- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
William Frederick Schriver (1865-1932) was a durable catcher for several mostly National League teams from 1886 through 1901. His debut for the AA’s Brooklyn Grays was his only stint outside the NL. Pop had a solid .264 lifetime batting average over a 14 year major league career. During his time with Cap Anson’s Colts, to promote a game with the Senators, battery-mate Clark Griffith made a 555’ “toss” to Schriver (off the Washington Monument). Accounts differ on Pop’s performance and Griffith later said Schriver dropped the ball. In any case, history has credited Gabby Street with the first successful accomplishment of the stunt, largely on the testimony of Griffith who by then was owner of Street’s Senators. In 800 games, Schriver made 720 hits in 2,727 at-bats.
- During 1894, the year of the D.C. feat, Pop was among the league leaders in most defensive categories
- In 1901 Schriver led the league in throwing out runners attempting to steal
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Otto H. Schomberg (1864-1927) played 1B and OF for parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues, for the Alleghenys and Hoosiers. He was a fine hitter but cursed with an erratic throwing arm which led to the demise of his big league career. He shuttled between first and the OF as managers tried to find a place for this promising slugger. Schomberg was also plagued by heart problems and suffered a bout of malaria that combined to end his hopes for a baseball future.
- During his only full season in 1887, Schomberg was among the top ten batters in the NL and received the Spalding Ivory Bat award as his team’s hitting leader
- Schomberg had an entrepreneurial talent that led to a successful career in the timber industry
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Cincinnati
- Team: Red Stockings (AA)
- League: American Association
Gustavus Heinrich Schmelz (1850-1925) managed minor and major league teams for 15 years, was popular with his players and had modest success at both levels. He was denied a pennant as second-place was the highest any team achieved under his direction. Gus led his hometown Columbus Buckeyes in the American Association in 1884 where he witnessed two of his staff hurl no-hitters within a week. Interspersed with minor league assignments, Gus managed Cincinnati’s Red Stockings for three seasons, returned to Columbus (then the Solons), and also had three NL teams: the St Louis Maroons, Cleveland Spiders and Washington Senators. Gus managed the Atlanta franchise of the newly formed Southern League in 1885 and witnessed the tragic death of one of his players. A violent collision at first base caused a ruptured liver for Lewis Henke. Schmelz had the sad duty of conducting the funeral for his strapping first-sacker who was the runner when injured on Aug 14. The Atlanta Constitution noted Henke was “…perhaps the most popular player in the Southern League.”
- Schmelz compiled a major league record of 624 wins against 703 losses (.470)
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Des Moines
- Team: Prohibitionists
- League: Western Association
Luke Schildknecht was a minor league catcher in the late 1880s in the midwest. Photographed by the Old Judge crew for their 1888 series, Luke appears in three known poses in a Des Moines uniform. The Baseball Encyclopedia lists Luke on the 1888 Des Moines Prohibitionists' roster, playing 26 games with a .237 BA. They indicate the same stat line for the ’88 Sioux City Corn Huskers, which had taken over the Des Moines club mid-season. Interestingly, only three players on that team lack personal data, with Schildknecht and battery mate Frank Wells being two of them. The tandem seem to have arrived and left the team at about the same time.
Dennis Pajot’s The Rise of Milwaukee Baseball documents that the Cream City team signed both Schildknecht and Wells prior to the 1889 season. However, Schildknecht is listed as the fourth-string catcher for the squad and does not appear in the historical record for the team at any time. Despite not making the team in Milwaukee, the Old Judge editors changed Luke's team designation from Des Moines to Milwaukee and continued to use the Milwaukee designation on Luke's cards throughout the rest of the Old Judge run.
- Yep, I was confused too. Took me a few years to realize that the uniform Luke is wearing in this image is a Des Moines uniform. Reversing the trend that the Old Judge guys started 128 years ago, I changed Schildknecht's team designation on this card in September, 2017, from Milwaukee to Des Moines. Balance is restored. Six cards were previously released with the Milwaukee team designation.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Alexander Bennett Sanders (1865-1930) pitched for the Quakers, Athletics and Colonels over a 5 year career. His odd delivery left him facing 2nd base and vulnerable to the bunt. Nevertheless, Sanders went 80-70 with a 3.24 ERA. Perhaps his fielding limitations led to his yielding 2 runs despite hurling a no-hitter against the Orioles on 8/22/92—the 1st no-no where the loser scored.
- Sanders joined the ill-fated Player’s League with Philadelphia in 1890
- As a rookie, nearly achieved a 2nd no-hitter, giving up a one-out single in the 9th
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