Wally Schang, baseball player, 1913-1931

Wally Schang

Born: 8/22/1889 in South Wales, NY, USA

Died: 3/6/1965 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1913-05-09 | Final Game: 1931-06-22

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Walter Henry Schang

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Biography

Wally Schang was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1913 to 1931, during a transformative period in the sport. Born in 1889, Schang established himself as an exceptional position player, playing in 1,842 games throughout his career. He was known for his solid offensive skills, finishing with 1,506 hits, 59 home runs, and 710 RBIs, all while maintaining a commendable batting average of .284. His ability to steal bases was also notable, as he recorded 121 stolen bases, showcasing his speed and agility on the field. Schang played in an era that saw the rise of the modern game, transitioning from the deadball era to the more dynamic play that characterized the 1920s and 1930s. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Philadelphia Athletics and the New York Yankees, were significant in shaping their successes during his tenure. As a catcher, Schang was respected not only for his batting prowess but also for his defensive capabilities behind the plate, making him a valuable asset to his teams. His legacy endures as one of the skilled players of his time, reflecting the evolution of baseball and the increasing emphasis on offensive production.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
75.0 68.0 5.0 16.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 5.0 0 0 0.235 0.288 0.338 0.626

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1926 38.0 35.0 1.0 5.0 0 0 0 1.0 2.0 0 0 0.143 0.189 0.143 0.332
1927 15.0 15.0 2.0 4.0 1.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.267 0.267 0.533 0.800
1929 18.0 15.0 1.0 6.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.400 0.471 0.600 1.071
1930 4.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.333 0.500 0.333 0.833

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1842 5307 769 1506 264 90 59 710 121 849 573 0.284 0.393 0.401 0.794 16536.3

Career AVG .284 vs. league average .274 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .393 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — +16.8% above league average.

Career SLG .401 vs. league average .376 across their career seasons — +6.7% above league average.

Career OPS 0.794 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — +11.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1913 PHA AL 79 207 32 55 16 3 3 30 4 34 44 0.266 .259 (+2%) .325 (+21%) .345 (+20%) .670 (+20%) 892.5
1914 PHA AL 107 307 44 88 11 8 3 45 7 32 33 0.287 .255 (+12%) .322 (+15%) .339 (+19%) .661 (+17%) 1018.0
1915 PHA AL 116 359 64 89 9 11 1 44 18 66 47 0.248 .250 (-1%) .318 (+21%) .332 (+3%) .651 (+12%) 1152.3
1916 PHA AL 110 338 41 90 15 8 7 38 14 38 44 0.266 .248 (+7%) .314 (+14%) .326 (+29%) .640 (+21%) 1333.5
1917 PHA AL 118 316 41 90 14 9 3 36 6 29 24 0.285 .248 (+15%) .312 (+16%) .323 (+28%) .635 (+22%) 1257.0
1918 BOS AL 88 225 36 55 7 1 0 20 4 46 35 0.244 .255 (-4%) .318 (+18%) .326 (-13%) .645 (+3%) 367.8
1919 BOS AL 113 330 43 101 16 3 0 55 15 71 42 0.306 .262 (+17%) .322 (+35%) .347 (+7%) .670 (+21%) 1778.6
1920 BOS AL 122 387 58 118 30 7 4 51 7 64 37 0.305 .271 (+12%) .331 (+24%) .363 (+24%) .694 (+24%) 2031.9
1921 NYY AL 134 424 77 134 30 5 6 55 7 78 35 0.316 .286 (+10%) .344 (+24%) .395 (+15%) .739 (+19%) 2033.0
1922 NYY AL 124 408 46 130 21 7 1 53 12 53 36 0.319 .285 (+12%) .345 (+17%) .397 (+4%) .743 (+10%) 1021.9
1923 NYY AL 84 272 39 75 8 2 2 29 5 27 17 0.276 .282 (-3%) .344 (+5%) .390 (-12%) .734 (-4%) -103.3
1924 NYY AL 114 356 46 104 19 7 5 52 2 48 43 0.292 .283 (+3%) .345 (+11%) .389 (+10%) .734 (+10%) 808.9
1925 NYY AL 73 167 17 40 8 1 2 24 2 17 9 0.240 .288 (-17%) .349 (-11%) .407 (-18%) .756 (-15%) -463.7
1926 SLA AL 103 285 36 94 19 5 8 50 5 32 20 0.330 .279 (+18%) .345 (+17%) .390 (+32%) .735 (+25%) 1414.3
1927 SLA AL 97 264 40 84 15 2 5 42 3 41 33 0.318 .282 (+13%) .344 (+20%) .392 (+14%) .736 (+17%) 1009.3
1928 SLA AL 91 245 41 70 10 5 3 39 8 68 26 0.286 .280 (+2%) .342 (+31%) .395 (+2%) .737 (+15%) 1137.7
1929 SLA AL 94 249 43 59 10 5 5 36 1 74 22 0.237 .289 (-18%) .353 (+20%) .415 (-9%) .769 (+4%) 587.1
1930 PHA AL 45 92 16 16 4 1 1 9 0 17 15 0.174 .293 (-41%) .354 (-13%) .429 (-37%) .784 (-26%) -421.2
1931 DET AL 30 76 9 14 2 0 0 2 1 14 11 0.184 .276 (-33%) .338 (-8%) .388 (-46%) .726 (-28%) -319.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
32 94 8 27 4 2 1 9 11 20 0.287

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1923 WS NYA 6 22 3 7 1 0 0 0 1 2 0.318
1922 WS NYA 5 16 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 0.188
1921 WS NYA 8 21 1 6 1 1 0 1 5 4 0.286
1918 WS BOS 5 9 1 4 0 0 0 1 2 3 0.444
1914 WS PHA 4 12 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 4 0.167
1913 WS PHA 4 14 2 5 0 1 1 7 2 4 0.357

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 60 0 84 113 24 11
C 1435 0 5202 1420 223 149
OF 167 0 335 31 23 3
SS 1 0 1 1 1 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1913 PHA C 72 0 317 97 14 9
1914 PHA C 100 0 498 154 30 11
1915 PHA 3B 43 0 64 81 18 9
1915 PHA C 26 0 110 46 9 1
1915 PHA OF 41 0 66 12 13 2
1916 PHA C 36 0 136 67 14 6
1916 PHA OF 61 0 130 10 5 0
1917 PHA 3B 12 0 18 24 3 1
1917 PHA C 80 0 267 102 17 11
1917 PHA OF 6 0 8 1 0 1
1918 BOS 3B 5 0 2 8 3 1
1918 BOS C 57 0 202 52 10 4
1918 BOS OF 16 0 31 1 3 0
1918 BOS SS 1 0 1 1 1 0
1919 BOS C 103 0 359 131 14 15
1920 BOS C 73 0 285 76 16 8
1920 BOS OF 40 0 92 7 2 0
1921 NYA C 132 0 500 101 19 13
1922 NYA C 119 0 456 102 14 12
1923 NYA C 81 0 292 60 11 6
1924 NYA C 108 0 423 89 15 9
1925 NYA C 58 0 172 55 6 8
1926 SLA C 82 0 224 75 10 7
1926 SLA OF 3 0 8 0 0 0
1927 SLA C 75 0 213 73 7 10
1928 SLA C 82 0 263 46 5 5
1929 SLA C 85 0 268 56 4 6
1930 PHA C 36 0 126 18 4 2
1931 DET C 30 0 91 20 4 6

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1431
Third Base 61
Shortstop 1
Left Field 102
Center Field 64
Right Field 5

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1914 Baseball Magazine All-Star C1
1914 Baseball Magazine All-Star C2
1913 Baseball Magazine All-Star C

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 3.0 64 0
1924 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 7.0 64 0
1922 Most Valuable Player AL 13th 7.0 64 0
1914 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 10.0 64 0
1913 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 11.0 64 0