1965 Topps Rookie card of former San Francisco Giant Bob Schroder (right) who autographed the card is Tony The Tiger’s featured player in today’s article “He was a Giant?” (photo from baseball.almanac.com)
He Was A Giant?
By Tony The Tiger Hayes
Bob Schroder – IF – 1964-68 – # 10, 15
As odd as it seems to label someone who played in four straight seasons with San Francisco as an “unknown” – Schroder would qualify to be that guy.
A left-handed hitting utility infielder, Schroder batted .217, 0, 12 in 138 games between 1964-68 for the Orange & Black – failing to make any obvious impact other than providing a warm body with steady glove in blowouts and late inning situations.
In fact Schroder’s only claim to fame as a big leaguer was replacing a future Hall of Famer in the lineup after said high-kicking legend conked a Dodger over the head with a Louisville Slugger in the most infamous brawls in MLB history.
Why Was He A Giant?
Giants scouts found Schroder enjoying a dish of gumbo and char broiled oysters while starring at shortstop at New Orleans’ Loyola University in 1964.
A year later, after breezing through three low rung Giants minor league clubs, Schroder would make his big league debut in an other great restaurant town, pinch running for Tom Haller at Candlestick Park in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh (4/20/65).
Before & After
Born in New Jersey, Schroder didn’t exactly scream future star in his first season of pro ball when he batted a combined .273, 9, 46, at two levels of minor league ball.
Yet he made the big club out of spring training in ‘65 at age 20 and amazingly would spend the entire campaign with the big club, leading some to speculate that the kid had compromising photos of portly manager Herman Franks in a tutu or was an invaluable golf caddy for Willie Mays.
As a rookie Schroder appeared in just 31 games while amassing a paltry nine at-bats. He appeared in 10 more contests in 1966 with the big club – spending most of the year at Triple-A.
But Schroder was back for a full season in the City by the Bay in 1967 – seeing his most action in the bigs (.230, 0, 7) in a career high 65 games as the Giants primary backup infielder. In 1968 he split the season between SF and the minors.
After that, Schroder would spend all of 1969-70 with the Giants Triple-A Phoenix team and one final season of pro ball in 1971 in the Brewers system.
He was out of pro ball at age of 26.
He Never Got His Own Bobblehead. But…
Schroder enjoyed just eight multiple hit games as a Giant. In one rare starting assignment (9/7/67) he led the club in hits with three and scored the winning run in a 3-2 home edging of Houston. The catch is, it took 15 innings to accomplish the feat.
With two outs in the bottom of the 15th, Schroder sliced a line drive single to left field off Astros reliever Dave Eilers. The pitcher then plunked Ken Henderson with a pitch to move Schroder into scoring position. Jesus Alou then pounced on the next offering stinging a single into center as Schroder raced home to beat Jimmy Wynn’s throw.
Giant Footprint
The already testy Giants-Dodgers rivalry turned violent and bloody in the summer of 1965 when SF’s Juan Marichal swung and connected his bat; not at a Sandy Koufax pitch, but at Los Angeles catcher John Roseboro’s head.
Marichal alleged the LA receiver had intentionally grazed his ear with a particularly close return throw to the mound.
Thankfully Roseboro’s injury was not life threatening injury – but Marichal did open a sizable scalp wound on Roseboro head requiring more than a dozen stitches.
After the chaos dyed down 14 minutes later, Schroder was called upon to pinch-hit for the now disqualified Giants ace.
Saddled with a 1-1 count, Schroder quickly whiffed vs. Koufax and joined Marichal in the home clubhouse.
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