Historic Tiger Baseball #3--Germany Schaefer

[IdahoBert]

Today's Featured Tiger Player


--Germany Schaefer--
(1905-1909)
(click on name for statistics)
[b]
In a game in 1907 Tiger infielder Germany Schaffer stunned the baseball world when he stole second base and then on the next pitch stole first base. That's right he went backwards. It was a close game with Germany on first and Davy Jones on third. The manager called for a double steal. The steal was on with the next pitch but the catcher, bluffing a throw to third and holding the runner, then threw to second base. Schaefer beat the throw. Amazingly, on the next pitch, Germany made a mad dash from second and slid safely back into first base. The umpire was dumbfounded as was everyone else. But after some intense deliberation with the opposing players, the umpire let the play stand. Then, on the next pitch, Schaefer sped to second as the catcher's throw sailed wildly over second base allowing the runner from third to score. At the next baseball rules committee meeting and a new rule was created stating that once a runner touched second base he could not return to first.

Another time, Germany came up as a pinch-hitter and announced that they were about to see the greatest batter alive. On the first pitch, Germany hit a homerun out of the ballpark and Germany started around the base paths sliding into first base announcing to the crowd, "Schaefer leads by a head at the quarter". He picked himself up and then slid into each of the remaining bases announcing his progress after each slide. His final slide into home plate was punctuated with Germany leaping to his feet, doffing his cap and then announcing, "This, ladies and gentlemen concludes the afternoon's performance."

During one game which was being played through a torrential storm, Schaeffer stepped up to the plate wearing a raincoat and tall boots with an umbrella in one hand and a bat in the other.
The umpire called the game. (From billy-ball.com)

"Germany" or "Dutch" or "Schaef " as he was known to his friends, was a ruddy faced, good-natured gent with a heart of gold. A free spirit in a time of free spirits, he befriended a young Ty Cobb and became one of his closest friends on the team. Schaefer was a low average hitter, but a jack of all trades in the infield. Sort of an early day super-sub.
His fielding versatility kept him in the majors for 13 seasons.

A hard partying, two fisted drinker, his dream was to one day own a saloon where all his former teammates would come to hang out. His Detroit Manager, Hugh Jennings once said of him; "Schaef can always be counted on to pick up the spirits of the boys"...."nothing rattles that bird."


After he joined Washington he began to spend more time on the coaching lines, where he teamed up with fellow clown Nick Altrock. An earlier vaudeville act with Tiger teammate Charley O'Leary was the inspiration for the MGM musical "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

In 1919 Schaefer became a scout for his friend John McGraw. On Friday, May 16th, 1919, he caught a New York Central train bound for Lake Placid, NY. While on board, as the train approached Saranac Lake, he suffered a hemorrhage. He was rushed to a hospital in Saranac, but died within the hour.
He was only 42 years old.
From thedeadballera.com




http://www.thedeadballera.com/Photos...many_photo.jpg

http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/schaege01.shtml

http://www.deadball.com/schaefer.htm

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...er_Germany.stm

http://www.rainfall.com/posters/imag...rds/0648fu.jpg

http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/...many.Obit.html

http://www.baseball1.com/carney/index.php?storyid=214
Scroll down to paragraph 18 or so to get to the part about Schaffer.

http://www.billy-ball.com/news/10_28_2005.asp
scroll down to the 12th paragraph or so.

[BigMM]

HAHA.

Great Story!!! Keep it up Bert.

[Yoda]

Apparently in 1909 penis pumps were much more elaborate.

[IdahoBert]

Originally Posted by BigMM

HAHA.

Great Story!!! Keep it up Bert.

I've got a million of them...Well, more like 150, but it will be fun.

[Casimir]

If I may add to IBert's sterling work, I believe Schaefer was the player involved in this little legend (and I apologize as some of this will sound as vague as DD):

Schaefer (or said other player) was at bat when he was called out on strikes by the home plate umpire. A bit of a debate ensued between the hitter and the ump, and the ump eventually tossed Schaefer out of the game.

Later on that night, the ump was spotted by the player having a grand time soaking up the suds along with his dinner at a nearby restaurant. Eventually, the drunken ump stammered out of the restaurant, but made it only as far as the porch of the restaurant, passing out on a bench which happend to be placed next to a gutter with the drain opening underneath the bench.

Schaefer decided to have a little fun with the ump. So, he climbed to the roof of the restaurant, and found the other end of the gutter. He took a rock, slammed it as hard as he could against the gutter, and yelled: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!"

The ump was awakened to great fear at the loud sounds and message. He wobbled around looking to see where the noise had come from, but didn't see anyone around, and didn't realize the plumbing next to the bench. He finally went back to sleep, and, again, Schaefer slammed the rock in to the gutter and yelled down to his unsuspecting victim: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!" This time the ump got up and and ran off into the distance, scared and bewildered of the message delivered.

Next day's game comes, and Schaefer steps to the plate, his hungover and tired victim working behind the plate again. The first pitch to Schaefer is called a strike, much to his dismay. Schaefer could contain his secret no longer. He took a step out of the batter's box, then back in, and while looking out at the pitcher on the mound, he muttered: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!" I believe this transgression led to the umpire chasing Schaefer around the field and out of the game.

[MAROTH4MVP]

this rocked

[IdahoBert]

Here's a picture I forgot to post. It's from 1907 at South Side Park while playing the White Sox.

[IdahoBert]

Thanks! This is cool. Please, always add to the story. I hadn't run across this yarn. Even if it isn't true it's entirely in character for Schaefer.

Originally Posted by Casimir

If I may add to IBert's sterling work, I believe Schaefer was the player involved in this little legend (and I apologize as some of this will sound as vague as DD):

Schaefer (or said other player) was at bat when he was called out on strikes by the home plate umpire. A bit of a debate ensued between the hitter and the ump, and the ump eventually tossed Schaefer out of the game.

Later on that night, the ump was spotted by the player having a grand time soaking up the suds along with his dinner at a nearby restaurant. Eventually, the drunken ump stammered out of the restaurant, but made it only as far as the porch of the restaurant, passing out on a bench which happend to be placed next to a gutter with the drain opening underneath the bench.

Schaefer decided to have a little fun with the ump. So, he climbed to the roof of the restaurant, and found the other end of the gutter. He took a rock, slammed it as hard as he could against the gutter, and yelled: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!"

The ump was awakened to great fear at the loud sounds and message. He wobbled around looking to see where the noise had come from, but didn't see anyone around, and didn't realize the plumbing next to the bench. He finally went back to sleep, and, again, Schaefer slammed the rock in to the gutter and yelled down to his unsuspecting victim: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!" This time the ump got up and and ran off into the distance, scared and bewildered of the message delivered.

Next day's game comes, and Schaefer steps to the plate, his hungover and tired victim working behind the plate again. The first pitch to Schaefer is called a strike, much to his dismay. Schaefer could contain his secret no longer. He took a step out of the batter's box, then back in, and while looking out at the pitcher on the mound, he muttered: "(Umpire's name), your time has come!" I believe this transgression led to the umpire chasing Schaefer around the field and out of the game.

[Brent]

Schaefer seems like a real character. Sounds like he could give Spaceman Lee a run for his money.

[IdahoBert]

[Yoda]

Man... these old pics are great.

[IdahoBert]

[IdahoBert]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Man... these old pics are great.

Enjoy.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/

Type "detroit tigers" into the search and there are 320 pictures. Type "baseball" and there are 5000.

Don't bother to bookmark the search results page because it's only temporary.

I'm playing around with them before I post them but they are a hoot anyway you look at them.

[NATE]

The SABR Bio Project has several new bios including this one of Germany Schaefer.

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?...1734&pid=12553

[TigersFan81371]

When I read about some of the things this guy did, embellished or not, I think about how crazy it must have been to watch him back then. There's still never quite been a showman the likes of him in the game. I think he was one of the first players to truly understand the value of the ballplayer as an entertainer.

[DTroppens]

He's one of my favorite Tiger characters of all time. It seems like some of the stories are embellished, but they seem to have held over the test of time and they seem to "hold more credibility" by the way the stories are told if that makes sense. I could be way off with that comment, but it seems like his stories are probably a bit more credible.

[Buddahfan]

Great stuff.

Appreciated 4sure, especially the links

[DaYooperASBDT]

I had an extra vote in our early HOF elections, and proudly voted for Germany. He was a mediocre player but really connected with and entertained the fans, thus doing much to attract attention to an infant Detroit franchise.

It was really a symbolic vote, but I felt he deserved at least one vote cast in his favor. I probably should have spelled his name backwards or something, to make the ballot more appropriate ....