Dave Altizer

Although military service delayed his entry into professional baseball until he was 25 years old, speedy shortstop Dave Altizer rose rapidly through the minors and ended up playing parts of six seasons in the major leagues. Nicknamed “Daredevil” for his sometimes erratic and reckless play, he still showed such promise that one of his managers, Napoleon Lajoie, called him “a second Hans Wagner.”1

After an impressive rookie season in 1906, Altizer was never again given a fair chance to win a starting job. He played every defensive position other than pitcher and catcher during his brief big-league career, picking up the reputation as a jack of all trades and master of none. One writer said, “One season of constant play at shortstop may have developed Altizer into a star player at that position.”2 New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy once said, “The greatest player I saw in the minors was Dave Altizer, shortstop with Minneapolis.”3

After his major-league career ended, Altizer found a home in the American Association (AA), where he remained a productive player well into his forties. A noted umpire baiter, Altizer remained feisty into old age. When interviewed during World War II at age 65, he claimed that he “could still do a fair to middling job of playing baseball and his share of fighting for Uncle Sam, if granted a chance.” He added, “It made me damned mad when they recently told me at a recruiting office, I am too old to fight. I wish they’d give me a rifle and turn me loose against the Nazis and Japs.”4

David Tilden Altizer was born on November 6, 1876, near Pearl, in Pike County, a small Mississippi River village on the eastern border of Illinois. His parents were William, a farm laborer, and Elizabeth (née Ottwell). He grew up with three older brothers, William, Otis, and Austin; a younger sister, Mollie; and a younger brother, Oren. Oren was killed in action in France during World War I.

Little is known of Altizer’s early years until 1899, when he enlisted in the U. S. Army and was assigned to the Fourteenth Infantry Regiment. His unit was sent to China, where Altizer saw action during the Boxer Rebellion and participated in a campaign that led to the siege of Peking. He was then transferred to Battery H of the Sixth Artillery and sent to Manila in the Philippines. There Altizer began playing on Army baseball teams, first as a pitcher and later at shortstop. Some sources called Altizer “the best baseball player in the United States Army.”5 He was discharged in March 1902.

Once stateside. Altizer was assigned to Fort Porter. near Buffalo, New York. While playing there he was noticed by George Stallings, then manager of the Class A Eastern League’s Buffalo Bisons, and later manager of the New York Highlanders and Boston Braves. The details of his acquisition weren’t reported, only that during spring practice Altizer “simply reported from Fort Porter.”6 Thus he began his professional career at the relatively advanced age of 25. Baseball-reference records that he played in one game for Buffalo, but independent research by the author revealed that he went 1-for-10 in three games before being sent to Meriden of the Class D Connecticut State League in May.

Altizer signed with Toledo, Ohio, for 1903 but found the Class A American Association too difficult, batting just .152 in 22 games. In early May he was returned to Meriden, which still held his rights. He played second base for the Silverites for the rest of 1903 and again in the early part of 1904. During a May 31 Meriden-New Haven game that season, Altizer got into a physical altercation with umpire Charles Kennedy. Accounts differ. but Kennedy said Altizer called him a “fat head.” The ump fined him $5, after which Kennedy said that Altizer threatened to “get him.”7 According to Altizer’s version, Kennedy said he would “knock his head off” and walked toward him in a threatening manner.

Both men were arrested and charged with assault and breach of the peace and were later fined $10 each.8  League President James O’Rourke then suspended Altizer for two weeks. When the suspension was lifted, Altizer noticed that his salary for the time missed, and the earlier court fine, were deducted from his June 15 paycheck. He did not report to the team when his suspension was lifted, so Meriden manager Sam Kennedy suspended him again. A short time later, Meriden traded Altizer to the Springfield (Massachusetts) Ponies, also of the Connecticut State League.9

Altizer returned to Springfield in 1905 but was slowed by an abdominal injury that required surgery in June. In August, before a road trip to Bridgeport, he turned up missing and there were rumors that he jumped the club. “His latest trouble is said to have been caused by private affairs.”10 He was finally located at Sand Springs, a nearby resort, where he was receiving treatment for a sore foot. Altizer eventually returned to the team and batted .351 in 91 games. As a result of his strong season, in September Altizer was drafted by Pittsburgh11 but [they] later released [him] back to Springfield.

Although he was reserved by Springfield, in January 1906 Altizer was offered twice the salary  the Ponies extended and signed with the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Red Roses of the independent Tri-State League. He started off hot, batting .362 in 27 games. When George “Rabbit” Nill, the regular shortstop of the American League’s Washington Nationals, sustained a broken finger in late May, the Nationals went looking for a replacement. Washington manager Jake Stahl reached out to Altizer and by offering $650 per month, convinced him to jump Lancaster and come to Washington.12

But first the matter of his eligibility needed to be settled. Secretary John Bruce of the National Commission determined that Altizer was on the ineligible list and Secretary John H. Farrell of the National Minor League Association, not recognizing any claim by the “outlaw” Lancaster club, encouraged Washington President Tom Noyes to negotiate with Springfield manager Dan O’Neil for Altizer’s release. After Altizer returned the $25 advanced by Springfield, O’Neil and Noyes agreed to a $1,500 sale price for Altizer’s release.13

Everything seemed to be set for Altizer to join the Nationals, but other complications cropped up. It was revealed that Tom Brown, former Washington outfielder and by then one of the Tri-State League’s umpires, was the one who tipped off the Nationals about Altizer. This raised questions about Brown’s partiality if he was also working as an agent for Washington while continuing to umpire. Secondly, Pittsburgh, which had drafted Altizer a year earlier, also put in a claim on his services. When it was revealed that Springfield returned the $250 draft money, Pittsburgh’s claim was disallowed.14 Finally, Lancaster tried to induce their star shortstop to return with an offer of $3,000 per month,15 causing Washington to counter with a $800 advance and three-year contract at $3,400 annually.16

Altizer made his major-league debut on May 29 against the Highlanders at Hilltop Park in New York, recording a single and stealing a base in a 5-2 Washington loss. He had five hits in eight at-bats in a doubleheader the next day and followed that up with two more hits the next day. Altizer had eight hits in 17 at-bats in a four-game series against the Boston Americans and after his first seven big-league games his batting average stood at .483. He held the regular shortstop job for the rest of the season (Nill was relegated to a utility role after his return from injury and was traded to Cleveland the following season).

Altizer had one more legal obstacle to overcome during his rookie season. When Nap Lajoie jumped from the Phillies to the Athletics in the upstart American League in 1901, Phillies owner John Rogers obtained an injunction from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court preventing Lajoie from playing in the state of Pennsylvania for any team other than the Phillies (Lajoie was later traded to Cleveland to circumvent the ruling).17 The Lancaster club used a similar tactic to recover the $175 advanced to Altizer when he jumped the club. Lancaster waited until he returned to Pennsylvania for a late-season game against the Athletics and swore out a complaint charging Altizer with obtaining money by false pretense. Altizer was arrested at the team’s hotel,18 but when Washington officials sent a check for $175 to Lancaster, the proceedings were dismissed.19

His batting average dropped off after his hot start, but Altizer still had an excellent rookie season, batting .256 in 115 games with 37 stolen bases – tied for third in league. Altizer had speed, good range, and a strong throwing arm but fielded erratically, committing 43 errors, fourth most among American League shortstops. One report explained, “he seems unable to steady down. He will follow a marvelous play with the rankest kind of error and his boots usually come with men on the bases and when they do the most damage.”20

 Joe Cantillon took over for Stahl as Washington manager in 1907 and he and Altizer never got along. That season Cantillon moved Altizer around. In addition to 80 games at shortstop, he played him in 50 games at first base, and in an attempt to take advantage of his speed, 17 more in center field. Altizer still had defensive lapses but batted .269 overall in 147 games with 38 stolen bases, fifth best in the league. Late in the season, Cantillon, who wanted to rid the team of Stahl holdovers, made it known that he was willing to listen to trade offers for Altizer.21

Altizer’s father died when he was young and at some point, his mother and siblings moved to Ontario, California. Dave made his off-season home there after he began playing professionally and played winters for amateur teams in and around Sonoma. While traveling by train to California after the 1907 season he was robbed of a wallet containing nearly $1,500 in cash.22 Later it was revealed that Altizer made the acquaintance of a young lady while on the train and it was suspected that she lifted his wallet. When the word got around, Altizer was kidded about the incident. Once during a game umpire Tim Hurst called Altizer out. When he yelled, “He didn’t touch me,” Hurst responded, “No, I guess not, neither did that young lady touch you last winter while enroute to the coast.”23

Altizer and teammate Walter Johnson, who was born in Kansas but grew up in California, had become acquainted earlier while playing against each other in the offseason. Early in the spring of 1908, Johnson was hospitalized and required surgery. It was Altizer who visited Johnson in a Fullerton hospital and telegraphed reports of his progress back to team officials in Wahington.24

Finding no suitable trade partners, Cantillon planned to shift Altizer to third base in 1908; he would compete with Bill Shipke for the starting position. Shipke won the job, so Altizer was relegated to a utility role, seeing time at all four infield positions over the first half of the season. Finally, in late July, Cantillon sold Altizer and pitcher Cy Falkenberg to the Cleveland Naps for $10,000.2526 In 29 games over the rest of that season, Altizer batted .213 in a utility role for Cleveland. His fate seemed to have been sealed when he missed the train for the team’s final road trip. He took a later train but rather than joining the team at their hotel, “he and his dog took up quarters at another tavern.”27

That winter Cleveland placed him on waivers, and he was claimed by the White Sox. Chicago manager Billy Sullivan used him both in the outfield and at first base. His batting average was below .200 most of the season before finishing at .233. During the offseason Altizer was placed on waivers and picked up by the Minneapolis Millers of the AA. Ironically, the Millers’ owner was Mike Cantillon, brother of Altizer’s former manager in Washington. Altizer had an excellent season in Minneapolis, batting .300 in 163 games.

In September Altizer was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 draft but did not immediately report to his new team. Assuming Altizer to be in Chicago, Cincinnati manager Clark Griffith asked his friend Jimmy Callahan to place an ad in the classified section of the Chicago Tribune that read; “PERSONAL – will Dave Altizer, Baseball player, please report to the Cincinnati Baseball club at once” CLARK GRIFFITH, Manager.”28 Altizer saw the ad and reported to Cincinnati.

He appeared in just three games for the Reds at the end of the 1910 season but got six hits in 10 at-bats. Altizer opened the 1911 season as the Reds’ regular shortstop but struggled at the plate, batting under .200, and by early May was displaced by Tom Downey. Shortly thereafter, a Minneapolis paper reported that the Reds had worked out a deal sending Altizer back to the Millers, along with pitcher Barney Schreiber, for pitcher Art Loudell and $2,500 cash.29

A few days later the transaction hit a snag when it was revealed that Schreiber, whom the Reds had obtained from Denver of the Western League, still belonged to that club. In addition, Griffith claimed that the deal was merely in the discussion stage and had not been formally agreed upon. The case went before the National Commission for a decision, but Minneapolis officials were not hopeful of a favorable outcome because Garry Herrmann, Cincinnati owner, was the third member of the commission. In early June, the commission ruled against Minneapolis, and the deal was called off.30

Altizer was stuck in limbo back in Cincinnati, relegated to spot duty, mostly as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner until mid-July, when the Reds sent him to Minneapolis on a straight sale. Altizer was delighted about returning to the Millers and getting away from Griffith. As he left town, he took a shot at his former manager, hinting that, “the Reds are laying down on Griffith.” He added, “If the Cincinnati players were as loyal to Griffith as he is to them, the team would be fighting for a higher position in the race.”31

Altizer was back in Minneapolis for good and played for the Millers the next seven seasons. During this period the club, managed by his former Washington manager Joe Cantillon, employed several ex-major leaguers, such as Gavy Cravath and Otis Clymer, as well as pitchers Roy Patterson and Rube Waddell. After rejoining the Millers in July 1911, Altizer hit .335 in 73 games. In 1912 he led the AA in stolen bases (68) and sacrifice hits (56),32 helping the Millers to a league pennant.

The salary offered by Minneapolis was usually lower than Altizer thought he was worth, so each offseason he threatened to hold out and even retire. He still spent winters in California and organized a semipro team in Riverside. One spring he told Cantillon he planned to stay on the coast all summer. He claimed he had tempting offers to manage the Louisville AA club and to play for Vernon of the Pacific Coast League but was unable to get his release from Minneapolis. In 1913 it was reported that he bought a farm in northern Minnesota and planned to quit baseball and take up farming.33 Altizer also made overtures about joining the Federal League, going so far as traveling to Chicago to meet with FL President James Gilmore and ChiFeds manager Joe Tinker.

Each season Cantillon brought in a younger player to replace Altizer at shortstop, and each season Dave held on to the job. He was the team’s regular shortstop until 1915, when Bill Morley displaced him and Altizer moved to center field. He signed a one-year contract that excluded the reserve clause, leaving him free to pursue other opportunities after the season. Despite leading the AA in runs scored (118), few opportunities presented themselves. Early in 1916 he threatened to retire and go into business, but “the lure of the diamond proved too much for the veteran,”34 and he re-signed with the Millers as a utility player. Despite being the oldest player in the league, Altizer led AA with 98 walks and scored 108 runs.35

Altizer returned to the Millers in 1917 and batted .322, second in the AA to Beals Becker of Kansas City, who finished one point higher at .323. Dave returned to Minneapolis in 1918 although he thought that, because so many players had been called into military service during World War I, he might have a chance to return to the majors. Altizer even quipped, “The postal department has been very careless in not laying that communication at my door.”36  A broken ankle in June ended those hopes as well as his career in Minneapolis. Once healed, Altizer finished the season with Hibbing (Minnesota) of the Twin Ports-Mesaba League.

He then reportedly took over the hog raising operation on a farm owned by Joe Cantillon at Hickman, Kentucky. When asked about the career change, Altizer said, “It isn’t much of a change for me because pigs is easier to get along with than umpires and they aren’t half as stubborn.”37 Despite his apparent satisfaction, in February 1920 Altizer was offered a job as one of the eight American Association umpires.38 Less than a month later, however, he accepted an offer to manage and  play for Aberdeen of the Class D South Dakota League.39 Late in 1920 he moved to Madison of the same league; the following season, he returned to Madison, by then a member of the  Dakota League.

Over the next few years there were reports that Altizer umpired in the Tri-State,40 Ontario-Michigan,41 Southern,42 and Three-I Leagues,43 but how long these engagements lasted is not known. Altizer fell on hard times, reportedly finding work on a stock farm near Brookings, South Dakota. One report explained, “He saved his money only to see it slip away through bad investments made for him by friends he trusted.”44  

Altizer also divorced around this time. While playing for Chicago in 1909 he had met Margaret Ward, and the couple got married in November 1910. They had two children, Edward, born in 1913, and Corrine, born in 1919. While he was managing in Madison in 1922, Margaret left him and took the children to Chicago. Altizer filed for divorce on grounds of desertion and was granted a divorce decree in 1925.45 In 1928 Altizer married Iva Marie Cloninger, and the couple moved to Pleasant Hill, Illinois, not far from his boyhood home.

They remained there (his children lived with their mother in Chicago) for the rest of Altizer’s life. After retirement, he enjoyed traveling to St. Louis for Browns and Cardinals games. Altizer died of pulmonary emphysema in Pleasant Hill on May 14, 1964, at the age of 87. He was survived by his wife, two children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Daredevil Dave was buried at Crescent Heights Cemetery in Pleasant Hill.

Acknowledgments

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

Photo credit: Dave Altizer, Trading Card Database.

Sources

Unless otherwise noted, statistics from Altizer’s playing career are taken from Baseball-Reference.com and genealogical and family history was obtained from Ancestry.com and Findagrave.com. The author also used information from clippings in Altizer’s file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Notes

1 “Some Sporting Snaps,” Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Courier, September 7, 1906: 7.

2 “Was Jack-Of-All Trades in Game, Springfield (Ohio) News Sun, January 28, 1911: 6.

3 Samuel B. Cohen, “Sayings of the Spectator,” Meriden (Connecticut) Journal, July 23, 1936: 4.

4 “At 66, Dave Altizer Still Wants to Play,” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal, August 30, 1942: 32.

5 “Dave Altizer Crack Shortstop of Army,” Pittsburg Press, September 16, 1906: 10.

6 “Buffalo Players Report,” Toronto Star, April 2, 1902: 8.

7 “What Kennedy Says,” Meriden Daily Journal, June 1, 1904: 1.

8 “Altizer in Court,” Meriden Daily Journal, June 3, 1904: 1.

9 “Goes to Springfield,” Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript Telegram, June 23, 1904: 6.

10 “Regarding Altizer Missing Ballplayer,” Meriden Daily Journal, August 10, 1905: 2.

11 “Altizer to Pittsburg,” Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, September 2, 1905: 3.

12 “Altizer Has Jumped,” Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Daily Intelligencer, May 29, 1906: 6.

13 “Outlaw League Will Retaliate,” Pittsburg Press, June 6, 1916: 12.

14 “Diamond Dust,” Scranton (Pennsylvania) Times, June 14, 1906: 3.

15 “Hot After Altizer,” Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Telegraph, July 12, 1906: 8.

16 “Would Raid Red Roses,” York (Pennsylvania) Dispatch, July 17, 1906: 6.

17 Nap Lajoie, SABR BioProject (https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/nap-lajoie/).

18 “Dave Altizer Arrested,” Lancaster Daily Intelligencer, September 13, 1906: 6.

19 “Altizer Will Go Free,” Altoona (Pennsylvania) Times, October 8, 1916: 9.

20 J. Ed Grillo, “Sporting Comment,” Washington Post, July 7, 1907: 32

21 “Cantillon May Trade Dave Altizer for LaPorte of the New York Team,” Washington Post, August 25, 1917: 31.

22 “Dave Altizer was Robbed,” Washington Post, December 21, 1907: 8.

23 “Breeze,” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 23, 1910: 35.

24 “May Lose Johnson,” Washington Herald, March 6, 1908: 8.

25 “Altizer and Falkenberg Sold to Naps for $10,000,” Washington Herald, July 24, 1908: 8.

26 Per Altizer’s Baseball-reference page, the sale price was $7,000.

27 “Naps Let Altizer Go to White Sox,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 10, 1909: 13.

28 “‘Want Ad’ Brings Results,” Chicago Tribune, October 4, 1910: 23.

29 Fred B. Coburn, “Dave Altizer Starts for Cantillon Camp,” Minneapolis Morning Tribune, May 13, 1911: 20.

30 “Can’t Have Dave Altizer,” Minneapolis Morning Tribune, June 6, 1911: 10.

31 “Altizer Draws Aside the Curtain; Lets Fans Look,” Cincinnati Post, July 15, 1911: 6.

32 “Records of the Year,” Minneapolis Journal, October 2, 1910: 28.

33 “Back to the Soil for Dave Altizer,” Minneapolis Journal, November 23, 1913: 30.

34 “Dave Altizer Back with Millers; Jennings Comes Back from Washington,” Minneapolis Tribune, February 20, 1916: 45.

35 Per SABR member Stew Thornley’s website (https://stewthornley.net/millersgames/1911.htm).

36 “Daredevil is Waiting,” Indianapolis News, February 28, 1918: 12.

37 “Dave Seeks the Soil: From Shortstop to Swineherd,” Minneapolis Journal, July 29, 1919: 19.

38 “Dave Altizer to Be Association Umpire; Pongo Sees Griffith for New Players,” Minneapolis Morning Tribune, February 9, 1920: 10.

39 “Minneapolis Man to Head Aberdeen Baseball Team,” Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Daily Argus-Leader, March 15, 1920: 3.

40 “Dave Altizer Back into Game as an Umpire,” Albert Lea (Minnesota) Tribune, July 23, 1924: 7.

41 “Still In Game,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 5, 1923: 24.

42 “Dave Altizer Will Umpire This Season in Southern League,” San Bernadino (California) Sun, January 26, 1926: 1.

43 “Vet Will Umpire,” Omaha Daily Bee, January 31, 1926: 27.

44 “Altizer Victim of Misfortune,” Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, July 6, 1924: 33.

45 “Dave Altizer Granted Divorce From Wife,” Minneapolis Journal, May 26, 1925: 25.