Ray Schalk

“If I was a good catcher, it was because I learned from the masters,” Ray Schalk said. “I caught pitchers of long experience and they hammered the game into me. I had to learn or lose my job. They made me a star.” A catcher’s value can be derived from much more than just his offense, and there’s no greater example of this than Ray Schalk. The undersized backstop was a workhorse for the White Sox clubs of the 1910s and 1920s, and he’s regarded as the finest defensive catcher of the Dead Ball Era.

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Career: 11 HR, .253 BA, 593 RBI, C, HOF in 1955, WhiteSox/Giants 1912-1929, b:R/t:R, born in IL 1892, died 1970, Cracker

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In an era when the common impression of a baseball catcher was a sturdy player with bulging shoulders, a husky framework, and brute strength, the 5-foot-7 (many sources say 5-foot-9), 155-pound Ray Schalk did not convey an imposing figure behind the dish. But as John C. Ward wrote in Baseball Magazine in 1920, “Schalk is unquestionably the hardest working catcher in baseball as he is doubtless also the brainiest, the nerviest, the most competent. He presents the unique distinction of performing more work than any other catcher and at the same time performing it better. Both in quantity and in quality of service Ray Schalk is unquestionably the premier backstop in baseball.”1

Raymond William Schalk (August 12, 1892 – May 19, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout.[1] He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox for the majority of his career.[1][2] Known for his fine handling of pitchers and outstanding defensive ability, Schalk was considered the greatest defensive catcher of his era.[3][4] 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.[5] Schalk was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.[6]