Bobby Malkmus, a player, coach and scout who enjoyed a long career in Major League Baseball, has died. He was 93.
Malkmus debuted with the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Braves in 1957. A second baseman, shortstop and third baseman, Malkmus enjoyed his most success as a player with the Philadelphia Phillies, collecting downballot MVP votes in 1961.
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After appearing in parts of six seasons (1957-62) for the Braves, Phillies and Washington Senators, Malkmus stayed active in the game of baseball as a minor league manager, and later a scout.
Malkmus was signed by the Boston Braves out of St. Benedict’s Prep School, and made his professional debut as an 18-year-old with the minor league Bluefield (W.V.) Blue-Grays in 1951. Malkmus played in the Appalachian League All-Star game and was named to the league’s All-Rookie team.
The following year, in the middle of the Korean War. Malkmus was drafted into the Army. He did not play during the 1952 and 1953 seasons.
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In 1954, Malkmus returned to the Braves’ farm system and batted .295 for Class-B Evansville. Three years later, he made his major league debut with the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Braves.
Malkmus got into 13 games with the Braves, starting five at second base in an infield that included All-Stars at third base (Eddie Mathews), shortstop (Johnny Logan), and first base (Joe Adcock). By the time Milwaukee advanced to the World Series, Red Schoendienst and Felix Mantilla were the top second basemen on the Braves’ depth chart.
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After the 1957 season, Malkmus was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Washington Senators, with whom he would see action in 47 games over the next two seasons. In 74 plate appearances, he hit .186.
Malkmus was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1959 Rule 5 draft. He got the most major league playing time of his career in Philadelphia from 1960-62. In 1961, Malkmus played 121 games, slashed .231/.276/.327 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
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Although the Phillies lost 107 games, Malkmus kept a steady place in the lineup by providing solid defense at second base, shortstop and third base. He was listed at the end of a single National League MVP ballot that year.
Rather than being the start of his peak, that was effectively the end of Malkmus’ major league career. He played only eight games for the Phillies in 1962, but spent most of the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
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After four more seasons of minor league ball, Malkmus transitioned to the coaching ranks as a minor league manager. He retired with a .215 career batting average (123-for-572) in a big-league career spread over six seasons. He collected 1,294 hits, good for a .269 average, in his 12-year minor-league career.
Malkmus spent nine years as a manager in the Phillies’ system and was hired by the Cleveland Indians as an area scout in 1980. He would spend the remainder of his professional career as a scout.
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In 1995, Malkmus was inducted to the Newark (N.J.) Athletic Hall of Fame.
According to an obituary announcement in New Jersey, Malkmus is survived by his son, James, four grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.
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