Ray Schalk (1955)


Date of Birth: 8/12/1892
Date of Death: 5/19/1970
Birthplace: Harvel, Illinois

Ray Schalk started playing professional baseball in the minor leagues when he was in his late teens. He played in the Illinois-Missouri League in 1911, and with a team in the American Association in 1911 and 1912.

Chicago White Sox

Schalk was traded to the Chicago White Sox on August 9, 1912, and he played with the team in 23 games that season. The following season he became the starting catcher for the White Sox. He played in 129 games in 1913, and he had 98 hits, 15 doubles, 14 stolen bases, and a .244 batting average.

An excellent defensive catcher, Schalk led AL catchers in putouts from 1913 through 1920, and in 1922. He also led them in assists in 1916 with 166 and in 1922 with 150. He led AL catchers in caught stealing percentage three times (1915 with 53%, 1920 with 61%, and 1925 with 72%).

Schalk batted .270 with 106 hits and 24 stolen bases in 136 games in 1914. The following season, he had 110 hits, 14 doubles, and a .266 batting average in 135 games. He walked 62 times and struck out just 21 times in 1915. He stole 15 bases but he was caught stealing 18 times.

Schalk had a career high 30 stolen bases in 1916. However, his batting average was just .232 with 95 hits in 129 games. The following season, his batting average was even lower, at .226. He had 96 hits and 19 stolen bases in 140 games in 1917. His average dropped to just .219 in 1918.

In 1919, Schalk was one of the White Sox players who didn't participate in the "Black Sox" gambling scandal. That season, he batted .282 with 111 hits in 131 games. He batted .304 with 7 hits and 1 stolen base in 23 at-bats in 8 games in the postseason.

Schalk had his best offensive season in 1920, when he batted .270. He had career highs in games played (151), hits (131), doubles (25), and walks (68 to 19 strikeouts). He also had 61 RBIs that year. He didn't play as well in 1921, when he finished with a .252 batting average in 128 games.

Schalk had a good season in 1922, batting .281 in 142 games. He had 124 hits, 22 doubles, 60 RBIs, and 36 strikeouts to 67 walks. The following season, he played in just 123 games and he batted .228 with 87 hits and 44 RBIs.

In 1924, an injury limited Schalk's playing time to just 57 games but the next season he was back behind the plate, catching in 125 games. He finished the 1925 season with 94 hits, 18 doubles, 52 RBIs, 27 strikeouts to 57 walks, and a .274 batting average. He played in just 82 games in 1926, and he batted .265 with 60 hits.

Schalk was player-manager for the White Sox in 1927 and 1928. His record as manager was 102 wins to 125 losses. He played in just 16 games in 1927, and in 2 games in 1928.

New York Giants

Schalk spent his last season in the major leagues, 1929, with the New York Giants. He served as player-coach for the team and he played in just five games with the Giants before retiring as a player.

Career Statistics

Career batting statistics for Schalk include:

  • 1,762 games played
  • 1,345 hits
  • 199 doubles
  • .253 batting average
  • .340 on-base percentage
  • .656 OPS

Career fielding statistics for Schalk include:

  • 1,727 games played
  • 175 errors
  • 1,811 assists
  • 7,168 putouts
  • .981 fielding percentage

Post Playing Career

In 1930, Schalk was hired as a coach for the Chicago Cubs. After holding that position for two seasons, he left the Cubs to become a manager in the minor leagues.

Schalk returned to the Cubs in 1944 as a scout, staying with them for just one season. He then went to Purdue University as a coach and stayed in that position for 18 years.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Ray Schalk
ESPN - Ray Schalk
Baseball Reference - Ray Schalk

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