Bobby Shantz, an Ambler resident for the past 70 years and the oldest living recipient of Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player award, was featured by The New York Times today.

Shantz, who turns 100 years old on September 26, was 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA for the Philadelphia A’s in 1952, the year he took home the award. That season, he led the American League in victories, strikeout-to-walk rate, and pitched 27 complete games.

A three-time All-Star, Shantz won eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards and won a World Series championship with the 1958 New York Yankees. He also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Colt .45s, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

“When I was growing up, I never thought I ever had a chance to be a big-league baseball pitcher. I thought I might have a chance in the minor leagues, maybe, but I didn’t realize that I had enough stuff to be in the big leagues,” he told The Times. “But it turned out awful nice, I’ll tell you that — 16 years. You know, I lasted more than I thought I would. Boy, what a life. I really enjoyed every minute of it. Even when I was horseshit, I still liked it.”

Shantz is the second-oldest living MLB player behind Bill Greason, who turns 101 on September 3, and the only living MLB athlete who played in the 1940s. He is also the brother of former Major League catcher Billy Shantz. 

He remains an accessible public figure, with fans sending him baseball cards and notes at his Ambler address for his autograph. He signs roughly 200 items per week, has no special plans for his 100th birthday and no secrets to share about longevity, The Times said.

Shantz’s Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame entry can be found here. In 2024, he was filmed flipping through old baseball cards by ABC News and featured in an article on MLB.com.

Screengrab: ABC News | Photo: Wikipedia