• Card series: Beginnings: 1880's
• City: Washington, D.C.
• Team: Nationals
• League: National League

George Quintus Shoch (1859-1937) had a decade-long career in the majors, beginning in 1886 with the Washington Nationals and ending in 1897 with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. He compiled a respectable career average of .265. George was a valuable utility man, playing outfield, short and 2nd. He demonstrated good plate discipline, striking out only 129 times in 2,924 plate appearances. George’s best year was his first in Brooklyn, 1894, where he hit .317 and struck out a mere six times in 65 games. At the close of his big league tenure, Shoch showed his usual consistency, playing in 85 games for the Bridegrooms and hitting .278. Durability and consistency were hallmarks of Shoch’s career.

George began pro ball in 1885 with the Eastern League’s Wilmington Blue Hens, who also played in Atlantic City, and with the Hartford Babies of the Southern New England League. He remained in the game until age 46, closing out with Binghamton and Amsterdam of the New York State League. Shoch’s last games were with the tri-city team of Amsterdam/Gloversville/Johnstown where the Jags shared their talents for three seasons in three upstate NY towns.

• For one season, 1900, George was player-manager for the Philadelphia Athletics/Harrisburg Ponies of the Atlantic League
• Henry Chadwick wrote that Shoch was “the most versatile utility man the Brooklyn club has ever had”

• Shoch’s uniform color on this card was changed in July, 2017 from black to blue to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. One card had been previously released featuring a black uniform.