the Jays field manager position in 1980 at age 64, he became the oldest rookie skipper to start a season in big league history. Following two seasons in the dugout, he returned to the front office, first as executive coordinator of baseball operations and then as the Jays’ vice-president of baseball. Often described as the heart and soul of the franchise, Mattick spent 28 years with the Jays and was responsible for recruiting and developing several key players on the Jays championship teams. In 2003, the Jays renamed their Spring Training complex in Dunedin, Florida The Bobby Mattick Training Center in his honour.

Career Major League Statistics