Bob Schultz was born in Louisville on November 27, 1923, and began his baseball career in Fulton in 1946. The big lefty (6'3" and 200 lbs.) went 19-10. Subsequent teams included Greenville in the class C cotton States League, three seasons with the Memphis Chicks and one with Nashville in the AA Southern Association, and part of a year with AAA Springfield in the International League. During these five years he had a combined record of 81-45. In Nashville he was 25-6 with a 2.68 ERA. He played his first Major League game on April 20, 1951, with the Chicago Cubs. The 27 year-old played for 4 seasons on 3 different teams (Cubs, Pirates, and Tigers). Plagued by wildness (125 walks in 183 innings), Schultz's only effective ML season came with the 1952 Cubs, when he was 6-3, with 4 wins in relief. In June 1953 Pittsburgh traded outfielder Ralph Kiner along with C Joe Garagiola, P Howie Pollet, and OF Catfish Metkovich to the Chicago Cubs for C Toby Atwell, P Bob Schultz, 1B Preston Ward, 3B George Freese, OF Bob Addis, OF Gene Hermanski, and $150,000. He ended his big league playing career in 1955. After the majors he played two more years in Buffalo, New Orleans, and Chattanooga before retiring. Bob Schultz died in 1979 when he was gunned down in a Nashville bar.

COURIER JOURNAL OBITUARY – 04/01/1979
SCHULTZ - Robert Duffy, age 54 years, March 31, 1979. Survived by wife, Mrs. Pearl Schultz, Nashville, TN; daughter, Mrs. Debbie Chadwick, Hendersonville, TN; son, Duffy Schultz, Nashville, TN; sisters, Mrs. Joan Farmer, Mrs. Judy King, Mrs. Ellen Cummings, Mrs. Paul Estes, all of Louisville, KY, and Mrs. Carolyn Superczynski, Yale, MI; brothers, Arch, Louis & Pat Schultz, all of Louisville, KY, and Herman Schultz, Las Vegas, NV; 3 grandchildren. The remains are at the Woodbine Funeral Home, 3620 Nolensville Rd., Nashville, TN. Arrangements are incomplete.

TENNESSEAN OBITUARY – 04/01/1979
SCHULTZ – Robert Duffy, age 54 years, March 31, 1979. Survived by wife, Mrs. Pearl Schultz, Nashville; daughter, Mrs. Debbie Chadwick, Hendersonville; son Duffy Schultz, Nashville; sisters, Mrs. Joan Farmer, Mrs. Judy King, Mrs. Ellen Cummings, Mrs. Paul Estes, all of Louisville, KY and Mrs. Carolyn Superczynski, Yale, MI; brothers, Arch, Louis & Pat Schultz, all of Louisville, KY and Herman Schultz, Las Vegas; three grandchildren. Remains are at Woodbine Funeral Home, 3620 Nolensville Rd. Complete arrangements to be announced later.

TENNESSEAN OBITUARY – 04/02/1979
SCHULTZ – Robert Duffy, age 54 years, March 31, 1979. Survived by wife, Mrs. Pearl Schultz, Nashville; daughter, Mrs. Debbie Chadwick, Hendersonville, TN; son Duffy Schultz, Nashville; stepdaughter, Mrs. Patricia Alcorn, Goodlettsville; sisters, Mrs. Joan Farmer, Mrs. Judy King, Mrs. Ellen Cummings, Mrs. Paul Estes, all of Louisville, KY and Mrs. Carolyn Superczynski, Yale, MI; brothers, Arch, Louis & Pat Schultz, all of Louisville, KY and Herman Schultz, Las Vegas; six grandchildren. The remains are at Woodbine Funeral Home, 3620 Nolensville Rd., where services will be conducted Wednesday morning, April 4, at 10 o’clock by Rev. Pat Connor. Interment National Cemetery. Honorary Pallbearers: Veterans of Foreign Wars United States and Ladies Auxiliary; Former Nashville Vols, and other Baseball Associates, and Former Co-workers at Workman Company. Active Pallbearers: Jewel Adams, Ray Winters, William (Bill) Wray, Jim Beasley, W. R. Harris and Melvin Staggs.

TENNESSEAN ARTICLE – 04/01/1979
EX-NASHVILLE VOL GREAT - BULLET BOB SCHULTZ KILLED BY GUNSHOT
Robert D. Schultz, 55, a house painter, the story said, died at 1:30 a.m. [March 31, 1979] at General Hospital as the result of gunshot wounds suffered Friday night at the VFW Post on Nolensville Road. Twenty-nine years ago, in 1950, Robert D. Schultz, house painter, was just about the finest one-year pitcher in the history of the Nashville Vols, of the Southern League. Lean, lanky and confident, Bullet Bob Schultz won 25 games, lost 6, struck out 202 batters and compiled an earned run average of 2.68 in the hat box known as Sulphur Dell, a pitcher’s nightmare. It was one of those fairy tales that so often occurs in athletics. There had been nothing in Bob Schultz’ background to suggest such a fantastic year as that was in the offing. There was never to be another for him either. He was sold to the Chicago Cubs the next year where he won three and lost six, went to the International League and back to Nashville before the 1951 campaign ended. He was back at Chicago in 1952, and then just seemed to disappear from the scene. Schultz had a good time, and as often as not, swinging his fists in a street brawl was just as much fun for him as pitching a baseball. He was cocky and tough and always ready for action. “The thing I remember most about him was his competitive spirit.” Says John A. McPherson, who played against Schultz in the Kitty and Cotton States Leagues, and later with him in Nashville semipro baseball. “He really went at it just as hard in a softball game as he did in the major leagues,” McPherson, later to be one of the best basketball referees in college circles, said. “He had all the ability in the world to have been a major league pitcher.” Buster Boguskie, a Metro councilman who played with the Vols for nine years, recalls the day in spring training that the late Larry Gilbert picked Schultz up on waivers from the Memphis Chicks. “We were in Baton Rouge that year and Mr. Gilbert called me off to the side one afternoon.” Boguskie said. “He told me he had a chance to get Schultz on waivers and wanted to know if he could still throw hard. I had played with him the year before, and I told him that Bob still had his fast ball. “If you’ll check the record, you’ll find that he won those 25 games in the last four months of the season. He didn’t pitch much the first month. In fact, I believe he was about to be released until Mr. Gilbert put him in one Sunday afternoon in relief. He had a good game, and went on to have that great year. “I believe, for that one season only, he was as fine a pitcher as I ever played with.” Buster, like McPherson, marveled at Schultz’ competitiveness. “To him, baseball was baseball, whether in the majors or on the sandlots,” Boguskie said. “He had the ability to pitch in the majors if he’d ever have made up his mind to it.” It was a rough and tough campaign in the Southern League in 1950. Dixie Walker was managing Atlanta, and the Crackers had a burly catcher named Ebba St. Clair, who had a phenomenal year. Some of the battles between St. Clair and Schultz will never be forgotten. Ebba would step out on Bob, trying to upset his rhythm, and Schultz would retaliate with that sizzling fastball right under the chin. There were some fights, but there was always a threat of a fight, when Schultz was on the mound. He didn’t back up from anyone. Charles Lee Johnson, 59, of 65 Jonell Drive, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Schultz. Witnesses said the two men began arguing after midnight at the VFW Post #3595 Club on Nolensville Road and the shooting followed. Remains are at Woodbine Funeral Home and graveside services will be held at National Cemetery with a date and time to be announced later.