Lets Meet My 1st Cousin Fourth Removed, Richard Hoblitzell

Hoblitzell's Baseball Photo for Cincinnati

While vigorously digging into my family lineage, I ran across Richard Carleton Hoblitzell. I had recognized him from the baseball car that my grandpa has. Richard was my great grandfather's first cousin once removed and my first cousin fourth removed. My Grandpa from my mother's side told me "Richard took the opportunities that came to him and lived his life to the fullest. He truly chased his dreams."

Richard Carleton Hoblitzell's
 Die on Socket Grave

He was born on October 26, 1888 in Waverly, Wood Country, West Virginia. Hoblitzell died November 14, 1962 in Parkersburg, Wood Country, West Virginia. Hoblitzell died from colon cancer at the age of 74. He was buried at East Lawn Memorial Park, Reno, Washington County, Ohio.

Hoblitzell's Baseball Card

Hoblitzell went to high school at Marietta Academy, where Hoblitzell met his wife, Constance Henderson. He played College football for Western University of Pennsylvania, then went to play        professional baseball. 

Hoblitzell went to the Major leagues at 19 years old in 1908, for the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball Almanac claims he was 6 ft tall, weighed 172 pounds. Hoblitzell throws and bats left-handed meaning that he probably was left-handed when he wrote.

When he got to the Major league, they called him "Hobby" which is what we call my uncle. The name continues to be carried through my family. 

According to SABR, Hobby's coach told the Major league teams wanting him, "He is a very promising player with good habits and enough brains to do as he is told."

Hoblitzell Warming up With His Red Sox Team

He eventually went to play for the Red Sox and shared a room with Babe Ruth when traveling. Who would have known one of my family members knew Babe Ruth. 

While playing for the Cincinnati Reds and at the beginning of his career with the Red Sox, he was continuing dental school, causing him to be called "Doc", says baseball-reference. He ended up playing in both the 1915 and 1916 World Series.



He eventually got drafted and went into the U.S. Army Dental Corps in 1918.  After coming back from the U.S. Army in 1920, Hoblitzell played baseball until retiring in 1929 and become a real estate agent. 

Richard Hoblitzell was not hard to find at when looking up information about his life. He seemed like a loving man to his family and was not afraid to try new things, indicated by the two different upper division sports he played and different jobs he took on. I was grateful and ecstatic to learning about my relative.