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Germany Schaefer Photo Gallery
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From the Lighter Side
Who Says You Can’t Steal First Base??
“They say it can’t be done, but I saw him do it. In fact, I was standing right on third base, with my eyes popping out when he did it.” –Detroit outfielder Davy Jones, speaking of Germany Schaefer’s “steal” of first base.
Today we celebrate the memory of a real baseball original, Herman A. “Germany” Schaefer, who passed away 102 years ago this week, May 16, 1919, at the age of 43. Schaefer was a pioneer of baseball clowning and was one of baseball’s all-time great tricksters. Later baseball clowns, Nick Altrock and Al Schacht, were said to pattern their routines after Germany Schaefer. The stories of his on-field hijinx are the stuff of legend. They include: eating popcorn in the coach’s box, tight-rope walking the foul line, racing a horse around the bases, and using two bats to “row across the grass.”
During rainstorms, Schaefer, a Chicago native, was known to use tactics with umbrellas, goulashes, and raincoats to get games canceled. He once came to bat wearing a fake mustache. He was also a master of the “hidden ball trick,” which he pulled off successfully in the 1907 World Series. Schaeffer would do about anything to get a laugh, and his teammates and the fans loved him for it.
Germany Schaefer is also remembered for his “unique” steals of first base. Yes…you read that right. Those of you who have read Lawrence Ritter’s classic, “The Glory of Their Times” will be familiar with this story, as related by Tiger outfielder Davy Jones. Some historians doubt its validity, but Jones seems certain and retells
it with perfect recall. Parts of the story may be embellished, but it’s hard to believe it’s a comlete fabrication. Here’s Jones’ recollection of what transpired one day back in 1908:
“We were playing Cleveland with the score tied in a late inning. I was on third, Schaefer on first, and Sam Crawford at bat. Schaefer flashed me the sign for the double steal, hoping to draw the throw to second allowing me to score. Well, the pitcher wound up and threw, and sure enough, Schaefer stole second. But I had to stay right where I was because the Cleveland catcher just held the ball.”
“So now we had men on second and third. Well, on the next pitch Schaefer yelled, ‘Let’s try it again!’ And with a blood-curdling shout, he took off like a wild Indian… back to first base! He figured the catcher might throw to first since he evidently wouldn’t throw to second – and then I could come home. But nothing happened. Everybody just stood there and watched Schaefer, with their mouths open, not knowing what the devil was going on. Me too. Even if the catcher had thrown to first, I was too stunned to move. But the catcher didn’t throw. He just stared! In fact, George Stovall, the Cleveland first baseman, was playing way back and didn’t even come in to cover the bag. He just watched this madman running the wrong way on the base path and didn’t know what to do.”
“The umpires were just as confused as everybody else. However, it turned out that at that time, there wasn’t any rule against a guy going from second back to first, so they had to let it stand.”
And this wasn’t Schaefer’s only “steal’ of first base. on August 4, 1911, Schaefer tried the same stunt again, this time while he was with the Washington Senators.
Although it was not passed until 1920 after Schaefer’s death, rule 7.08i states that a player is out if, “After he has acquired legal possession of a base, he runs the bases in reverse order for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game. The umpire shall immediately call ‘Time’ and declare the runner out.” There’s no doubt Schaefer’s basepath antics inspired this ruling.
Though a clown on-and-off the field, the speedy Schaefer was a fine ballplayer. He played 15 seasons in the majors with the Cubs, Tigers, Senators, Yankees, and Indians. When not clowning around, Germany was a reliable infielder with decent range known for his sound baseball mind. In 1,150 career games, he batted .257 with nine home runs and 201 stolen bases. He played in two World Series (1907, 1908) with the Tigers, both against the Cubs. His finest season was 1911, when he hit .334 in 125 games. During his last years in the game, he spent a lot of time in the coach’s box, as he was an accomplished sign-stealer and heckler. One of his favorite targets for abuse was the volatile Rube Waddell.
Schaefer was one of the few players who became friends with the irascible Ty Cobb. He also gave Walter Johnson his nickname “Barney” at a traffic stop. In typical Schaefer fashion, he told the cop that Johnson was “Barney Oldfield,” at the time a well-known racecar driver. The ruse worked as Johnson got out of the speeding ticket – and the name stuck.
In 1913, he was asked to join John McGraw and Charles Comiskey’s World Tour, invited to add comic relief for the long trip more so than for his baseball ability. He was remembered for entertaining both the foreign crowds and his teammates with his on-field antics. Later, he also performed in Vaudeville with teammate Charlie O’Leary.
In 1919, a little over a year after Schaefer retired from the game, he died suddenly in Saranac Lake, New York following complications from tuberculosis.
And so we fondly remember Germany Schaefer, one of the great personalities of the game.
Gary Livacari
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Information: Excerpts edited from The Glory of Their Times
