Phil Lombardi

Phillip Arden Lombardi (February 20, 1963 – May 20, 2021) was an American baseball catcher who played three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Yankees and New York Mets from 1986 to 1989. Although his primary position was catcher, Lombardi played left field as well.

Phil Lombardi
Catcher
Born: (1963-02-20)February 20, 1963
Abilene, Texas
Died: May 20, 2021(2021-05-20) (aged 58)
Stevenson Ranch, California
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 26, 1986, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1989, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average.239
Home runs3
Runs batted in9
Teams

Early life

Lombardi was born in Abilene, Texas, on February 20, 1963. He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Los Angeles. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1981 MLB draft.[1]

Professional career

Lombardi played five seasons in the minor leagues from 1981 to 1985.[2] He made his MLB debut on April 26, 1986, at the age of 23,[1] entering as a defensive replacement for Ron Hassey behind the plate in the fifth inning. On his first fielding chance, he committed a throwing error on a stolen base attempt by Brett Butler, and went hitless in his first two at bats in a 3–2 loss to the Cleveland Indians.[3] In his first season, Lombardi posted a .278 batting average with two home runs and six runs batted in (RBI), and did not commit any more errors behind the plate (though he did have two in left field). He played just five major league games the following year, hitting one single in eight at bats for a .125 average.[1]

Lombardi was traded to the New York Mets with Steve Frey and Darren Reed on December 11, 1987, for Rafael Santana and Victor Garcia.[1] He spent two seasons with their Triple-A affiliate, the Tidewater Tides.[2] He made only eighteen appearances with the major league team in 1989, batting .229 with one home run and three RBIs. He played his final major league game on October 1 that same year, at the age of 26.[1] Lombardi was claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Braves on April 4, 1990,[4] before announcing his retirement five days later.[5]

Later life

After retiring from baseball, Lombardi worked as a real estate agent and helped establish the Valencia office of Pinnacle Estate Properties. He also coached Little League in Santa Clarita, California.[6]

Lombardi was married to Marilyn until his death. Together, they had three daughters. He died from complications related to brain cancer on May 20, 2021, in Stevenson Ranch, California. He was 58.[6]

References
  1. "Phil Lombardi Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  2. "Phil Lombardi Minor Leagues Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  3. "April 26, 1986 Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 26, 1986. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  4. "Ultimate Mets Database". October 31, 2009.
  5. "BASEBALL; The Big Break" (New York Times, July 9, 1990)
  6. Kurdoghlian, Kev (May 30, 2021). "Phil Lombardi, local realtor and former MLB player, dies at 58". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
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