Larry Kopf Stats & Facts
VINTAGE BASEBALL MEMORABILIA
Larry Kopf
Positions: Shortstop, Second Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
5-9, 160lb (175cm, 72kg)
Born: November 3, 1890 in Bristol, CT
Died: October 15, 1986 in Hamilton County, OH
Buried: Mount Moriah Cemetery, Withamsville, OH
School: Fordham University (New York, NY)
Debut: September 2, 1913 (3,987th in major league history)
vs. CHW 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: June 16, 1923
vs. STL 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: William Lorenz Kopf
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Wally Kopf
Notable Events and Chronology
Biography
Larry Kopf made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians under an assumed name to continue an alias he used in the minors so he could keep playing in college under his name. Known for his defense at shortstop, he debuted in 1913 and made 11 plate appearances in 6 games. He went to the Philadelphia A’s the next season and batted .188 in 69 at bats. The next year he batted .225 in 363 AB’s.
In December of 1915 he was purchased by the Reds. He batted .275 in 40 AB’s in 1916. He batted .255 with 17 steals in 573 AB’s in 1917. On May 2nd that season Reds pitcher Fred Toney and his Cubs counterpart Hippo Vaughn each pitched 9 no hit innings. In the 10th inning with one out Kopf singled, advanced to third on a dropped fly ball and scored on a tapper in front of the plate by Jim Thorpe. Vaughn was quoted as saying he knew he had no chance to get the olympic champion sprinter at first so he threw to the plate but Kopf beat out the throw. Toney completed his no hitter in the bottom of the inning and the Reds won.
In 1918 Kopf tried to break into the aviation service for World War 1 but wasn’t selected. He took a job outside of baseball and spent part of the year working for a shipyard munitions plant. In 1919 Koph was traded but refused to report abd the Reds reacquired him.
Koph had probably his best offensive year in 1919 contributing to the Reds eventual championship, batting .270 with 18 steals and 58 rbi. He had a 2 run triple in game 2 which was the difference in the game. He batted 6 for 27 in the Series. Kopf’s batting average dropped to .245 in 1920 but his rbi’s and triples increased by 1 each. In 1921 his average dropped again to .218 but he hit his first home run since 1917.
That offseason Koph and Rube Marquard were traded for Jack Scott. Scott had been a good pitcher for several years but after one pitching appearance the Reds determined Scott’s arm was “shot to pieces” and released him. He went on to have some more decent years elsewhere. Koph batted .268 over 604 AB’s in the 1922 and 1923 seasons with the Boston Braves.
He retired in June 1923 to go into business though he played on a few independent and industrial league teams after that. He spent 1927 as head baseball coach at Georgetown where his brother was an assistant football coach but was let go after the season. After that he started a real estate and contracting company Kopf and Kopf which developed the Watch Hill area in Cincinnati.
In 1935 he formed the Old Timers Baseball Club of Philadelphia which included hitters Rube Bressler, Sam Crawford, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Jimmy Archer, Sam Agnew, Bill Wambsganss, Mike Gazella and Jesse Orndorff. Pitchers included Cy Young, Paul Zahniser, Bob McGraw, Hap Collard, and Rolla Mapel.
Koph attended the 1940 World Series along with 1919 teammates Slim Sallee, Heinie Groh, Bressler, Edd Roush, and Pat Duncan. In 1965 Kopf was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame. He died in 1986. He was laid to rest in Mount Moriah Cemetery.
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