Former major league catcher Bob Oldis, a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 World Series champions, has passed away. He was 97 years old. The National Cremation website announced that he had passed on Sunday in Gilbert, Arizona.
Bob Oldis died on September 21 in Gilbert, AZ. At age 97 he was the second oldest Phillies Alumnus (Bobby Shantz, 99). Mr. Oldis was with the Phillies as a catcher (1962-63), bullpen coach (1964-66) and scout (1967). MLB scout (2002-2019). R.I.P. friend. pic.twitter.com/UIEMma0XY1
— Larry Shenk (@ShenkLarry) September 22, 2025
Former Major League Catcher Bob Oldis Has Passed Away
Born in Preston, Iowa, Oldis began his career with the Washington Senators. In 1948, at the age of 20, he learned of a tryout at Jack Rossiter’s Baseball School in Cocoa, Florida. He took a bus from Iowa City to Cocoa. The bus fare and the cost of the camp were $175, which he paid from his own pocket. The Senators’ scouts liked what they saw, signed him, and assigned him to Class D Emporia.
Oldis played for the Senators from 1953-55. He then spent four years in the minor leagues until the Pirates selected him from Double-A Denver in the Rule 5 Draft after the 1959 season. Oldis then spent 1960 and 1961 with Pittsburgh and 1962 and 1963 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent his career as a reserve catcher. In seven major league seasons, he played in just 135 games, less than the equivalent of a full season. He hit .237/.297/.275 for his career, with one home run that came against Pete Richert of the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 9, 1962. Oldis saw most of his major league action – 85 games – as a Phillie. But his best times in baseball were as a member of the 1960 Pirates.
“Something of a Character”
With the Pirates, Oldis was the third-string catcher behind the platoon of Smoky Burgess and Hal Smith. He was considered a strong defensive catcher, despite losing part of his index finger on his right hand in an accident when he was 13. For his career, Oldis caught 33.8 percent of would-be baseball stealers and was charged with eight errors, five passed balls, and -8 Defensive Runs Saved. In 1962, when the Dodgers’ Maury Wills set a major league record by stealing 104 bases, he was caught only 13 times. Oldis was the only catcher to throw him out twice in one game.
When the Pirates drafted Oldis, the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph offered this scouting report: “A good receiver, he has a good throwing arm. He is also something of a character and was considered good box office in Denver.” Indeed, despite playing in only 22 games for the 1960 Pirates, Oldis was credited with keeping the team loose with his humor. The Preston, Iowa native, was a rabid fan of University of Iowa football and basketball. It didn’t take much to coax an “Iowa” cheer from him in the Pirates’ clubhouse.
On October 13, 2010, hundreds of Pirates fans, as they do every year, gathered at what remains of the Forbes Field Wall to celebrate the anniversary of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. With that being the 50th anniversary, several members of the team were on hand. The players were introduced one by one in alphabetical order, with Oldis following the Series hero, Bill Mazeroski. When Oldis was introduced, he made a dismissive gesture toward “Maz” and raised his arms triumphantly, as though he were the hero of the Series.
“I Guess They Didn’t Need My Talent”
Oldis’ participation in the Series was limited to catching relief ace Roy Face in the ninth inning of Games 4 and 5 at Yankee Stadium. Face earned saves in both games, although it wasn’t an official statistic at the time. “That was a great thrill,” Oldis told author Jim O’Brien for his book, Fantasy Camp. “They had nearly 70,000 in the stands. I guess they didn’t need my talent and ability to win the other games. That summer, by far, was the highlight of my life.” Oldis made a photocopy of his World Series check before cashing it. Ironically, the Yankees had designs on Oldis before the Pirates drafted him.
Behind the jokes was a fiery competitor. Oldis was suspended for two games and fined $100 for bumping umpire Ed Vargo during an argument on July 8, 1960. Umpire Augie Donatelli pulled Oldis away from Vargo, fearing the catcher might put his hands on the umpire.
When his playing days were over, Oldis continued his involvement with baseball. He was a coach and scout for the Phillies, and later coached for the Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, and Miami Marlins. He also managed in the Expos system in 1970. With the 2003 Marlins, he earned a second World Series ring. When he finally retired, he continued to follow the game. “Today’s players are stronger, faster, and better,” he told Larry Shenk of MLB.com last year. “They lift weights, work out all year. The heaviest thing we lifted was a bottle of beer.”
Now that Oldis has passed on, there are only five living members of the 1960 Pirates: Bennie Daniels, Face, Vern Law, Mazeroski, and Bob Skinner. Daniels wasn’t on the World Series roster.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The post Bob Oldis, Catcher for 1960 World Champion Pirates, Passes Away appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.