SONOMA, California. — There were no radars in Art Schallock’s day, and even if there were, the soft-throwing left-hander knows he would barely have registered a problem. At 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, the New York Yankees pitcher had it with Guile.
“I was smart,” Schallock said Monday.
But now, in very Finally, the crafty lefty is about to reach triple digits. Schallock turns 100 this month, a historic day for the oldest living former Major League Baseball player.
And here, inside this senior center, where Schallock is the resident celebrity, they are about to have the party of their century. “Oh, it’s the big buzz,” said Wendy Cornejo, executive director of Cogir on Napa Road. “It’s about Artie’s party.”
Schallock was born on April 25, 1924. Elsewhere that day, Babe Ruth hit a three-run home run against the Red Sox, while Wally Pipp was playing first base (Lou Gehrig’s epic Iron Man run had not yet occurred. started). In Philadelphia, “The Big Train” Walter Johnson lost a 2-1 decision to the A’s.
Thus began Schallock’s lifelong connections with the baseball gods. When he was called up for his major league debut on July 16, 1951, the Yankees made room on the roster by sending a disappointing rookie named Mickey Mantle to Triple-A Kansas City. They would joke for years about the absurdity of that transaction. And Mantle took hilarious revenge on him, in 1955, when Schallock was with the Orioles, by hitting a home run that has yet to be made. Mick smiled as he rounded the bases. “God, he could hit that ball,” Schallock said.
Art Schallock pitched in the majors from 1951 to 1955, enough time to play with three World Series champions for the Yankees. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum):
Schallock’s first roommate on the road? The Yankees paired him with Yogi Berra, counting on the veteran catcher to share some wisdom with the rookie on how to attack the league’s hitters. Schallock still marvels at how Berra knew the weaknesses of every American League hitter and also who didn’t have them. “Every once in a while he would meet someone and just say, ‘Keep them in one,’” Schallock said with a laugh.
Berra also got something out of this couple.
“Yeah, when I roomed with him first thing in the morning, I had to run to the lobby to get him funny papers,” Schallock said, laughing again. “Heck, I didn’t know anything about comics, but he was like, ‘Go buy half a dozen comics.'”
In Schallock, as with some trees, the age can be estimated by counting the rings. He helped the Yankees win three consecutive World Series beginning with his rookie season in 1951. For this interview, the facility adorned the walls of a conference room with photographs from his Yankee days. Next to him were the commemorative bats of those World Series winners and at one point he studied the names engraved on the 1953 model and began to read the royalty as if it were a roll call.
“Whitey Ford… Vic Raschi… Phil Rizzuto… Casey Stengel, oh, he was a great coach,” Schallock said. “He was a smart guy when he came to baseball. Half the time he was asleep on the bench and Frank Crosetti was running the club.”
The golden names keep coming up. Although Schallock made only 58 appearances while shuttling between the big club and Triple-A from 1951 to 1955, he had enough time to play alongside eight fellow Hall of Famers: Berra, Mantle, Rizzuto, Ford, Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Mize and Enos Slaughter. with the Yankees; and rookie third baseman Brooks Robinson with the Orioles.
On the mound, Schallock faced 14 future Cooperstown residents. Let the record reflect that Ted Williams went 0-for-2 against him.
“I threw him fastballs, but never as a strike. I will kill me! Schallock said. “I changed gears with him. But he one time he tackled the first baseman. He ripped the glove from her hand. He picked him up and threw him out.”
Schallock’s voice is strong and his memories are vivid, as even his past minor league stories resist fact-checking. But beyond that and his sense of humor, not all of his health is so solid. “I can not see. I can not hear. I’m falling apart!” He broke down.
Schallock assumed the distinction of oldest living baseball player when the aptly named George Elder died on July 7, 2022, at the age of 101. By the time Schallock turns 100, he will have been the oldest living former major leaguer for 659 days.
“Is that so?” Schallock said. “Well, fuck me.”
Tea the next two players behind him There are also undersized launchers. Schallock is 131 days older than Bill Greason (a 5-10, 170-pound right-hander) and 519 days older than Bobby Shantz (5-6, 139-pound left-hander).
This is meaningful to Schallock, who cites his height when asked what he is most proud of about his baseball career. In August On January 15, 1951, the New York Times described him as “the diminutive southpaw of the coast” in an article titled “Schallock subdues Senators, 5-3, to sweep the series with the bombers.”
“I thought I had two strikes against me because of my size,” Schallock said Monday. “But I did it. I mean, you can’t get anything higher than the Yankees, the number one team in the world.”
Viewing a commemorative 1953 Yankees bat featuring the oldest living former major league player. Art Schallock will turn 100 years old (!!!) on April 25 and has fun here remembering his teammate Eddie Lopat. pic.twitter.com/2MDa8ZqAyU
—Daniel Brown (@BrownieAthletic) April 19, 2024
When asked to describe his pitching repertoire, Schallock talked about his fastball and a big breaking ball “like that lefty from the Giants.” As he racks his brain for the name, he realizes that his life opens up a wide range of possibilities: Carl Hubbell? Johnny Antonelli? Blue Life? Barry Zito?
“Bumgarner,” he said finally, referring to the 2014 World Series Most Valuable Player.
There are countless wonderful ways to understand Schallock’s longevity. Also born in 1924 were iodized table salt, ready-to-use Band-Aids, Kleenex tissues, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Washburn’s Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes (known today as Wheaties).
baseball researcher and historian bill chuckwho unearthed many of the statistical gems for this story, noted that Babe Ruth hit 240 home runs before Schallock was born and another 474 afterward.
Schallock’s favorite baseball player growing up was outfielder Lefty O’Doul, who last played in the majors in 1934. O’Doul was from San Francisco and Schallock was born and raised about 15 miles north, in the town of Mill Valley, Marin County.
O’Doul spent the latter part of his post-MLB career playing for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, and Schallock wanted to be like him.
Unfortunately, the admiration was not mutual.
“When I grew up, I wanted to play for the Seals,” Schallock said. “But O’Doul scanned me and said he was too small.”
Art Schallock’s milestone birthday party will be greeted with much fanfare. The CBS Evening News is sending a camera crew. (Wendy Cornejo / Catch on Napa Road)
Instead, Schallock took back roads to his unlikely career. He was a star at Tamalpais High School when, as a senior in 1942, he registered for the draft. In 1943, he entered the Navy and his baseball career was put on hold while he worked as a radio operator in the USS Coral Sea during World War II.
Schallock was discharged in 1946, after having received 11 battle stars. Shortly after returning home, he went on a blind date with a woman named Doña Bernard. It seemed to work well. They were married for 76 years until Dona’s passing last year at age 97.
She died on Art’s 99th birthday. They had two children and five grandchildren.
“They were incredible together. A true love for life,” wrote Zach Pascoe, one of the grandchildren, in an email. “They were best friends. They really enjoyed being in each other’s company and as partners, they were even stronger. They complemented each other perfectly. “They knew when to give each other space and when to be there for each other.”
When the Yankees added Art Schallock in 1951, they were disheartened by Mickey Mantle, who was struggling and striking out too much for Casey Stengel’s liking. The last home run Schallock allowed was on August 15, 1955; Ironically, it went to Mickey Mantle. Schallock turns 100 in a week
– The Bill Chuck Files (@BillyBall) April 19, 2024
The Dodgers signed Schallock in 1946 and his career of rubbing shoulders with legends was underway. His first manager at Class-A Pueblo (Col.) in 1947 was Walter Alston.
In 1948, he debuted with the Triple-A Montreal Royals, relieving the great Don Newcombe on a team that also included Duke Snider, at age 21. The first baseman on that team was Chuck Connors, who later made a name for himself. as star of the “Rifleman” television franchise.
Perhaps that brush with a future actor prepared him for life with the Hollywood Stars, where Schallock played in 1949. Famous shareholders of that team included people like Cecil B. DeMille, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.
The fans were famous too.
“Well, in every home, Groucho Marx was there,” Schallock recalled. “He had a box on the back of the plate. There were six seats in it, but he would only occupy one. He…he was a cool guy.”
Dona cherished this moment in their lives. “My wife loved Hollywood — rubbing shoulders with all the movie stars,” Schallock said.
At the time I was less interested in the pecking order of the baseball universe. So Dona had a curious response when Hollywood Stars manager Fred Haney called her from the stands mid-game in July 1951 to tell her that Art had just been traded to the New York Yankees.
“And my wife said, ‘Who the hell are the New York Yankees?’” Schallock said. “Fred Haney almost fell off his chair laughing.”
Schallock had his best moments in the big leagues. He pitched three complete games and compiled a 6-7 record with a 4.02 ERA.
Although he played for three World Series teams, he appeared in only one Fall Classic. In 1953, when the Yankees were trailing late in Game 4, he pitched the final two innings and allowed one run. And, as was his custom, he left with a story to tell. The first five drummers he faced were Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Carl Furillo.
However, his favorite baseball memory had nothing to do with the superstars in his midst.
“The highlight of my career was just walking into Yankee Stadium,” he said. “I thought it was exciting just to be on the mound.”
Schallock will have the opportunity to tip his cap to the crowd at least one more time at his centennial celebration on April 25.
Staff at Fuck on Napa Road They will wear Yankees jerseys as they transform the parking lot into a mini baseball stadium, with concession stands selling popcorn and hot dogs.
Sonoma Mayor John Gurney will present Schallock with a certificate in recognition of his centenarian status. The slightly younger players from the Sonoma High School baseball team will be in attendance. CBS Evening News is sending a camera crew. There will be a live band.
“He’s just humble,” said Cornejo, the facility’s director. “And he loves baseball. “It is simply an honor to be able to celebrate a living legend.”
Schallock wasn’t the hardest pitcher, but now it’s easy to see what made his fastball zipper so special. He had a late life.
(Top photo by Art Schallock: Daniel Brown/The Athletic)
