Bob Elliott
| Birthdate | 11/26/1916 |
| Death Date | 5/4/1966 |
| Debut Year | 1939 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Athletics, Braves, Browns, Giants, Pirates, White Sox |
| Positions | Manager, Right Field, Third Base |
MLB’s leading RBI man of the 1940’s, Bob Elliott was the ’47 NL MVP and retired #1 among third baseman in MLB history in HR and slugging %.
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Bob Elliott was a solid performer both offensively and defensively
Bob Elliott was a solid performer both offensively and defensively
Bob Elliott broke into the big leagues in 1939 and exceeded rookie limits in 1940. He then began a 11-year run of excellence. An All Star in 1941 and ’42, Elliott then drove in 100 or more runs in 6 of the next 8 seasons. He joined Pie Traynor as the second third baseman in MLB history to post at least five seasons of triple-digit RBI totals.
His finest year came in 1947 when he slashed .317/.410/.517. Elliott put up career best numbers in hits, RBI, total bases, and OPS+. For his work Elliott received the Most Valuable Player Award.
In 1951, Elliott was named to his sixth and final All Star team. Seven times during those 11 seasons he earned MVP consideration.
Elliott led all Major Leaguers in runs batted in for the decade of the 1940s, retired with 2,061 hits. He finished his career as the all-time leader among big league third baseman in homers and slugging percentage.
Defensively, Elliott led the league in assists three times, putouts and double plays twice each. At the time of his retirement he was in the top ten among NL third basemen in career games, assists, total chances and double plays.
Elliott died in 1966 at the age of 49 after suffering a ruptured windpipe and undergoing surgery for internal hemorrhaging.
In the collection is this postcard signed by Bob Elliott in 1948. See the next image for more explanation about the medium on which the autograph appears.
Bob Elliott held the career mark for homers by a third baseman
Bob Elliott held the career mark for homers by a third baseman
This Bob Elliott autograph is on what’s called a government postcard. Autograph collectors would send self-addressed stamped postcards to players to autograph. After signing the postcard, the players would then simply drop the cards in the mail.
These are attractive to collectors because they are postmarked by the US Postal Service with the date and location from which it was mailed. This helps authenticate the signature and is extremely difficult for forgers to duplicate.
Shown here is the reverse of the Bob Elliott autographed card. Notice the postmark of August 7, 1948 at Boston. That day Elliott’s Braves played host to the Cubs at Boston’s Braves Field, beating them 6-3 behind Johnny Sain’s complete game.
Elliott became the All Time home run leader for Major League third basemen on September 24, 1949, the year after he signed this card. He held the mark for seven years. On August 4, 1956, the man who replaced Elliott as the Braves third baseman – Eddie Mathews – surpassed Elliott’s mark.
Bob Elliott's first two seasons with the Boston Braves were remarkable
Bob Elliott's first two seasons with the Boston Braves were remarkable
Bob Elliott’s first two seasons with the Boston Braves were nothing short of remarkable, highlighted by an MVP award and a National League championship. In 1947, he earned the MVP nod by slashing an impressive .317/.410/.517, belting 22 home runs and driving in 113 RBIs.
The following year, Elliott continued to shine, scoring 99 runs with a leading the league with 131 walks, and a career-best .423 on-base percentage. He hit 23 home runs and collected 100 RBIs to steady the Braves’ successful run to the National League pennant.
Elliott truly made his mark on baseball’s biggest stage during the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. In Game 5, facing off against Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, Elliott seized the moment.
With two runners on base in the first inning, Feller threw a first-pitch strike, but Elliott was ready. He crushed Feller’s next offering over the right field wall for a three-run homer.
When he came to bat again, Elliott showcased his power once more, hitting another home run, this time to left field. Although the Braves ultimately fell short in the Series, Elliott did his part. With a .333 batting average, a .391 on-base percentage, and a .619 slugging mark, he made Boston fans proud.
Shown here is a ticket to Game 4 of the 1948 World Series signed by 1948 MVP Lou Boudreau. The Indians player/manager played a part in the Indians 2-1 victory over the Boston Braves.
In the bottom of the first inning he hit a double down the right field line to score leadoff man Dale Mitchell. In the third inning Larry Doby added a solo home run that proved to be the difference.
