A sore arm limited Schacht to a short ML career, but he was on hand for 25 World
Series and 18 All-Star Games in his role as "The Clown Prince of Baseball." After
retiring as a player, he was a coach for fifteen years and developed his comic act.
At first he teamed with
Nick Altrock, a Senators coach and resident clown, reviving
many of the routines Altrock had pioneered with
Germany Schaefer, his first partner.
Eventually, Schacht put on his clown costume, a battered top hat and tattered frock
coat, and took to the road. He made his
fortune touring America's ballparks with
an act that was part pantomime and part anecdotes, always booked for a season's finale
wherever the
World Series was played. During WWII he toured with the USO, traveling
to Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. After his barnstorming days ended, he opened
a successful New York restaurant that became a popular meeting place for sports celebrities.
(JK)