Russ Van Atta

Rarely is the first game of a major-league career the pinnacle of that career. But when New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy handed Russ Van Atta the ball on April 25, 1933 against the Washington Nationals, it was. Van Atta masterfully blanked Washington, 16-0, retiring 14 of the last 16 batters as the Yankees unleashed an onslaught of 21 hits. Plus, at the plate, he was perfect: 4-for-4, scoring three runs, and driving in one as well as adding a sacrifice hit. In his first inning of work, he struck out three batters. Two of them were to become Hall of Famers. What a debut!1

The New Jersey native went on to end his rookie season with a 12-4 record, tied for the major-league lead in winning percentage with Lefty Grove at .750. The lefty’s statistics were solid even though he had multiple ailments during the season. However, Van Atta never lived up to his magnificent debut largely because of an injury sustained in a house fire in December 1933. This led to multiple injuries, control issues, reduced opportunities, inconsistent performance, and ultimately a trade from a championship caliber team to the cellar-dwelling St. Louis Browns. He pitched in the majors through mid-May 1939, mostly in relief.

***

Russell Van Atta (he had no middle name) was born in Augusta, New Jersey, on June 21, 1906. His father was Albert Van Atta (1875-1922), an iron and zinc miner; his mother was Melissa C. Decker (1886-1948). He was an only child. Vân Atta was a descendent of Dutch settlers in New Jersey. However, his father traveled out West for a time. In an interview that Russ gave to the Montana Standard while he and his wife were visiting Butte in the 1970s, he told the newspaper, “My father hitchhiked from New Jersey to Montana around the turn of the century and spent about two years north of Butte. We have some photographs taken of him when he was out here. We wanted to see what Montana was like.”2

The family moved to Franklin in rural Sussex County, New Jersey, when Russ was 14. Franklin was rich in minerals, particularly iron and zinc. Multiple companies sprang up in the area throughout the 19th century. Because of ambiguous deeds, overlapping claims, and misunderstanding over the nature of the ores at Franklin and Sterling Hill, mining companies in the district were in constant litigation during that time. In 1897, the surviving Franklin District companies were consolidated under the umbrella of the New Jersey Zinc Company. With all the litigation finally resolved, the population of Franklin swelled from just 500 in 1897 to over 3,000 in 1913.3

After Albert Van Atta died from typhoid fever when Russ was a junior in high school, the youth was forced to work in the zinc mines at the 700-foot level for 53 cents an hour.4 A column called “My Favorite Delivery” was a regular feature in the New York World Telegram. In an April 1934 edition of this column, Russ indicated that “a fast ball, overhand was his pitching pet. ‘As a kid around Franklin, New Jersey, I developed a strong arm pitching hay, throwing stones and doing the usual stunts of a farmer boy. I played the outfield with the Franklin A.A. and the manager, R.L. McCann, switched me to a pitcher. Naturally, all I had was a fast ball.’”5

Van Atta attended Hampton High School and was an excellent athlete. A friend of his knew Glen Killinger, the assistant football coach at Penn State from 1923 to 1926, and Russ was awarded a partial scholarship to play baseball there. He attended Penn State from 1925 to 1928 and lost only one game in his four years pitching for the Nittany Lions (that loss was against Holy Cross). The young hurler had the benefit of coaching from a former big-league manager. “At Penn State, I developed a side-arm delivery, with a sinker ball. Hugo Bezdek, our coach, thought it was my best delivery.”6 During his time at Penn State, Van Atta worked multiple odd jobs and continued to work in the zinc mines of Franklin when school was not in session. He graduated in 1928 with an A.B. degree.7

After posting a 6-1 record in his final season with the Nittany Lions, Van Atta and college batterymate Albert Lesko were invited to a tryout by the Yankees. Thereafter, club super scout Paul Krichell inked Russ to a New York contract with a $250 signing bonus.8 Van Atta began his professional career with the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League in 1928. As he later related, “I stayed with New York for a few weeks after signing and was feeling a bit cocky and wondered when I would get a chance to pitch. Miller Huggins, the Yankee manager, called me into his office and quickly brought me back to reality. He told me that that I didn’t even know how to pitch batting practice and was being sent to Hartford.”9

In 24 games, Van Atta crafted an 8-4 record with a tidy 2.37 ERA, best on the Senators staff. In an exhibition game against the Boston Braves in August, he went the full nine innings, shutting out the National Leaguers on four hits.10 It was the first indication that Van Atta could handle major-league hitters.

The 23-year-old moved on to St. Paul of the American Association in 1929. Over the next four seasons, he honed his craft. He struggled through 1929 and 1930 with records of 4-9 (4.93 ERA) and 3-5 (5.34 ERA), plagued by control problems. During the offseason he contemplated quitting but eventually decided to give it the old college try. It was the right decision.11 Russ began to blossom, and his next two seasons were decidedly better, winning 13 games in 1931 and 22 in 1932.

The difference-maker was veteran catcher Frank Snyder, who joined the Saints in 1931. Under his tutelage Russ became the top pitcher in the American Association.12 Also at St. Paul, manager Lefty Leifield, formerly a Pittsburgh Pirates pitching standout, “changed me to an overhand pitcher again, claiming that I’d be less susceptible to arm strain. It was at St. Paul that I enjoyed my best day with the fast ball. Slim Harriss shut out Kansas City without a hit on one day, and I pitched the next day and had them hitless and runless until the ninth, when, with two out, Kansas City’s Pat Collins singled. That was in 1932.”13

By 1933, it was time for Van Atta to come on the scene in Gotham City. He earned a spot in the rotation with an impressive performance during spring training. Van Atta had shown strong potential in the minor leagues and his skills impressed management. With Herb Pennock turning 39, there was a sense of urgency to add a southpaw to the rotation. The Yankees started the season with a 7-0 record but lost the first two games of the series at Washington. This set the stage for Van Atta’s superb debut.

His start was a little rocky, though – he had to get four outs to complete the first inning. Buddy Myer greeted him with a single, but then Heinie Manush popped up to Tony Lazzeri and Goose Goslin struck out. Van Atta fanned Joe Cronin as well but the third strike got away from catcher Bill Dickey and Cronin was safe at first. So Van Atta issued an intentional pass to Fred Schulte to load the bases.  But the southpaw struck out Joe Kuhel to end the inning. That was about as bad as things got for Van Atta. He allowed just four more hits and two more walks as he went the route. Only one National got beyond first base; that was Cronin on a two-out triple in the third.

You would think that the rookie’s debut would be the lead story of the day – but it wasn’t. A fight broke out in the fourth inning as Ben Chapman doubled and spiked Myer sliding into second base. Myer kicked Chapman in the head. Chapman then belted Earl Whitehill in the mouth.14 This brought to a head a conflict that had been brewing over multiple seasons. Chapman’s conduct may have been motivated by misplaced anti-Semitism.15 Whatever the case, all hell broke loose. Both dugouts emptied. Three hundred fans rushed the field. The police finally restored order and made five arrests. Chapman, Myer, and New York’s Dixie Walker were all ejected from the game.16 It was probably one of the worst riots in major-league history. When the players got back to the bench, they found two Yankees sitting there watching the fracas in an otherwise deserted dugout. They were Ruth and Gehrig.

Washington won the 1933 American League pennant. The Yankees had a solid season, going 91-59-2 and finishing second. They struggled with the Nationals though, winning only eight of 22 contests. Van Atta, however, defied this trend and excelled against Washington. He made seven starts against the Nationals and five of them resulted in victories for the Yankees. In Van Atta’s 26 starts that season, the Yankees won 17 times. His outings, however, were periodically interrupted by injury and illness. He suffered a rupture of the cephalic vein in his left arm on July 22, causing him to miss one start. On August 24, Van Atta went down again with a bronchial influenza attack, which sidelined him for 21 games, sandwiched around a start on September 8.

After the season, General Manager Ed Barrow sent Van Atta a contract for the same $3,500 he’d earned as a rookie in 1933. He sent the contract back, asking for $6,000 – and got it. That was pretty impressive for a Depression-era rookie, but it showed the degree of confidence the Yankees had in the young southpaw’s future. He had burst on the scene with a flurry and the club felt that it had a quality starter for years to come, the perfect replacement for veteran lefty Herb Pennock. The future Hall of Famer was given his unconditional release on January 5, 1934.

Van Atta’s performance was full of promise, but his life and career took an unforeseen twist after the season ended. On December 13, 1933, the Van Atta home – located on Lake Mohawk on the East Shore Trail, a short distance from Sparta, New Jersey – was destroyed by fire. Russ, his mother, his wife, and young child were in the house when the fire was discovered. They escaped with only such clothing as they were able to don quickly.17 Although the family had successfully escaped, Russ realized that the family dog was still inside. He went back to save the pet and cut his left hand badly breaking a window to get back in. The injury and resulting nerve damage adversely affected his pitching performance for the remainder of his playing days. His selfless heroism likely cost him a more successful major-league career but on the flip side, it highlighted his character and his commitment to his family. In an ironic twist, Van Atta did not realize that the dog was already out of the house when he broke in.

After his strong performance in 1933, much was expected from Van Atta in 1934. He showed up in Florida for spring training like nothing had happened. The only one who knew about his injury was his wife. Back in those days “real men” didn’t run to the doctor for every little torn muscle or tendon.18 Yet it soon became obvious that Van Atta was not the same pitcher. Rumors that he had a “dead finger” circulated throughout the league. He struggled through the 1934 season and ended with a 3-5 record and 6.34 ERA in just 88 innings pitched.

As the 1935 season approached, Van Atta tried to remain optimistic in spring training. “I’ll pitch better than I did in 1933,” Van Atta proclaimed. “I can throw naturally now and will be right in the fight for a regular job. I was pretty bad last year and deserved all the panning that I got. But I want to deny that ‘dead finger’ story that was printed so often in the last year. There was nothing wrong with my fingers. I could not get started because my control was gone. I am in fine shape now and hope that when the call comes, I will be able to satisfy Joe McCarthy that I can return to my 1933 form.”19

Despite that assurance, his optimism was not shared by management. It did not take long for the Yankees to realize that Van Atta would not return to form and decide that he did not fit into their plans. On May 15, 1935, the pitcher was sold to the AL’s perennial bottom-feeder, the St. Louis Browns, for the waiver price.

In a 1978 interview, Van Atta described the atmosphere on the Browns teams of the mid-1930s at the time of his arrival. He referred to manager Rogers Hornsby as the “greatest right hand hitter baseball ever had” – but noted that as a leader, Hornsby “had absolutely no control over his ballplayers.” In the interview, Van Atta referred to the Will Rogers quote “I never met a man I didn’t like.” He then observed, “Well, I did.” This was definitely a reference to Hornsby.20 Midway through the 1937 season, Hornsby was replaced by Sunny Jim Bottomley. A parade of managers followed during Van Atta’s remaining time in St. Louis. The club’s business operation was also second-rate. “When the Yankees traveled (by train), they had two sleeping cars and only used the bottom berths,” Van Atta recalled. “The Browns had one sleeping car, and the players had to use both the upper and lower berths.”21

Van Atta pitched four-plus years with the Browns in a swingman role, appearing in 148 games and starting 45. He twice led the league in games pitched with 58 in 1935 and 52 in 1936. On June 10,1937, Van Atta tore a ligament in his pitching arm while trying to complete a game against the Nationals. He didn’t win again for the rest of the season. During the winter, he underwent an elbow operation.22

In his first start of 1938, Van Atta was pitted against Cleveland’s phenom Bob Feller, then still just 19. For four scoreless innings, he “matched Feller pitch for pitch,” the St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported, but during a shaky fifth inning [in which] he yielded two singles and a home run, and was finally knocked out of the game when struck on the left forearm by a Lyn Lary line drive.23

His final major league game, fittingly, was against the New York Yankees at Sportsman’s Park on May 11, 1939. Ewald Pyle started the game but was unable to get a single batter out before being replaced by Van Atta, who pitched the next four innings and didn’t fare much better. He gave up seven runs, all of them earned. His exit from the majors was sealed with that performance. As spectacular as his debut was, his last outing was conversely depressing.

On May 14, 1939, Van Atta was purchased by the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League but he sat out most of the season. During spring training with the Browns in 1940, he called it quits at age 33. “I can’t throw right, so there’s no use wasting my time and the club’s money,” he told the Star Times.24

Russ Van Atta’s pitching career was average at best. What started with a lot of promise when he broke in just short of his 27th birthday, ended early at age 32. He started 76 games, completing 17 of them. His final record was 33-41 with a 5.60 ERA. His career WAR was only 2.5 and his ERA+ was subpar at 83. Yet statistics many times don’t measure the man. His debut will always stand out as one of the greatest entries into the majors.

While Van Atta’s time with the Yankees was relatively brief, one positive that came out of it was that he forged a lifelong relationship with Babe Ruth. It is a disservice to tell the story of Russ Van Atta without mentioning Ruth. Three things that the Bambino loved – hunting, fishing, and drinking – were abundant in his teammate’s backyard, Sussex County in rural northwest New Jersey. Many residents of New Jersey felt that the Babe must have had a drink in every one of the state’s 21 counties. However, few of these taverns still stand and resonate Ruth’s aura. One of them is Gyp’s Tavern on Route 206 in Branchville. Ruth became friends with owner George “Gyp” Roselli, and the two spent a lot of time together in the tavern, hunting in the woods and fishing in the Big Flat Brook nearby. No doubt, the introduction of Gyp and Babe was facilitated by Van Atta. Gyp’s son, George, Jr. spoke about his dad’s connection with Ruth. “Babe never paid for a drink, but he did a lot for my dad as well. When Babe came up, my dad would get him to tend bar. People would walk up to the bar, and there was Babe Ruth, asking them what they wanted to drink. That was a novelty.”25

Another place of refuge for both Van Atta and Ruth was the Wallkill Golf Club, located in the pitcher’s hometown of Franklin. Photographs of the great Bambino with his bulky frame, surrounded by half a dozen caddies at the club’s sixth hole, are affixed to the pro shop’s walls.26 There’s also a great photo of the Babe with kids in a line alongside him at the Wallkill golf course, taken on August 27, 1947 (less than a year before he died). There is a rock that has been christened as the Babe’s on the sixth tee. It has been reported that he liked to fish the Wallkill River at that spot.27

During a time when many former baseball players faced monetary hardships after their careers, Van Atta thrived financially. He decided to run for Sheriff of Sussex County in 1941 – and smartly enlisted the aid of Babe Ruth in his campaign. As he recalled in 1972, “When I ran for sheriff . . . the Babe came over and campaigned for me by drinking with the folks and saying ‘If you don’t vote for Van, I won’t come back.’”28 On November 5, 1941, Van Atta, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Charles L. Van Ness.29

The nickname “Sheriff” stuck to him for the remainder of his life. During his playing days, he was simply known as Van. The next step in his political journey was to run for the Board of Chosen Freeholders in Sussex County. He would serve two successful terms as a Freeholder. He was known for his straightforward approach to politics and his dedication to his community.

One of his granddaughters, Heather Fernandes, spoke bluntly about Van Atta’s relationship with the political landscape. “Politics wasn’t for him. He said he didn’t like having to talk out of both sides of his mouth.”30

With politics in the rearview mirror, Van Atta was able to concentrate on his business interests. He partnered with his good friend Paul Henry to open the V&H Oil Company in Hampton in 1947. After they sold that business to the Gulf Oil Company, Van Atta became a Gulf representative, eventually owning seven Gulf stations.31 He would remain involved in both that business and as a savvy real estate investor until his retirement as a wealthy man in 1971. Once he retired, Van Atta moved from Franklin to Lafayette, where his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren assisted him in the chores that were associated with farm life.

Van Atta’s love for baseball and his concern for the youth of the area was evident when he, along with good friend Jack Dobbin, helped inaugurate the Little League program in Franklin and Ogdensburg in 1950.32 He was also a member of the Frankford Plains Cemetery Association, the Newton Elks, the Sussex County Fuel Oil Association, and the Franklin Kiwanis Club. He was inducted into the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, the inaugural class.

“Sheriff” Van Atta also spent much of his time in retirement traveling around the country visiting his old teammates, reliving his once promising career, and reveling in all the friendships he had made. Wanderlust may have been in his blood, considering the previously mentioned trip his dad took to Montana at the turn of the century. He had a season box at Yankee Stadium but rarely used it, preferring to fish.33

Alzheimer’s disease ultimately took the life of the beloved old southpaw and sheriff, Russ Van Atta. He passed away at the age of 80 on October 6, 1986, at the Andover Nursing Home. The family hesitated on putting Van Atta in a home, however, his daughter Geraldine was part of the staff there so it eased the transition.  He was survived by his wife Helen Elizabeth (Depue), who lived until 1998. They had been married since July 4,1932. Survivors also included:

• Three daughters – Mrs. Betty Jane Groff (1932-2023), Mrs. Geraldine Parks (1934-2008), and Mrs. Alwilda Vanderpile (1935-2016);
• A son – Russell Jr. (1940-2012);
• 16 grandchildren; and
• Eight great grandchildren.

Services were held on October 13 at the Frankford Plains United Methodist Church. He was interred at the Frankford Plains Cemetery in Augusta.34

Granddaughter Heather Fernandes summed up Russ Van Atta, the man. “We knew he played baseball, but that’s not what he was about to us. He was funny. That’s what I remember most. He was a good man, a good family man. We were little kids, but you could still see that about him.”35

Van Atta’s memory and impact on Sussex County were honored by the Sussex County Miners of the independent Can-Am League in a game versus the Quebec Capitales on June 21, 2015. It was the 109th anniversary of Van Atta’s birthday – and, appropriately, Father’s Day. The Miners lost that game, 6-5, in a seesaw battle. Their record after that was 9-16 – by curious coincidence, Van Atta’s record in 1935, when he was picked up by the Browns.36 The Sussex County Hall of Famer’s plaque hangs at the Miners’ home park, Skylands Stadium in Augusta. The stadium is less than two miles from Russ Van Atta’s final resting place.

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Bill Lamb and fact-checked by Dan Schoenholz.

Photo credit: Russ Van Atta, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the Notes, the author used Baseball-Reference.com, the Russ Van Atta file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and correspondence from Van Atta’s granddaughter Heather Fernandes.

Notes

1 Dan Daniel, “Daniel’s Dope,” New York World Telegram, April 26,1933.

2 “Doggone It: Pitcher Russ Van Atta was pet’s best friend,” April 21, 2023 (https://retrosimba.com/2023/04/21/doggone-it-pitcher-russ-van-atta-was-pets-best-friend/), accessed February 4, 2025.

3 William R. Truran, Images of America: Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2004).

4 Bob Broeg, “Van Atta Repays Prankster Bauman,” The Sporting News, April 15, 1972: 16.

5 Russ Van Atta, “My Favorite Delivery,” New York World Telegram, April 4, 1934.

6 Van Atta, “My Favorite Delivery.”

7 The Artium Baccalaureus curriculum emphasized studies in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and was the equivalent of today’s Bachelor of Arts degree.

8 During his 37-year tenure as a Yankees scout, Krichell signed Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, and Whitey Ford. He also wooed – but did not land – Hank Greenberg.

9 Randolph Linthurst, “A Most Spectacular Debut,” 1975 SABR Baseball Journal. https:sabr.org/journal/article/a-most-spectacular-debut/ Accessed March 23, 2025

10 Gary Joseph Cieradkowski, “98. Russ Van Atta: The Babe, Oil and One Dead Finger,” December 13, 2011 (http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2011/12/98-russ-van-atta-babe-oil-and-one-dead.html). Accessed February 4, 2025.

11 Cieradkowski, “98. Russ Van Atta: The Babe, Oil and One Dead Finger.”

12 Russ Van Atta Biography, NJ Sports Heroes, 2021 No Date https://njsportsheroes.com/russvanattabb.html Accessed March 23,2025(https://www.njsportsheroes.com/russvanattabb.html). Accessed February 4. 2025.

13 Van Atta, “My Favorite Delivery.”

14 Cieradkowski, “98. Russ Van Atta: The Babe, Oil and One Dead Finger.”

15 Often misperceived as Jewish, Buddy Myer was a church-going Baptist.

16 John Drebinger, “Fists Fly as Yanks Rout Senators,” New York Times, April 26, 1933: 18.

17 “Fire Razes Van Atta’s Home,” New York Times, December 14, 1933: 28.

18 Chris Barbati, “Barbati Column: Van Atta was a real local hero,” New Jersey Herald, June 21, 2015. https://njherald.com/story/sports/2015/06/21/barbati-column-vanatta-was-real/4046299007/# Accessed March 23, 2025.

19 Dan Daniel, “Daniel’s Dope,” New York World Telegram, March 10, 1935.

20 “Remembering Russ Van Atta” SABR Interview, July.

21 “Doggone It …”

22 “Doggone It …”

23 “Doggone It …”

24 “Doggone It …”

25 “Chasing the Ghost of Babe Ruth,” MLB Blogs Published in Homestead Blog by Yankees Magazine, June 1, 2014 (https://yankees.mlblogs.com/chasing-the-ghost-of-babe-ruth-23a604ce27b3). Accessed February 4. 2025.

26 Andrew Tredinnick, “Golf: Walkill Golf Club Embraces Its Rich History,” New Jersey Herald, July 14, 2015. https://www.njherald.com/story’sports/2015/07/15/golf-walkill-golf-club-embraces/4047498007/# Accessed March 23,2025

27 Bill Truran, Earl Hornyak, and Jeff Osowski, “Babe Ruth and the NJ Zinc Company,” Sterling Hill Journal, Volume 30, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2021.

28 Broeg, “Van Atta Repays …”

29 “Van Atta a Sheriff with Kimberling,” New York World Telegram, November 5, 1941.

30 Barbati, “Van Atta was a real local hero.”

31 “Doggone It …”

32 Jack Dobbin, Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame plaque.

33 Broeg, “Van Atta Repays …”

34 Obituary Section, Newark Star Ledger, October 11, 1986.

35 Barbati, “Van Atta was a real local hero.”

36 “Miners Edged by Quebec 6-5,” Our Sports Central, June 21,2015. (https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/miners-edged-by-quebec-6-5/n-4994077?expand_article=1), accessed February 4. 2025.