Phil Todt

Philip Julius Todt [Hook] (August 9, 1901 – November 15, 1973) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball between the 1924 and 1931 seasons. Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 175 lb., Todt batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Saint Louis, Missouri.
A fine defensive first baseman and basically a line drive hitter, Todt entered the majors in 1924 with the Boston Red Sox, hitting .262 in 52 games as a backup for Joe Harris. Since 1925, Todt provided a solid defensive effort for a Red Sox club that finished last in the American League for six straight seasons. He was considered in the American League MVP vote for three consecutive years (1925–1927), and led the AL first basemen in fielding percentage (.997) in 1928. His most productive season came in 1925, when he hit .278 with 62 runs and 75 RBI, all career-numbers. He also appeared in 62 games with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931, his last major league season.
In an eight-year career, Todt was a .258 hitter (880-for-3415) with 57 home runs and 453 RBI in 957 games, including 372 runs, 183 doubles, 58 triples, 29 stolen bases, and a .305 on-base percentage. In 904 games at first base, he collected 9079 outs and 623 assists while committing 80 errors in 9782 chances for a .992 fielding percentage. He also played four errorless games in the outfield.
Todt died at the age of 72 in his homeland of Saint Louis, Missouri.

Milestone

• Todt ranks 3rd on the all-time season leaders with a 12.21 range factor (1926), behind Jiggs Donahue (12.65, 1907; 12.35, 1908) and over George Burns (12.10, 1914) and Stuffy McInnis (12.10, 1918).

Fact

• In one of his significant first decisions, Commissioner Kennesaw Landis declared Todt a free agent in 1920 when the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals were competing for the player's contract.
• The Yankees once offered Lou Gehrig to the Red Sox, in 1925, to repay for the Babe Ruth trade. The player they requested was Todt.