Nick Altrock

Nick Altrock
Nick Altrock

Born: September 15, 1876(1876-09-15)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: January 20, 1965(1965-01-20) (aged 88)
Washington, D.C.
Batted: Both Threw: Left 
MLB debut
July 14, 1898 for the Louisville Colonels
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1933 for the Washington Senators
Career statistics
Wins-Losses     83-75
Strikeouts     425
ERA     2.65
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • Member of 1903 World Series Champion Boston Americans team.
  • Member of 1906 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox team.
  • Member of 1924 World Series Champion Washington Senators team.
  • Chicago White Sox All-Time Leader in Walks/9IP (1.49)
  • Longest-tenured coach (42 consecutive years) for one franchise (Washington, 1912-53) in MLB history

Nicholas Altrock (September 15, 1876 – January 20, 1965) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Altrock was one of the better pitchers in baseball for a brief period from 1904 to 1906 with the Chicago White Sox. He was instrumental in the White Sox World Series championship in 1906, going 20-13 with a 2.06 ERA in the regular season and 1-1 with a Series-best 1.00 ERA against the Chicago Cubs.

Police protect Nick Altrock from crowds after pitching a 4 hitter during game 1 of the 1906 World Series. Notice that they are on the infield, as it was commons practice for fans to walk on the field after a game.

An arm injury after 1906 ruined his career, but he hung on with the White Sox and Washington Senators until 1924, though he pitched very little after 1908 and made sporadic pinch-hitting appearances after that, including one in 1933 (facing Rube Walberg of the Philadelphia Athletics) at 57 years of age. He appeared in Major League games in five decades, one of only two players to do this (Minnie Minoso is the other); he is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.

Altrock became a coach for the Senators in 1912 and remained on the Washington staff until 1953, a 42-year skein that represents the longest consecutive-year tenure of a coach with the same franchise in baseball history.

During that time, he was noted for his antics in the coaching box and teamed with Al Schacht, the "Clown Prince of Baseball," for a dozen years to perform comedy routines on baseball fields in the days before official mascots. Schacht and Altrock also took their antics to the vaudeville stage where they appeared in a comedy routine.[1] Ironically, at the height of their collaboration, Schacht and Altrock developed a deep personal animosity and stopped speaking with each other off the field. During their famous comic re-enactments of the Dempsey-Tunney championship boxing match, many speculated that they pulled no punches as they rained blows on each other.[2]

An anecdote, probably apocryphal, has been printed in some baseball books about a quip by Altrock during his coaching days with the Senators. A batter had hit a ball into the stands and it was not known whether it was fair or foul. The umpire, who had been the target of Altrock's gibes, made the call and shortly afterward a woman was carried from the stands on a litter. The umpire asked Altrock if the ball had hit the woman. In his clear voice, Nick answered, "No. You called that one right and she passed out from shock."

He was the second oldest pitcher ever to play Major League Baseball when he played his last season in 1933.

Altrock died at age 88 in Washington, D.C. in 1965.

References

  1. ^ Laurie, Joe, Jr. Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace. New York: Henry Holt, 1953. p. 127.
  2. ^ 1954 Baseball Register. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1954

External links

,


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fred Goldsmith — Infobox MLB retired bgcolor1=#d82427 bgcolor2=#0e3386 textcolor1=white textcolor2=white name=Fred Goldsmith position=Pitcher bats=Right throws=Right birthdate=May 15, 1852 deathdate=death date and age|1939|3|28|1852|5|15 debutdate=October 23… …   Wikipedia

  • Minnie Miñoso — This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Miñoso and the second or maternal family name is Arrieta. Minnie Miñoso …   Wikipedia

  • Chicago White Sox — White Sox redirects here. For other uses, see White Sox (disambiguation). Chicago White Sox 2012 Chicago White Sox season Established 1894 Based in Chicago since 1900 …   Wikipedia

  • Doc White — Pitcher Born: April 9, 1879(1879 04 09) Washington, D.C …   Wikipedia

  • Range factor — (commonly abbreviated RF) is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position. [http://www.baseball reference.com/about/field… …   Wikipedia

  • Al Schacht — Alexander Al Schacht (November 11, 1892, in New York, New York July 14, 1984, in Waterbury, Connecticut), was an United States professional baseball player and coach. Schacht was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1919 21. He played for the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades — Playing Major League Baseball in four decades is a very rare achievement, attained by only 29 players in the history of Major League Baseball, dating from the 1870s to the present day. Contents 1 Introduction 2 List of players 2.1 Began 1870s 2.2 …   Wikipedia

  • Serie Mundial de béisbol de 1906 — Serie Mundial de 1906 Equipo (Victorias) Entrenador Temporada regular Chicago White Sox (4) Fielder Jones 93 58, .616[1 …   Wikipedia Español

  • SCHACHT, ALEXANDER — (Al; The Clown Prince of Baseball ; 1892–1984), U.S. baseball player and entertainer who performed in a battered top hat and a tattered tuxedo with tails, wielding a catcher s mitt that weighed 25 pounds. Schacht was born on the Lower East Side… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Minnesota Twins all-time roster — The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared at least in one game for the Minnesota Twins American League franchise (1961–present), also known previously as the Washington Senators (1901–1960). Players in Bold are… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”