Joe “Germany” Schultz

Joe Schultz Sr. – known as “Germany” for his ancestry – played in 11 major-league seasons from 1912 through 1925. By the end of that time, he had played for every National League team then in existence except for the Giants. His primary position was right field, but he was frequently used as a pinch-hitter and filled in as an infielder.

Schultz had a lengthy career in pro baseball: 19 seasons as a full-time player from 1911 to 1929. He was also a minor-league manager, scout, and executive. He died in 1941 at the age of 47. Today he may best be remembered as the father of Joe Schultz Jr., who spent over 40 years in professional baseball and became famous to generations of fans as manager of the 1969 Seattle Pilots, thanks to Jim Bouton’s classic Ball Four.

* * *

Joseph Charles Schultz was born on July 24, 1893, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was raised in his family’s house at 511 Curtin Avenue in the neighborhood of Beltzhoover, which is in the South Hills section of Pittsburgh. Although Beltzhoover consisted of no more than 10 square blocks, in the early 1900s this community sent numerous players into the professional sports ranks – and four of these men went on to achieve their goal of playing major-league baseball. Enos Kirkpatrick, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Federal League’s Baltimore Terrapins, beat Schultz to the majors by a month. Before them was Hans Lobert, who amassed 1,252 hits at the top level from 1903 through 1917. His younger brother Frank Lobert played with Kirkpatrick on the Terrapins in 1914. The Loberts grew up on California Avenue, (since changed to Cedarhurst Street),1 down the street from their first cousin, Joe Schultz. Joe’s mother, Pauline, was the sister of Michael Lobert, Hans and Frank’s father.

Pauline and her husband Frank Schultz, a carpenter, both emigrated from Germany. Married in 1884, they started their journey in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Not long after, both the Schultzes and the Loberts found themselves in Pittsburgh. The Schultzes had eight children. Frank and Martha were born in Williamsport. Then Anna, John, Joseph, Bernard, William, and Lawrence were all born in Pittsburgh.

As a youth Joe attended the Saint George Parochial School in Pittsburgh’s nearby Allentown neighborhood, and the family attended Saint George Roman Catholic Church. Sports were also a big part of the Schultz family life. Older brother Frank played for the Toronto Beavers in the Canadian League in 1914.2 John Schultz’s obituary states he was a former semiprofessional baseball player, and Bernard was a prominent duckpin bowler.

As a 17-year-old Joe worked as an office clerk in the local business district, according to the 1910 census.3 His career in pro baseball began the next year. Details are sketchy for the years 1911-1912, but through various newspaper accounts and biographies, we can see that Joe would go anywhere to play the game he loved. Also at age 17, Schultz played shortstop for a semipro team in Mayfield, New York.4 Although Baseball-reference.com shows no statistics for him in 1911, Joe played with the Altoona Rams of the Tri-State League before being shipped over to the Akron Champs in the Ohio-Pennsylvania League.5 On July 25 of that year, his father Frank passed away at age 52 from heart disease.

In 1912 Schultz was signed to play with the Pittsburgh Filipinos, managed by former Pirate pitcher Deacon Phillippe, in the short-lived United States League. That same year Schultz and his cousin Frank Lobert were playing for Pittsburgh’s Lew Moren All-Stars (Moren was a former big-league pitcher from Pittsburgh). During their first game on July 27, at Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park against the Pittsburgh Collegians, Schultz made three bad throws from short, and Moren canned him.6 During the 1912 season he also played for the Bay City Billikens in the Southern Michigan League before moving over to the Akron Rubbermen of the Class B Central League.7  

On September 16 Schultz was one of the 77 minor leaguers who were drafted at the annual meeting of the National Baseball Commission. He was called up from Akron to the Boston Braves on September 19. He played in four late-season games at second base for the Braves, getting three hits in 12 at-bats, but committing three errors.

Schultz started the 1913 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.8 He had a successful year, playing more outfield than infield, while batting .299 with 135 hits and 24 stolen bases in 124 games. It earned him a second call-up to Boston, where he played nine games, mostly in the outfield, getting only four hits in 18 at-bats. There have been some biographical news articles that show Schultz playing for the Montreal Royals9 instead of Toronto, but that information is incorrect. There is no indication that he was ever on the Montreal roster.

In 1914 Schultz was traded to the Rochester Hustlers of the Class AA International League, in exchange for Charles Schmidt and Jack Quinn. The movement of players in this deal had begun in 1913. Schultz spent the whole season with the Hustlers, playing third base and batting .316 with 182 hits and 30 stolen bases in 155 games. His 33 doubles led the IL.  He seemed to be more ready for the top level.

Indeed, for the 1915 season, he was back in the big leagues with the Brooklyn Robins. According to manager Wilbert Robinson, “that boy Schultz looks good to me and ought to prove a prize. He covers third base as well as anybody I have seen. He looks like a hard hitter. He can play outfield too, so he ought to be a big help if we need him out there.”10 At the time he was competing as the starting third sacker against Gus Getz, another Pittsburgh product. Western Pennsylvania sent eight players to Brooklyn over a 10-year period between 1905-1915: along with Schultz, Getz, and Enos Kirkpatrick, they were Jim Pastorius, Phil Lewis, Elmer Knetzer, Whitey Alpermann, and Bob Coulson.11

Unfortunately, on May 20, in a game at Ebbets Field, Schultz injured his shoulder colliding with Cozy Dolan of the Cardinals. Afterward, he was unable to play defense and had just four pinch hit at-bats before he was placed on the disabled list on June 17. Then on August 29, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for $3,000 and pitcher Larry Cheney.12 For the Robins that year, he hit .292 in limited action. For the Cubs, he managed to play a few games at second base while going 2-for-8. His shoulder injury would haunt him for the rest of his career.

On January 22, 1916, Schultz was sold to his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations.13 His contract called for $3,500 per season. On April 7, he was sent back home from spring training to see a specialist about his still ailing arm. But he did make the Opening Day lineup and would be used as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner for the first three weeks. He had a decent season with the Bucs, hitting .260 in 204 at-bats over a 77-game span. Then on August 20, amid concerns about his arm, he was sold to the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, where he hit .281 in 58 games.

Schultz returned to Los Angeles for the start of the 1917 season. It was there, on May 19, 1917, that he married Josephine Ellen Doyle. Josephine was born in Chicago in 1893.14 They had started dating a few years prior while he was playing in Chicago. Unfortunately, it called for a quick celebration – Schultz was released by the Angels the next day because his arm injury continued to plague him. By June 5 he was back in Toronto, where he hit quite well: .313 with 129 hits, including 18 doubles. Joe proved he was a capable hitter with speed enough to steal some bases, but he never really showed power. Despite all the moving around, Schultz and his bride decided to call Chicago their new home.

In April 1918 Joe found himself in Kansas City, Missouri. He had been transferred by Toronto to the Portland, Maine club. He was then recalled by Toronto, in what was determined to be an invalid move. That made him a free agent and he was picked up by the Kansas City Blues of the Class AA American Association.15

Schultz hit .306 for the Blues that season, but had just 230 plate appearances in 62 games. His arm remained a concern; he spent time with the renowned medical therapist, John “Bonesetter” Reese, in Youngstown, Ohio.16 He also saw the birth of his son, Joseph Charles Schultz Jr., on August 29, 1918, at the family’s home on 1360 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago.

Schultz finally stuck in the majors starting in 1919. In a surprising trade on January 25, St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey obtained Schultz by trading seven players to Kansas City. Discussing the trade, Rickey said, “Schultz was the best ball player on the Kansas City pennant winners in 1918. He was the steadiest hitter, one of the best base runners and one of the best fielders of the club. Combine this with the fact that he is a smart player, always dangerous in a pinch, young and aggressive, and it is easy to see why the Cardinals picked him from a pennant winning team as a major league prospect.”17 Rickey also indicated his satisfaction that Schultz’s arm was sound or he not would have made the deal. Schultz spent most of the next five-plus seasons with the Cardinals.

Schultz found himself a part-time player in 1919, a position the Cardinals determined would be beneficial to him. Serving mainly as a pinch-hitter and reserve outfielder, he had a moderately successful season, batting .253 with 58 hits in 88 games. He posted a 1.000 fielding percentage in 49 games played in the outfield, but committed four errors in just six games at second base.

Schultz’s role expanded a bit in 1920 as he played more regularly in right field, in addition to his frequent pinch-hitting. Though he was just 4-for-22 coming off the bench that year, his overall batting average improved a bit to .263, with 84 hits in 99 games. He showed virtually no power, however, managing only five doubles and five triples in 320 at-bats.

It was more of the same in 1921. Schultz continued to thrive in his utility role, and he showed more power. Batting .309 and slugging .469 with a major-league career high of six home runs, he had 85 hits in 275 at-bats and turned in an above-average OPS+ of 117. He played effectively in right field, but committed three errors in three games at third base.

Branch Rickey was satisfied with his “Seven for One” guy. In early 1922 the Mahatma said that Schultz, who was described as a clean-living, even-tempered man, “is a darned good fellow to have around.”18 He consistently ranked among the best in either league as a utility player. Schultz’ playing time increased beginning in late June, when star outfielder Austin McHenry began to show the ill effects of a brain tumor that would take his life in November at age 27. Playing right and left field and pinch-hitting, Schultz proved his mettle again by batting .314, with 108 hits and 64 RBIs, while appearing in 112 games – all big-league career highs. Schultz and his wife also welcomed the birth of their daughter Pauline on November 17. By this time, the family had moved from Chicago to St. Louis. Their home was located at 3860 Labadie Avenue, just a few blocks’ walk from Sportsman’s Park.

As Rickey’s newly-developed farm system began to pay dividends in 1923, young players started to crowd the outfield. Despite his success in 1922, Schultz was squeezed out in 1923. He started out with the Cardinals but got into just two games before being sold under option at the end of April to the Houston Buffaloes of the Class A Texas League. At age 29, Schultz was sent to Houston to coach the young players while keeping himself in good playing shape. He was said to be one of Rickey’s most valuable lieutenants. In Houston he hit .316 over 107 games; his 143 hits included 34 doubles.

Schultz was transferred to the Hartford Senators in early September.19 One of his new teammates was a young Lou Gehrig; they batted fourth and fifth in the lineup. Schultz hit .349 in 18 games for Hartford. He was recalled by the Cardinals in late September but did not appear in a game.

Schultz started the 1924 season with the Cardinals but played in only 12 games before being sent to Philadelphia on June 6 for cash. He promptly hit .282 for the Phillies in 88 games.

Schultz’s major-league career ended in 1925 on a high note. He split time with the Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds, who claimed him on June 23 after he was put on waivers. At the time he was waived, Schultz was hitting .344 for Philadelphia. As of August 21 the veteran was batting .384 for the season, with 33 hits in 86 at-bats, having gone 11-for-22 since joining the Reds. In part-time play for both teams, he ended the season hitting a career-high .333 in 126 at-bats.

On January 13, 1926, the Reds sold Schultz to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. On May 27 he was sold to the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association.20 Schultz refused to report because he felt that Class A ball was not for him; he would accept only Class AA. But on June 19, the Millers sold him to the Mobile Bears, also of the Southern Association.21 Schulz reported to Mobile and hit .299 with 94 hits over 78 games.

On March 25, 1927, it was announced that Schultz did not report to the Bears for spring training. It was later reported that he would become player-manager of the Class C Topeka Jayhawks of the Western Association under Branch Rickey and the Cardinals organization.22 At age 33, he batted .358 with 165 hits, including a league-leading 41 doubles, while playing in 124 games. He also led the Jayhawks to a second-place finish that year.

In 1928 Schultz moved up to Class B to play for and manage another Cardinal farm club, the Danville Veterans of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. For the year he batted .317 with 120 hits in 379 at-bats while leading the Veterans to a third-place finish.

He returned to manage Danville in 1929, also hitting .272 with 102 hits as a player. The Veterans slipped to eighth (last) place that season. The Schultzes also welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Josephine.

On December 17 it was reported that Schultz was assigned to be full-time manager of the Cardinals’ Houston Buffaloes farm team for the 1930 season. This signaled the effective end of his professional playing career, save for occasional appearances that are not currently reflected in reference sites. In his 11 seasons in the majors, Schultz accumulated 558 hits for a respectable .285 batting average, while appearing in 703 games. That total includes 207 appearances as a pinch-hitter, with 50 hits and a very respectable .272 average in that demanding role.

In his 10 seasons in the minors (as documented by Baseball-reference.com), Schultz totaled 1,238 hits for a .309 career batting average. Over his 19-year career as a full-time player, Schultz proved to be an asset to any team he played on by being able to play every position except for pitcher and catcher.

Schultz led the Buffaloes to second place in 1930 and to the Texas League pennant in 1931. During his time managing in Houston, he helped develop prospects such as Joe Medwick and Dizzy Dean, marking the beginnings of the Gas House Gang.

On September 11, 1932, while managing Houston, Schultz sent in the team’s 14-year-old batboy to pinch-hit in the losing end of a doubleheader on the final day of the season. That batboy was none other than his son, Joe Schultz Jr. The box score indicates that Schultz Sr. pitched the final inning. He then put Schultz Jr. in to bat for Bill Beckmann, and the eighth-grader hit safely off Herb Thormahlen, stole two bases, and scored a run. Skipper Schultz then let the team mascot, a Black youngster, hit for Stan Baker, but he did not do as well as Joe Jr., striking out on three consecutive curve balls.23

On September 15 it was announced that Schultz would be replaced as manager of Houston. It was not until April 22, 1933, that he was named to lead the Springfield (Missouri) Cardinals of the Western League, replacing Clay Hopper. Several weeks before, on March 1, the Schultzes had welcomed the birth of their second son, John (the last of their four children).

On March 18, 1934, Schultz was replaced as manager in Springfield by Mike Ryba. Schultz was named a scout for the Cardinals organization, assigned to the Sacramento area in California. He held that position until late 1937, becoming one of Branch Rickey’s most trusted men in the role.

On November 17, 1937, it was reported that Schultz would join the Pittsburgh Pirates as field director for their minor league operations.24 On January 14, 1938, the Pirates announced that Schultz would head a baseball school out of Forbes Field.25 According to a news ticker, “President William E. Benswanger of the Pirates has received many messages of commendation on the signing of Joe Schultz as field director for the Pittsburgh Ball Club in the minor leagues. Schultz is recognized as having ideal judgement and training for that work, and Benswanger is being congratulated for a smart and progressive step in employing him to watch and direct the development of Pirate-owned young players on the six clubs with which the Bucs have working agreements.”26 On September 7, 1939, Schultz announced the purchase of a new Pirate catcher: Joe Jr., who made his major-league debut at age 21 later that month.

Even though Schultz Sr. worked for the Pirates, he continued to live in St. Louis with Josephine and their children. He also continued to work as an insurance broker in the offseason. Schultz honed his business sense early on while attending college in his hometown of Pittsburgh.27

In April 1941 Schultz Sr. was on a scouting trip in Columbia, South Carolina when he suddenly became ill. He checked into the Providence Hospital on Saturday, April 12, with what appeared to be ptomaine poisoning, but the situation was serious enough that Josephine and Joe Jr. immediately flew to Columbia from St. Louis and Wichita, respectively.28 They were both at his hospital bedside when Joseph Charles Schultz Sr. passed away on April 13, 1941, from toxic hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis, and ptomaine. He was 47. Funeral services were held in St. Louis. Honus Wagner attended on behalf of the Pirates organization.29 Schultz was buried at Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum in St. Louis, where his son, Joe Jr., was eventually laid to rest as well. Schultz’s wife, Josephine, passed away in the Gateway City on December 8, 1972. There are no records of her burial or death. It is believed she was cremated, according to Calvary.30

In public, Schultz was a very straightlaced guy, and rarely if ever showed a humorous side. However, being around the great Dizzy Dean could draw that out. One day Diz and his manager, Schultz, ordered scrambled eggs and bacon at a diner, but the kitchen mistakenly subbed calves’ brains for bacon. Having cleaned his plate, Dean asked what had been served. When told, he snapped, “What? I didn’t order no brains.” Schultz said, “Be quiet, the kitchen knows what you need.”31

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Rick Zucker and fact-checked by Terry Bohn.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the Notes, the author used the following:

Find A Grave; https://www.findagrave.com/

Baseball Reference; https://www.baseball-reference.com/

Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/

Newspapers: http://www.newspapers.com

Email correspondence from Rachel Wells, Reference Librarian, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Damer, Edward. (2022). Thirty-Three In Twenty-Three; The World of Rube Parnham and Other Baseball Stories (3rd ed.). Kindle Direct Publishing.

Notes

1 1910 U.S. Census, Pittsburgh Ward 18, Allegheny.

2 “New Utility Player for Toronto Team,” Toronto Star, June 5, 1917: 11.

3 1910 U.S. Census, Pittsburgh Ward 18, Allegheny.

4 “Joe Schultz Has Earmarks of Find,” Pittsburgh Press, March 14, 1915: 34.

5 Ed Balinger, “Champtown Chatter,” Pittsburgh Post, January 15, 1926: 10.

6 James Jerpe, “Sport-Itorials,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 6, 1916: 20.

7 “Notes Of the Game,” Pittsburgh Post, September 20, 1912: 13.

8 “Baseball Notes,” Boston Globe, April 17, 1913: 6.

9 Ralph Davis, “Schultz Has Traveled Some,” Pittsburgh Press, January 28, 1926: 24.

10 “Dodgers’ Pilot Highly Praises Former Hustler,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, March 9, 1915: 19.

11 James Jerpe, “Sidelights on Dodgers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 6, 1915: 22.

12 “Larry Cheney Man Robinson Picks to Help the Dodgers,” Pittsburgh Post, August 31,1915: 12.

13 Sam Weller, “Pirates Get Schultz,” Chicago Tribune, January 23, 1916: 21.

14 California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980.

15 “Will Fight for New Blues,” Kansas City Star, April 9, 1918: 15.

16 “Ed Barrow’s Team Is Still Unbeaten,” Toronto Star, April 20, 1918: 26.

17 Clarence F. Lloyd, “Joe Schultz Likely to Become a Regular on Cardinal Infield,” St. Louis Star, January 29, 1919: 13.

18 “Smoke Wisps from the Old Hot Stove,” St. Louis Star, January 8, 1922: 24.

19 “Schultz’s Grounder Takes Nice Hop,” Hartford Courant, September 8, 1923: 13.

20 Joe Hatcher, “Vols and Pels Finish Series,” Tennessean, May 29, 1926: 12.

21 “Joe Schultz Bought by Mobile Manager,” Birmingham News, June 19, 1926: 8.

22 “Sport Column,” Topeka Day By Day, March 28, 1927: 23.

23 “Pirates Close Season with Double Victory,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, September 12, 1932: 8.

24 “Joe Schultz, Scout for Cardinals, Joins the Pittsburgh Staff,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 17, 1937: 2B.

25 Edward F. Balinger, “Joe Schultz to Direct Activities for Buc Officials,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 14, 1938: 15.

26 Rachel Wells, Baseball Hall of Fame; news report digital image (personal communication, January 15, 2024)

27 “Joe Schultz Purchased By Pirates From Chicago,” Pittsburg Press, January 23, 1916: 21.

28 “Veteran Coach of Pirates Dies Here,” State (Columbia, South Carolina), April 14, 1941: 4; “Funeral Services on Thursday for Joe Schultz, Sr.,” St. Louis Star and Times, April 15, 1941: 13.

29 “Carleton on Block,” Pittsburgh Press, April 16, 1941: 28.

30 Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum (personal communication, October 5, 2023).

31 Curt Smith, “In his day, Dizzy Dean was appointment viewing,” Sport Broadcast Journal, July 14, 2022.