Dick Hoblitzell was a first baseman who had an 11-year Major League career with the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. Offered is a four-piece Dick Hoblitzell collection. Hoblitzell played with the Reds from 1908-14 and with the Red Sox from 1914-18. A left-handed batter and right-handed thrower, he played during the tail end of the dead ball era and batted a career .278, with 27 home runs. He batted a career high .308 with Cincinnati in 1909. He was a 2-time World Champion with the Red Sox in '15 and '16. During his years with Boston, Hoblitzell was frequently Babe Ruth's road roommate in a basically futile attempt by the Red Sox to provide a good influence on Ruth's behavior. Hoblitzell was unusual in that he was enrolled in dental school during the off-seasons in his early career. His MLB career ended in June of 1918 when he began to serve in the United States Army Dental Corps in World War I. After leaving the Army after WWI ended, Hoblitzell managed in the minor leagues.
The Collection: 1) A cut of about half of a 1909 real photo postcard with six Reds & Cubs players. The postcard cut shows a postmark from Chicago. Hoblitzell appears to be the Cincinnati Reds player on the far left. The postcard was handwritten by an unknown hand and addressed to Dick Hoblitzell, as most of Hoblitzell's last name remains on the cut, as does part of a Cincinnati home address. The cut postcard measures 3.5x3.6". 2) A circa 1916 Draper Maynard sporting goods booklet featuring Babe Ruth, as well as Hoblitzell, in multiple images. The booklet measures 3.25x6.25" and unfolds to ten pages. For its age of over a century, the booklet is in good condition. There is foxing and darkening overall, and some small areas of paper loss on the cover and its verso. 3) A 1913 photo with Hoblitzell and Joe Tinker on Reds. The gag photo shows Reds trainer "Doc" Semmons working on a Reds' player on a training table, "assisted" by Tinker and Hoblitzell. The photo is partially attached to a photo album page or a cut from an album page. The photo measures 6x8", and the album cut or page measures 7x9.4". The photo has creases and abrasions. 4) A mid-1910s photo with Hoblitzell and Harry Hooper. The photo depicts Hoblitzell in a dental office. The photo measures approx. 6.5x8.5". The lower left corner of the photo is missing, the photo exhibits some curling, and there are some small white spots in various parts of the photo. The verso has an International News (Boston Mass.) stamp. The collection recalls a well-known, key player on both the Reds and the Red Sox.
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