Books and articles about Wally Schang

One of baseball's best catchers throughout most of his 18-year ML career, Schang played for top teams and caught most of the leading AL pitchers of his time, including Hall of Famers Herb Pennock, Eddie Plank, Chief Bender, Babe Ruth, Waite Hoyt, and Lefty Grove. A strong hitter (six seasons over .300) and good baserunner (one of the few catchers to steal more than 100 bases), his defensive work was also outstanding, although he holds the AL career record for most errors by a catcher, 218. When not catching, managers sometimes played him in the outfield or at third base to keep his bat in the lineup.

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Schang broke in as a rookie with Connie Mack's champions of 1913-14. He was traded to the Red Sox in 1918 and helped them to a World Championship. He was the Yankees' regular catcher when they won their first three pennants in 1921-23. He was a reserve for the 1930 Athletics, his seventh pennant-winning team. He is the only player to be on three different World Championship clubs. On May 12, 1915, catching for the Athletics, he threw out six Browns runners attempting to steal; on the same date in 1920 he had eight assists for the Red Sox in a game against the Indians. Both feats are AL records. His older brother Bobby caught briefly in the NL before WWI. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » October 10, 1913: The bottom of the Athletics batting order—Jack Barry, Wally Schang, and Chief Bender—drives in all the runs, as Bender wins his 4th straight World Series game, 6–5. » May 12, 1915: A's part-time catcher Wally Schang nails an AL-record six would-be St. Louis base stealers in a 3–0 Browns victory. With Schang sidelined next month, three A's will again nail six against the White Sox on June 18th. » September 8, 1916: Switch-hitter Wally Schang of the A's hits home runs from both sides of the plate against the Yankees, the first major leaguer to do so. Only a handful of people see the rare feat on a rainy day. The next AL player to hits home runs from both sides will be Johnny Lucadello in 1940. » December 14, 1917: Connie Mack and the A's need money. He sells P Joe Bush, C Wally Schang, and OF Amos Strunk to the Red Sox for sore–armed P Vean Gregg, OF Merlin Kopp, C Pinch Thomas, and $60,000. Bush must be happy as he lost 14 straight to the Red Sox (6/2/14–7/5/17). » September 7, 1918: On one day's rest, Hippo Vaughn gives up only seven hits, but Carl Mays wins a 2–1 duel. Wally Schang has two hits for Boston. Game three ends with the Cubs' Charlie Pick caught in a rundown between 3B and home while trying to score on a passed ball. » December 15, 1920: The Yankees' Ed Barrow pries future Hall of Fame P Waite Hoyt, C Wally Schang, lefty Harry Harper, and IF Mike McNally from his former Boston team in exchange for 2B Del Pratt, C Muddy Ruel, P Hank Thormahlen, OF Sammy Vick, and cash. » September 10, 1921: Catcher Wally Schang has five of the Yankees' 21 hits as the New Yorkers wallop the A's 19–3. A ML record-tying five Yankees collect two hits in the 9th inning: Schang, Mays, Miller, Peckinpaugh, and Ruth. Ruth's 2nd hit, a single, hits Peck for the 3rd out. Winning P Carl Mays gives up 13 hits to Philadelphia in winning his 16th straight over them. » October 9, 1921: After a rainout, a Sunday crowd of 36,371 watches Carl Mays and Phil Douglas square off for game 4. Mays works five hitless innings, while a run-scoring triple by Wally Schang gives the Yanks a 1–0 lead. Mays then apparently tires and the Giants club seven hits in the last two innings for four runs. abe Ruth's first World Series homer comes in the 9th, but the Giants win 4–2. » June 9, 1922: At Chicago, the Yankees use a courtesy runner against the White Sox (as noted by Retrosheet). On a 2-out single to SS, Wally Schang is injured in the sixth inning when he slides into 1B, and is replaced by Al De Vormer. After the third out, Schang returns to catching. When Schang reaches base in the eighth, De Vormer again runs for him, this time staying in to catch. » July 26, 1922: In several pregame fights between Yankees teammates, Bob Meusel and Wally Schang duke it out in the dugout. Then Babe Ruth and Wally Pipp take a turn. The players then turn on the Browns, beating them 11–6. Ruth bangs two homers, Pipp adds another, and Schang chips in with a two-run triple. » July 27, 1922: Vangilder gives up a home run to Pipp in the 4th but leads, 2–1 going in to the 8th inning. The Yankees jump on the Browns starter and Kolp for four runs before the Browns tie with three in the 9th. Dave Danforth comes on Fred Hofman on a pitch "that sailed a foot." When Brick Owens exams the ball, he rules it was doctored, earning Danforth an automatic 10-day suspension. Reliever Wayne Wright comes on and serves up a game-winning home run to Wally Schang. Yanks win, 6–5. » September 28, 1923: Three weeks after both pitchers have thrown no-hitters versus the A's, Sam Jones of the Yankees and Howard Ehmke (20–17) of the Red Sox clash. It is not Ehmke's day; he is routed after facing a record 16 batters in an 11-run 6th inning, as manager Frank Chance declines to relieve his ace in mid-inning. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 24–4 with 30 hits in 55 at bats, both American League records. Ruth is 5-for-6 in the game with two doubles and his 28th home run, Wally Schang adds five hits, and Lou Gehrig four hits, including three doubles. » February 6, 1926: The Browns acquire 37-year-old catcher Wally Schang from the Yankees for pitcher George Mogridge and cash. The veteran will backstop for the Browns for three seasons. » May 15, 1927: In St. Louis, Eddie Miller has his 2nd 4-hit day in a row, and Wally Schang is 3-for-3 with a grand slam to lead the Browns to an 8–6 win over the A's. Eddie Collins and Al Simmons homer for Philley. » June 18, 1927: At New York, Lou Gehrig belts #16 and #17 to drive in five runs to lead the Yanks over the Browns, 8–3. Lou scores three runs. Myles Thomas gives up a homer to Wally Schang in winning his 6th in seven starts. » December 11, 1929: The Browns trade C Wally Schang back to the Athletics for 3B Sammy Hale. » April 15, 1972: Reggie Jackson sports a mustache as the A's top the Twins 4–3 in 11 innings. Jackson is reported as the first ML player with facial hair since Wally Schang in 1914.