Happy birthday to a clown

Today marks the 131st anniversary of the birth of Al Schacht.

Now this may not mean much to those outside of the Schacht family, but consider the following: Schacht and Nick Altrock are the “Clown Princes of Baseball” well before anyone ever hears of Max Patkin and, two, he finds a way to make the ultra-stoic Joe DiMaggio smile on a baseball field.

Al Schacht and Joe DiMaggio

Another thing or two about Al Schacht – before becoming an on-field clown, he spends two-plus seasons pitching in the major leagues with the Washington Senators from 1919-21, and before that he spends the 1915 season playing on Harrisburg’s City Island with the minor league Senators.

He also has a fairly well-known teammate and roommate while playing in Harrisburg.

That other guy? That would be outfielder Jim Thorpe. Yes, that Jim Thorpe.