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Clown Prince of Baseball #2 |
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Born November 11, 1892- Died July 14,1984. Son of Russian immigrants, Al was well-known in his time as the “Clown Prince of Baseball.” He was born in the Bronx on the future site of Yankee Stadium, which is quite appropriate for a person that would center his entire life around baseball. Christie Mathewson taught Schacht how to throw a screw ball at the Polo Grounds. He played with Walter Johnson and against Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Babe Ruth. He pitched for the Washington Nationals (1919-‘21) until a sore arm turned him to coaching and clowning. Al coached until 1936 before going into full-time clowning. He hired an agent in 1937 to “avoid the constant haggling” that “wore me down.”
At first he teamed with sports comedian Nick Altrock where Al filled-in the spot of Nick’s former partner, the late Germany Schaefer. Their first performance was at the 1922 World Series where they performed at pre-game for the “bleacher bums.” Skits included a burlesque prize fight, a pantomime tight wire walk, played drunken sailors playing infield, slow motion ball playing and a “community sing.”
Al and Nick never liked each other but continued to clown as a duo. The pair barnstormed in the off-season with a basketball team called “The Holly Majors.” Schacht developed his own act that featured him wearing a battered top hat and tails over his baseball uniform. Schacht used a huge, oversized catcher’s glove in his act. During his career he performed at every World Series from 1921 to 1952, except for WWII years when he performed for the USO.
In 1938 Schacht performed in 121 cities in 125 days, once doing 89 consecutive dates. More amazing was the fact that he drove to every game on roads of the 1930’s!
Schacht also performed in vaudeville where he once performed with Will Rogers for Charles Lindberg. He became a successful restaurateur with his own place near 52nd and Lexington in NYC.
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