Ray Schalk
| Birthdate | 8/12/1892 |
| Death Date | 5/19/1970 |
| Debut Year | 1912 |
| Year of Induction | 1955 |
| Teams | Giants, White Sox |
| Positions | Catcher, Manager |
The greatest defensive catcher of his era, the speedy and agile Ray Schalk was rewarded for his fine play with election into the Hall in 1955.
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White Sox catcher Ray Schalk was an outstanding receiver and pitch-caller
White Sox catcher Ray Schalk was an outstanding receiver and pitch-caller
The greatest defensive catcher of his day, Ray Schalk found a variety of ways to help his teams win. Schalk relied on hitters’ weaknesses and hurlers’ strengths to create his plan of attack for pitch-calling.
Schalk was also outstanding fleet-footed for a catcher. He posted double-digit totals in stolen bases in ten seasons. In 1916 he swiped 30 bases to establish an MLB record for men at his position. The White Sox catcher held the record for 66 years until it was broken by John Wathan in 1982.
The Hall of Fame is built primarily on the production on offense. In this category, Schalk’s numbers do not stand out. A lifetime .253 hitter with a .340 on-base percentage, Schalk hit just 11 home runs in his 18 years in the bigs.
The Deaball Era star finished with a .656 OPS and a below league-average OPS+ of just 83. His career stats include 1,345 hits, 573 runs scored, and 593 RBI.
Despite his lack of production at the plate, Schalk was respected throughout baseball. He received votes in MVP balloting four times, including a third-place finish in 1922.
The Veterans Committee selected Schalk for induction to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
Pastor Erwin Gerken of Puyallup, Washington was a prolific autograph collector. Using his church letterhead, Gerken wrote to many athletes and esteemed people of his time.
When Gerken died in 2007, his vast collection entered the market. Shown here is one piece from that collection, a letter to Schalk requesting the catcher’s autograph.
Schalk as obliged the pastor with a nice long note at the bottom of Gerken’s letter.
Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan names Ray Schalk on all-time White Sox team
Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan names Ray Schalk on all-time White Sox team
In childhood when we’re first exposed to baseball it’s a golden era. We follow a team and its players, and learn to love the game. The preferences and allegiances built in our youth often last a lifetime.
Hall of Fame umpire Jocko Conlan had the good fortune of being born and raised in Chicago. According to his SABR biography, when Conlan was 13 he spent the summer at White Sox Park – later named Comiskey Park – at the team’s morning practices shagging balls for the team.
He learned to love the White Sox and their players.
Shown here is the Hall of Fame umpire’s list of the all-time best White Sox players. Conlan chooses three Cooperstown men, pitcher Ted Lyons, catcher Ray Schalk, second baseman Eddie Collins, and shortstop Luke Appling. The umpire also lists Shoeless Joe Jackson as one of his outfielders.
Conlan was 11 years old when Schalk made his big league debut for the White Sox in 1912.
