Nick Altrock

    Nick Altrock is one of my favorite players of all time. At first a good, but relatively ordinary, Big League pitcher, and then one of baseball's most famous entertainers, Altrock's antics have made him into a thing of legend. 

    Nicholas Altrock started his career in 1898, going 17-3 for Grand Rapids in the Interstate League. He earned a brief call up to the Majors later in the season with the Louisville Colonels, where he was a teammate of Honus Wagner. After a 28 win season in indy ball in 1902, he earned a contract with the Boston Americans, with whom he pitched a total of four games. Altrock found his footing the following year with the White Sox, posting a 2.15 ERA in 12 games. He won 19 games in 1904 and 23 in 1905. Altrock was a major contributor to the 1906 White Sox's historic World Series championship, winning 20 regular season games and allowing only two runs in the World Series (two complete games). Although 1906 was Altrock's last big season, the legend surrounding his name was just beginning. He became a coach for the Washington Senators in 1912, a job he would hold through the 1953 season, making him the longest tenured coach in MLB history. During that time he became the best known and loved coach of them all, famous for his comedy routines performed in the third base coach's box to distract the opponent. Whether it worked or not, it earned him the admiration of thousands of fans, first in the ballpark and later in vaudeville, where he was especially renowned for engaging in wrestling matches with Al Schacht, the "Clown Prince of Baseball". In 1918, a player shortage due to the war forced Altrock back into action, and he pitched five games for the Senators, going 1-2. At 41 years old, he was no longer an effective player, but he often made appearances for the fans. In 1924, he made his last career pitching appearance, pitching two innings and hitting a triple in his lone at bat. His pinch single on October 6, 1929 made him the first 50 year old player in American League history, and his last appearance on October 1, 1933 made him the oldest player in MLB history and the first of only two players to have played in the Majors in five different decades. 

    Although Altrock wasn't a big star for a long time, he was one of the most popular players in baseball. Everyone loved Altrock and always wanted to see him do something new. Despite his fame back in the day, Altrock's name has more or less faded into obscurity. No matter how long it's been since his last wrestling match, modern fans should know more about Nick Altrock, the most entertaining man in baseball.