About Ernie Lombardi
Ernesto Natali Lombardi was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Brooklyn Robins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves, and New York Giants during a career that spanned 17 years, from 1931 through 1947. He had several nicknames, including "Schnozz", "Lumbago", "Bocci", "the Cyrano of the Iron Mask", and "Lom". He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986. Lombardi flourished in his first year for Cincinnati, batting.303 with 11 home runs and 68 runs batted in. In 1938, he was selected as an All-Star again, and hit a league-leading.342 with 19 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award. Aside from being the leader in grounding into double plays during four seasons, he also holds the MLB record for grounding into a double play once in every 25.3 plate appearances. Lombardi became one of the Reds' most productive and popular players.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.