Oldest living MLB player shares stories of Yogi, Mantle, more with Yanks
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochSAN FRANCISCO -- When the Yankees optioned a struggling Mickey Mantle to the Minors in July 1951, representing a make-or-break moment in the future Hall of Famer’s career, Art Schallock was summoned to take the vacant roster spot.
Schallock has received another call to the big leagues. Now the oldest living Major Leaguer, the 100-year-old Schallock visited the Yankees' dugout before Sunday’s game against the Giants at Oracle Park.
“It’s a great thrill to be here,” Schallock said.
A left-handed pitcher from Mill Valley, Calif., Schallock was a Yankee from 1951-55, also suiting up for the Orioles in ’55. In 58 career games (14 starts), Schallock compiled a 6-7 record and 4.02 ERA. He earned three World Series rings (1951-53), pitching two innings of one-run ball in the ’53 Fall Classic against the Dodgers.
But far more important than his statistics, Schallock is rich with stories, some of which he shared with manager Aaron Boone and several players. His rookie season overlapped with Joe DiMaggio’s final year in pinstripes.
“He was a quiet guy, and he didn’t say too much,” Schallock said. “He’d say, ‘Good morning’ to you or something like that. But he was a hell of a ballplayer. He made everything look easy.”
And once Mantle returned from that brief Minor League stint in Kansas City, Schallock was awed by the switch-hitter’s raw power, especially as Mantle’s confidence swelled.
“He came back three months later and made a hell of a name for himself,” Schallock said. “He was a hell of a hitter. Strong kid. Big up in here [the chest]. … He was a very quiet kid when he got up there. [Billy] Martin and [Whitey] Ford got him in trouble.”
Schallock recalled rooming with Yogi Berra, who hit a two-run homer in Schallock’s big league debut on July 16, 1951, at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Schallock’s daily task was to retrieve Berra’s “funnies,” the comic books that the Hall of Fame catcher would devour before bed.
“He knew all the hitters, and he went over them with me,” Schallock said. “But I still had to run down to the lobby and get him his funny books.”
Schallock identified Ted Williams of the Red Sox as the toughest hitter he faced during his career. As Schallock proudly recounted, the "Splendid Splinter" never managed a hit off him (0-for-2). Asked how he got Williams out, Schallock replied: “Junk!”
“He knocked the first baseman down once, then knocked the second baseman down,” Schallock said. “But then they threw him out.”
Schallock now resides in an assisted living facility near the wine-making region of Sonoma, Calif. (When Boone asked Schallock if they have bottles of wine there, Schallock replied, “No. Beer!”)
Schallock keeps up with the modern-day Yankees, even asking Boone why the team doesn’t take onfield batting practice before day games. Schallock also has an idea of how he’d pitch to Aaron Judge.
“I wouldn’t throw him a fastball,” Schallock said. “I’d show it to him, waste it. Most of the kids who come up today are all fastball hitters. The best pitch, as far as I’m concerned, is a change of pace.”
Looking back now, Schallock said the best moment of his career was his first walk into Yankee Stadium.
“That was the greatest thrill for me,” Schallock said. “Coming up the chain and then to walk into Yankee Stadium, it was really something.”