Ray Schalk
Chicago White Sox
Hall of Fame Inductee - 1955 (Old Timers Committee)
Manager 1927-1928
Record for most Double-Plays (221)
Record for catching most no-hitters (4)
Played in 2 World Series (1917 & 1919 ... Black Sox Scandal)

Full Name: Raymond William "Cracker" Schalk
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Born: Aug 12, 1892 in Harvel, IL
Major League Debut: Aug 11, 1912
Died: May 19, 1970 in Chicago, IL

PHOTO
GALLERY


SEE 1,000 Gm LIST

MANAGERIAL
RECORD


CAREER STATISTICS - BATTING TOTALS

BATTING
YR
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
TM
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
NY
LG
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
POS
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
G
23
129
136
135
129
140
108
131
151
128
142
123
57
125
82
16
2
5
AB
63
401
392
413
410
424
333
394
485
416
442
382
153
343
226
26
1
2
R
7
38
30
46
36
48
35
57
64
32
57
42
15
44
26
2
0
0
H
18
98
106
110
95
96
73
111
131
105
124
87
30
94
60
6
1
0
2B
2
15
13
14
12
12
6
9
25
24
22
12
4
18
9
2
0
0
3B
0
5
2
4
9
5
3
3
5
4
3
2
2
1
1
0
0
0
HR
0
1
0
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
4
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
RBI
8
38
36
54
41
51
22
34
61
47
60
44
11
52
32
2
1
0
TB
20
126
123
135
125
124
85
126
169
137
164
106
41
114
71
8
1
0
BB
3
27
38
62
41
59
36
51
68
40
67
39
21
57
27
2
0
0
IBB
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Totals G
1762
AB
5306
R
579
H
1345
2B
199
3B
49
HR
11
RBI
594
TB
1675
BB
638
IBB
0


BATTING BASERUNNING PERCENTAGES
YR
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
TM
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
Chi
NY
LG
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
K
0
36
24
21
31
27
22
25
19
36
36
28
10
27
11
1
0
1
HBP
4
3
8
3
6
7
3
2
2
7
3
4
2
3
2
0
0
0
SH
3
14
21
17
15
17
15
14
21
9
22
17
6
14
8
1
0
0
SF
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
GDP
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
SB
2
14
24
15
30
19
12
11
10
3
12
7
1
11
5
0
1
0
CS
0
0
11
18
13
0
0
0
4
4
4
4
5
5
1
0
0
0
SB%
1.000
1.000
.686
.455
.698
1.000
1.000
1.000
.714
.429
.750
.636
.167
.688
.833
-.---
1.000
-.---
AVG
.286
.244
.270
.266
.232
.226
.219
.282
.270
.252
.281
.228
.196
.274
.265
.231
1.000
.000
OBP
.357
.297
.347
.366
.311
.331
.301
.367
.362
.328
.379
.306
.301
.382
.349
.286
1.000
.000
SLG
.317
.314
.314
.327
.305
.292
.255
.320
.348
.329
.371
.277
.268
.332
.314
.308
1.000
.000
AB/HR
--.-
401.0
--.-
413.0
--.-
212.0
--.-
--.-
485.0
--.-
110.5
382.0
153.0
--.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
AB/K
--.-
11.1
16.3
19.7
13.2
15.7
15.1
15.8
25.5
11.6
12.3
13.6
15.3
12.7
20.5
26.0
--.-
2.0
Totals K
355
HBP
59
SH
214
SF
0
GDP
0
SB
177
CS
69
SB%
.720
BAVG
.253
OBP
.340
SLG
.316
AB/HR
482.4
AB/K
14.9


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
ChA
NYG
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
23
125
125
134
124
139
106
129
151
126
142
121
56
125
80
15
1
5
169
768
817
827
829
787
548
694
729
591
749
584
241
475
303
32
4
7
115
599
613
655
653
624
422
551
581
453
591
481
176
368
251
24
4
7
40
154
183
159
166
148
114
130
138
129
150
93
55
99
45
8
0
0
14
15
21
13
10
15
12
13
10
9
8
10
10
8
7
0
0
0
4
18
20
8
25
18
15
14
19
19
16
20
8
15
6
1
0
0
0.917
0.980
0.974
0.984
0.988
0.981
0.978
0.981
0.986
0.985
0.989
0.983
0.959
0.983
0.977
1.000
1.000
1.000
Totals G
1727
Ch
9154
PO
7168
A
1811
E
175
DP
226
FPCT
0.981


WORLD SERIES STATISTICS - BATTING TOTALS

BATTING PERCENTAGES
YR
1917
1919
TM
Chi
Chi
LG
AL
AL
G
6
8
AB
19
23
R
1
1
H
5
7
2B
0
0
3B
0
0
HR
0
0
RBI
0
2
TB
5
7
BB
2
4
K
1
2
SB
1
1
BAVG
.263
.304
SLG
.263
.304
AB/HR
--.-
--.-
AB/K
19.0
11.5
Totals G
14
AB
42
R
2
H
12
2B
0
3B
0
HR
0
RBI
2
TB
12
BB
6
K
3
SB
2
AVG
.286
SLG
.286
AB/HR
--.-
AB/K
14.0


WORLD SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1917
1919
CWS
CWS
C
C
6
8
40
45
32
29
6
15
2
1
1
1
0.950
0.978
Totals G
14
Ch
85
PO
61
A
21
E
3
DP
2
FPCT
0.965


TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY
YEARS
1912-1928
1929
TM
Chi
NY
LG
AL
NL
TEAM NAME
Chicago White Sox
New York Giants
LEAGUE NAME
American League
National League

Although he stood only 5'7" Ray (Cracker) Schalk proved short men can make it big in the majors. During his prime he was regarded by his peers as one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He played for the White Sox from 1912 through 1928, finishing his career in 1929 with the New York Giants.

To this day, Schalk holds the record for most career double plays (221) and ranks second in lifetime assists (1,811) among big league catchers. He also holds the record for catching the most no-hitters (4), all with the White Sox. In all, he worked 1,726 games behind the plate. Ray caught 75% of his team's games for 12 seasons, which set a record that was subsequently tied by Bob Boone.

In his time with the Sox, he displayed great ability to handle every kind of pitch known to the game, including spitballs, shine balls, emory balls, and knucklers. Over the years, his fingers were broken many times. He was a wizard at calling a game, and is believed to have been the first catcher regularly to back up the first baseman on infield throws.

During his career, he recorded putouts at each of the four bases. He was also one of the best catchers at nailing Ty Cobb in base-stealing attempts. Cobb, incidently, picked Schalk as the catcher on his personal, all-time, all-star team.

It was fitting that the Old Timers Committee, in electing Schalk to the Hall of Fame in 1955, gave due recognition to his defensive skills.


Schalk was small for a catcher (five-nine, 165 pounds), and his nickname "Cracker" reportedly referred to his view from behind, which was said to resemble a cracker box. At any rate he was a cracker jack catcher. He caught 100 or more games in twelve seasons, including eleven in a row. He led AL catchers in fielding eight times.

In 1920 Schalk caught four 20-game winners (Red Faber, Ed Cicotte, Lefty Williams, and Dickie Kerr), a feat matched only by Baltimore's Elrod Hendricks. Over the years Ray caught four no-hitters (Jim Scott, Joe Benz, Cicotte, and Charlie Robertson), a feat matched by no one. The last one was a perfect game. Until his death in 1970 Schalk sent telegrams of congratulation to every no-hit catcher.

Schalk caught spitters, shine balls, emery balls, and knucklers. It earned him a fistful of broken fingers. Fast enough to steal 30 bases in 1916, a record for catchers, Schalk was the first catcher to back up first and third bases. He could make putouts at all four bases and did.

Ray had a strong arm, and he holds the AL record for career assists by a catcher. He had a good record against Cobb especially.

Offensively he wasn't an asset. His career batting average was only .253, and he had no power. He lived by his glove, wits, durability, and honesty. With the White Sox of 1919, that last quality was important, as eight of Schalk's teammates conspired to lose the World Series that year.

Schalk was named to the Hall of Fame in 1955.