Gehrig
08-27-01, 07:50 AM
Urbain Jacques Shockcor (Urban Shocker)
Born, August 22, 1890.
Died, September 09, 1928
Urban Shocker came late to the big leagues and did not even become a pitcher until 1913, his first professional season. Originally a catcher, he demonstrated such speed and accuracy in his throws that he was switched to the mound. He acquired a spitter, which he threw infrequently, and as a breaking slow ball, and a variety of curves. His delivery was aided by a permanent crook in the end joint of his ring finger, suffered when he speared a ball while still a catcher. He always said the crooked finger improved his grip and thus the effectiveness of his pitches.
Urban was an unappreciated, almost-forgotten great pitcher who had two fine seasons with Ottawa, of the Canada League, which ultimately brought him to the Yankees on the recommendation of Wild Bill Donovan (Yankees mgr at the time) in 1916 for $750. He made his ML debut with the Yankees on April 24, 1916.
In 1918, Yankees rookie manager Miller Huggins was strongly criticized in the New York press when he traded Shocker, along with Les Nunamaker, Fritz Maisel, Nick Cullop, and Joe Gedeon, for Del Pratt, Eddie Plank, and $15,000 to the St Louis Browns for Del Pratt and Eddie Plank (Plank retired instead of reporting). But Huggins, a former second baseman himself, knew a good second baseman when he saw one, and the hard-nosed, hard-hitting Pratt was the AL's best after Eddie Collins.
He was a four time 20 game winner for St. Louis and proved a particular nemesis of the Yankees. When the spitball was abolished in 1920, Shocker was one of 17 pitchers who could still legally throw it.
December 17, 1924, the Yankees stole him back for Joe Bush, Milt Gaston, and Joe Giard, and he became one of the mainstays of the pitching staff for three seasons. Shocker had his only .500 season in 1925, the year of the great Yankee slump, but pitched marvelously well in 1926 and 1927.
Heading into that famous 1927 season, he owned a 169-111-career record, with a 3.20 ERA. Shocker was a slow starter that year. On May 11th he had only a 3-3 record, before winning 15 of his final 18 decisions. He was one of four Yankees to pitch 200 innings in 1927. His ERA was third in the AL (1927 He finished 18-6, 2.84 ERA) and he was second in winning percentage (.750), a career high. A control pitcher, Shocker only allowed 1.85 walks per nine innings (lowest on the staff), and he only struck out 1.58 batters per nine innings (also lowest on the staff). His relief appearance on August 22nd, his 37th birthday, during a 9-4 loss at Cleveland, earned him the distinction of being the only pitcher to pitch on their birthday during the season. He was 5-0 against St. Louis (with a 2.07 ERA), tying him with Hoyt for best record against an opponent on the staff. On April 24th, Shocker executed a perfect squeeze scoring Durst from third in the sixth inning during a 6-2 win over Washington. He only had one extra base hit, a double on May 11th in a 4-2 win at St. Louis. Shocker had three sacrifice hits on July 12th in a 7- 0 win at Cleveland. Shocker was also the oldest player on the ‘27 team…He was too ill to appear in the ’27 World Series but pitched batting practice for the Yankees, feeding them pitch after pitch right where they wanted them, allowing them to smash ball after ball out of the Stadium, un-nerving the Pirates with a tremendous power display, and setting the stage for the 4 game Series Sweep. He also has the distinction of allowing the first major league home run to Jimmie Foxx on May 31, 1927.
After the 1927 season he voluntarily retired (he did pitch three innings in 1928 but was released by the Yankees on July 6th 1928 due to poor health). Urban moved out to Colorado for health reasons and later appeared in an August 6th, Semi-Pro tournament for Denver vs. Cheyenne. He contracted Pneumonia shortly thereafter. He seemed to be on the road to recovery, but suffered a setback and passed away September 9th 1928.
Shocker was an intense, unsmiling fellow. A studious pitcher widely admired for an artful delivery and a profound knowledge of hitters. He allowed almost exactly a hit per inning, yet, as his ERA shows, not many runs. He was stingy with walks, averaging one every four innings. A serious professional, he was known as an excellent fielder and capable hitter, perhaps too serious to have a nickname, (Except for the one Babe Ruth bestowed unto him, which was rubber belly…)
In a 13-year career, he never had a losing season and compiled a .617 winning percentage. He was well-enough known in his time, yet he labored in relative obscurity.
His best years were spent with the Sisler-era Browns, a so-so team that had the bad luck to be good when the Yankees were fantastic. His final years were spent as a Yankee, but as perhaps the least flamboyant of that vivid ensemble. And he died at the untimely age of 38, much too early to have become a legend. He had a successful radio shop in St. Louis, but evidently was too ill to run it. His death, September 9th, 1928 was attributed to an overstrained "athlete's heart."
Only now does it become known that he had suffered from an enlarged heart and was unable to sleep lying down for two years…
** April 25th, 1943 - Rufe Gentry of Buffalo (International League) wins an 11-inning no-hitter against Newark 1-0. The last IL no-hitter of this length was thrown by Toronto's Urban Shocker on July 22, 1916 **
Born, August 22, 1890.
Died, September 09, 1928
Urban Shocker came late to the big leagues and did not even become a pitcher until 1913, his first professional season. Originally a catcher, he demonstrated such speed and accuracy in his throws that he was switched to the mound. He acquired a spitter, which he threw infrequently, and as a breaking slow ball, and a variety of curves. His delivery was aided by a permanent crook in the end joint of his ring finger, suffered when he speared a ball while still a catcher. He always said the crooked finger improved his grip and thus the effectiveness of his pitches.
Urban was an unappreciated, almost-forgotten great pitcher who had two fine seasons with Ottawa, of the Canada League, which ultimately brought him to the Yankees on the recommendation of Wild Bill Donovan (Yankees mgr at the time) in 1916 for $750. He made his ML debut with the Yankees on April 24, 1916.
In 1918, Yankees rookie manager Miller Huggins was strongly criticized in the New York press when he traded Shocker, along with Les Nunamaker, Fritz Maisel, Nick Cullop, and Joe Gedeon, for Del Pratt, Eddie Plank, and $15,000 to the St Louis Browns for Del Pratt and Eddie Plank (Plank retired instead of reporting). But Huggins, a former second baseman himself, knew a good second baseman when he saw one, and the hard-nosed, hard-hitting Pratt was the AL's best after Eddie Collins.
He was a four time 20 game winner for St. Louis and proved a particular nemesis of the Yankees. When the spitball was abolished in 1920, Shocker was one of 17 pitchers who could still legally throw it.
December 17, 1924, the Yankees stole him back for Joe Bush, Milt Gaston, and Joe Giard, and he became one of the mainstays of the pitching staff for three seasons. Shocker had his only .500 season in 1925, the year of the great Yankee slump, but pitched marvelously well in 1926 and 1927.
Heading into that famous 1927 season, he owned a 169-111-career record, with a 3.20 ERA. Shocker was a slow starter that year. On May 11th he had only a 3-3 record, before winning 15 of his final 18 decisions. He was one of four Yankees to pitch 200 innings in 1927. His ERA was third in the AL (1927 He finished 18-6, 2.84 ERA) and he was second in winning percentage (.750), a career high. A control pitcher, Shocker only allowed 1.85 walks per nine innings (lowest on the staff), and he only struck out 1.58 batters per nine innings (also lowest on the staff). His relief appearance on August 22nd, his 37th birthday, during a 9-4 loss at Cleveland, earned him the distinction of being the only pitcher to pitch on their birthday during the season. He was 5-0 against St. Louis (with a 2.07 ERA), tying him with Hoyt for best record against an opponent on the staff. On April 24th, Shocker executed a perfect squeeze scoring Durst from third in the sixth inning during a 6-2 win over Washington. He only had one extra base hit, a double on May 11th in a 4-2 win at St. Louis. Shocker had three sacrifice hits on July 12th in a 7- 0 win at Cleveland. Shocker was also the oldest player on the ‘27 team…He was too ill to appear in the ’27 World Series but pitched batting practice for the Yankees, feeding them pitch after pitch right where they wanted them, allowing them to smash ball after ball out of the Stadium, un-nerving the Pirates with a tremendous power display, and setting the stage for the 4 game Series Sweep. He also has the distinction of allowing the first major league home run to Jimmie Foxx on May 31, 1927.
After the 1927 season he voluntarily retired (he did pitch three innings in 1928 but was released by the Yankees on July 6th 1928 due to poor health). Urban moved out to Colorado for health reasons and later appeared in an August 6th, Semi-Pro tournament for Denver vs. Cheyenne. He contracted Pneumonia shortly thereafter. He seemed to be on the road to recovery, but suffered a setback and passed away September 9th 1928.
Shocker was an intense, unsmiling fellow. A studious pitcher widely admired for an artful delivery and a profound knowledge of hitters. He allowed almost exactly a hit per inning, yet, as his ERA shows, not many runs. He was stingy with walks, averaging one every four innings. A serious professional, he was known as an excellent fielder and capable hitter, perhaps too serious to have a nickname, (Except for the one Babe Ruth bestowed unto him, which was rubber belly…)
In a 13-year career, he never had a losing season and compiled a .617 winning percentage. He was well-enough known in his time, yet he labored in relative obscurity.
His best years were spent with the Sisler-era Browns, a so-so team that had the bad luck to be good when the Yankees were fantastic. His final years were spent as a Yankee, but as perhaps the least flamboyant of that vivid ensemble. And he died at the untimely age of 38, much too early to have become a legend. He had a successful radio shop in St. Louis, but evidently was too ill to run it. His death, September 9th, 1928 was attributed to an overstrained "athlete's heart."
Only now does it become known that he had suffered from an enlarged heart and was unable to sleep lying down for two years…
** April 25th, 1943 - Rufe Gentry of Buffalo (International League) wins an 11-inning no-hitter against Newark 1-0. The last IL no-hitter of this length was thrown by Toronto's Urban Shocker on July 22, 1916 **