Nick Altrock
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Altrock 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 to 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
.
An arm injury after 1906 ruined his career, but he hung on with the White Sox and Washington Senators
until , though he pitched very little after and made sporadic pinch-hitting appearances after that, including one in (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 and remained on the Washington staff until , 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. 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.
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.
,
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Altrock was one of the better pitchers in baseball for a brief period from to with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. He was instrumental in the White Sox World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship in 1906
1906 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 9, 1906 at West Side Grounds in Chicago, IllinoisCubs hurler Mordecai Brown was sent to continue the dominance against Nick Altrock. Both pitchers pitched a perfect game through three innings. The Cubs had a runner at second, but couldn't score in the fourth...
, going 20-13 with a 2.06 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in the regular season and 1-1 with a Series-best 1.00 ERA against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
until , though he pitched very little after and made sporadic pinch-hitting appearances after that, including one in (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
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the Senators in and remained on the Washington staff until , 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
Al Schacht
Alexander "Al" Schacht was an American professional baseball player, coach, and, later, restaurateur. Schacht was a pitcher in the major leagues from 1919–21 for the Washington Senators.-Baseball career:...
, 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
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
stage where they appeared in a comedy routine. 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
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
-Tunney
Gene Tunney
James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...
championship boxing match, many speculated that they pulled no punches as they rained blows on each other.
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.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1965.
External links
- Altrock Wasn't Always A Clown; Was Great Pitcher, by Harry GraysonHarry GraysonHarry Markey Grayson was an American sportswriter. He was the sports editor of the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1934 to 1963.-Baseball:* , February 5, 1936*, March 18, 1938...
, June 20, 1943
,