Butch Hobson
Hobson as manager of theChicago Dogs in 2019
Third baseman /Manager
Born: (1951-08-17)August 17, 1951 (age 73) Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 7, 1975, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
August 3, 1982, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.248
Home runs	98
Runs batted in	397
Managerial record	207–232
Winning %	.472
Stats atBaseball Reference
Teams
As player Boston Red Sox (1975–1980) California Angels (1981) New York Yankees (1982) As manager Boston Red Sox (1992–1994)

Clell Lavern "Butch" Hobson Jr. (born August 17, 1951) is an American professionalbaseballmanager and formerthird baseman.

Hobson played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBoston Red Sox,California Angels, andNew York Yankees, and managed for the Red Sox from 1992 to 1994. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 193 pounds (88 kg), he batted and threw right-handed. Since retiring as an active player, he has managed severalMinor League Baseball teams.

Hobson attendedBessemer City High School thenUniversity of Alabama, where he played bothcollege football andcollege baseball. He was a backupquarterback for theCrimson Tide football team, underBear Bryant, from 1969 through 1972. Hobson appeared in 11 games for Alabama, all during the1971 season.

Hobson was a standout player for theCrimson Tide baseball program, leading the team in 1973 with 38 hits, 13home runs, and 37RBIs in 36 games, along with being named a First Team All-SEC selection.^[2] He was named to Alabama's All-Century baseball team in 1993.^[2]

Selected by theBoston Red Sox in the1973 MLB draft, Hobson made his major league debut in 1975. His most productive season came in 1977, when he set team season records for a third baseman with 30 home runs and 112 RBIs. In 1978, Hobson hit 17 home runs with 80 RBIs. However, he posted 43errors, the most for anyAmerican League player in that season, and his .899fielding average also was the first below .900 by a regular player in 60 years. Hobson hit 28 home runs with 93 RBIs in 1979, but a year later, an injury to his right elbow landed him on thedisabled list for major parts of that season and the next.

In parts of six seasons with the Red Sox, Hobson batted .252 with 94 home runs and 358 RBIs.

Hobson was traded along withRick Burleson from theRed Sox to theAngels forCarney Lansford,Rick Miller andMark Clear on December 10, 1980.^[3] During the 1981 season, Hobson played 85 games with the Angels,batting .235 with 4 home runs and 36 RBIs.

Hobson was dealt from the Angels to theYankees forBill Castro duringspring training on March 24, 1982.^[4] He finished his major league career in 1982, appearing in 30 games while batting .172 with three RBIs. He played with the Yankees'Triple-A affiliate, theColumbus Clippers, through 1985.

In an eight-year MLB career, Hobson had a .248 batting average with 98 home runs and 397 RBI in 738games. He holds the MLB record for fewest career home runs by a player with a 30 home run season.^[5]

In September 2016, at age 65, Hobson had a singleat bat for theLancaster Barnstormers, anindependent baseball league team that he was the manager of, so that he could appear in a professional baseball game with his son K. C. Hobson.^[6] He struck out swinging.^[7]

Hobson first managed in theNew York Metsfarm system, leading the Class AColumbia Mets in 1987 and 1988.^[8]

Hobson next managed in Boston's minor league system, leading the Double-ANew Britain Red Sox in 1989 and 1990. He then managed thePawtucket Red Sox for the 1991 season and posted a 79–64 record to lead his team to a first-place finish in theInternational League,^[8] and was named the International League Manager of the Year.^[9] After losing theGovernors' Cup to theColumbus Clippers, he was hired to manage the parent club in MLB. Hobson managed the Boston Red Sox from 1992 to 1994, posting an overall 207–232 record.^[8]

Hobson next managed the Mobile BaySharks in the independentTexas–Louisiana League for the 1995 season.^[8]

In May 1996, while managing theScranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, then a Triple-A affiliate of thePhiladelphia Phillies, Hobson was arrested for possession ofcocaine—he was placed on leave, and subsequently fired in August.^[10] His record during his brief stint with the Red Barons was 13–14.^[8]

After not managing during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Hobson returned to managing in 1999, leading theSarasota Red Sox.^[8]

Hobson managed theNashua Pride for the 2000 through 2007 seasons with a record of 508–456.^[8] The team won the Atlantic League Championship in 2000, and theCan-Am League Championship in 2007. On rare occasions when an umpire ejected Hobson from a game for arguing a baserunning decision, Hobson would remove one of the bases and deliver it to a young fan before leaving the stadium.^[11] This signature move was one of the meanings ofStolen Bases, a movie the Pride commissioned in 2000.^[12] For example, Hobson "stole" first base on July 27, 2007, when a baserunner for theNorth Shore Spirit was called out at first base, then ruled safe after a protest by the opposing manager.^[11] The base was always retrieved, allowing the game to resume.

On November 19, 2007, Hobson was named the first-ever manager of theSouthern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independentAtlantic League of Professional Baseball. He won manager of the year for the Atlantic League for the 2008 season,^[13] and led the team through the 2010 season.^[8]

On October 19, 2010, Hobson was named manager of theLancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League; he managed the Barnstormers for the 2011 through 2016 seasons, winning the Atlantic League title in 2014.^[8]

On January 5, 2017, Hobson was named manager of theClass AKane County Cougars of theMidwest League; He managed the Cougars during the 2017 season.^[8]

On March 19, 2018, Hobson was named the inaugural manager of theChicago Dogs of the independentAmerican Association of Independent Professional Baseball.^[14] He guided the Dogs for six seasons, before departing at the end of the 2023 season.

The 2023 season saw Hobson become the first-ever manager in modern (1993-present) independent baseball to win 1,500 games. He finished the 2023 season with a 1538-1325 (.537) record over 24 seasons in independent baseball, holding records for the most games and wins among Indy ball skippers.

Major League Baseball

Minor League Baseball and Independent Baseball

Following his May 1996 arrest inRhode Island for cocaine possession, Hobson faced up to three years in jail and a $5,000 fine.^[15] He pleaded innocent, and in December 1996 was placed in adiversion program for first-time offenders after acknowledging past use of the drug.^[10]

Hobson's son K. C. played baseball forStockdale High School where the elder Hobson was an assistant baseball coach in 2008 and 2009, helping the Mustangs win twoCIF section championships.^[16] Later, K. C. was selected by theToronto Blue Jays in the sixth round of the2009 MLB draft. He played inMinor League Baseball for Toronto andSan Francisco Giants organizations as a first baseman, reaching theDouble-A level. He most recently played in 2022 for theindependent American Association Chicago Dogs managed by Butch Hobson.^[17]

• The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette,Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English.ISBN 1-4027-4771-3

• Blume, Andrew (October 28, 2014)."Butch Hobson".SABR. RetrievedSeptember 21, 2019.
• Hagen, Paul (May 4, 2016)."Hobson at Peace with Baseball Career".Sports on Earth. RetrievedSeptember 22, 2019.

• Career statistics fromMLB, orBaseball Reference, orBaseball Reference (Minors), orRetrosheet
• Butch Hobson atIMDb

• 1951 births
• Living people
• Alabama Crimson Tide baseball players
• Alabama Crimson Tide football players
• American Association of Professional Baseball managers
• American football quarterbacks
• Baseball coaches from Alabama
• Boston Red Sox managers
• Boston Red Sox players
• Boston Red Sox scouts
• Bristol Red Sox players
• California Angels players
• Chicago Dogs
• Columbus Clippers players
• Major League Baseball third basemen
• New York Yankees players
• Pawtucket Red Sox managers
• Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders managers
• Players of American football from Alabama
• Rhode Island Red Sox players
• Baseball players from Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• Winston-Salem Red Sox players
• Winter Haven Super Sox players
• Bessemer City High School (Alabama) alumni
• 20th-century American sportsmen

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from January 2019
• Short description is different from Wikidata