Raymond William Schalk (August 12, 1892 – May 19, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox for the majority of his career. Known for his fine handling of pitchers and outstanding defensive ability, Schalk was considered the greatest defensive catcher of his era. He revolutionized the way the catching position was played by using his speed and agility to expand the previously accepted defensive capabilities for his position. Schalk was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.
Early life
Born in Harvel, Illinois to German immigrant parents, He dropped out of high school to enter the printer's trade, learning to operate a linotype machine. In 1912, he posted a .271 batting average in 80 games for Milwaukee and attracted the attention of the Chicago White Sox because of his aggressive approach to the catching position.
Schalk made his major league debut the day before his twentieth birthday on August 11, 1912.
He soon developed a reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in major league baseball. Before Schalk, most catchers were large and slow of foot.
thumb|left|1914 E145-1 Cracker Jack baseball card
In 1914, he batted .270 in 136 games and once again led the league in putouts by a catcher. He continued to improve in 1915, batting .266 with a .366 on-base percentage and leading American League catchers in fielding percentage, caught stealing percentage, and putouts as the White Sox rose to third place. His pitch-calling skills were evident as he guided the White Sox pitching staff to the lowest earned run average in the league.
He batted only .226 in 1917, but his on-base percentage was .331 and he led all American League catchers in putouts for a fifth consecutive year. and went on to defeat John McGraw's New York Giants in the 1917 World Series four games to two for their last world championship until 2005.
In 1918, he recorded his first putout at second base against the St. Louis Browns. Several White Sox players were accused of intentionally throwing games. Years later, Schalk said that the conspirators caught a break when one of the "Clean Sox," pitcher Red Faber, was forced to sit out the Series with the flu. Schalk believed that had Faber been available, there would have never been a fix since Faber would have likely gotten starts that went to Cicotte and Williams. Two months later, on June 27, he hit for the cycle.
By 1924, the wear and tear of catching began to catch up with him. He had played in 100 games or more in 11 consecutive seasons, but injured three fingers on his throwing hand which limited him to 57 games and a career-low .197 batting average in 1924. His playing time diminished in 1927, as he appeared in only 16 games while concentrating on managing the team. Over the two seasons he played and managed, he won 102 and lost 125 for a .449 won-lost percentage. He then had a salary disagreement with team owner Charles Comiskey, and left the White Sox to become a player-coach with the New York Giants in 1929, but appeared in only five games before retiring as a player at the age of 36. He set major league catching records for putouts, and still holds the major league career record for double plays (217) and the American League career mark for assists. No catcher has approached Schalk's record for career double plays, and none has led the league in fielding percentage eight times. He caught 144 shutouts in his career, ranking third all-time among catchers behind Yogi Berra and Carlton Fisk.
Schalk set standards for longevity for catchers, catching 100 or more games for 11 straight seasons. His major league record of 1,726 games caught stood until 1945 when it was broken by Rick Ferrell. He also became known for his handling of the White Sox pitching staff and his pitch-calling skills.
Schalk's career batting average of .253 is the lowest of any position player in the Hall of Fame.
Schalk and pitcher Red Faber started 306 games as a battery, fourth-most of any such duo since 1900.
Post-playing career
thumb|right|150px|Schalk's grave at Evergreen Cemetery
Schalk became a coach for the Chicago Cubs in 1930 and 1931 and then managed the Buffalo Bisons in the Double-A International League from to . He also managed the Indianapolis Indians, the Oklahoma City Indians, and the Milwaukee Brewers minor league teams.
In 1955, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
He was invited to catch the first ball of the 1959 World Series–the White Sox' first appearance in the World Series in 40 years–thrown out by fellow Hall of Fame member and former White Sox pitcher Red Faber.