Charles Schmidt Jr.

Charles E. Schmidt Jr., born November 7th, 1907 in Fort Smith, AR1 , was a professional baseball player from 1929-1930. He was the son of Boss Schmidt and the nephew of Walter Schmidt.

Biography

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Charles Schmidt Jr. was the son of longtime baseball figure Charles Sr. and Minnie (Moore) Schmidt. As a young adult, he played both baseball and football at the University of California in Berkeley, CA2 .

After the 1929 collegiate baseball season, Schmidt and the university baseball team traveled to Japan as part of a baseball tour. When he returned, he received word from his father to report to the Detroit Tigers3 . His father was a pitching coach with Detroit at the time and that connection likely helped him earn a tryout with the team. Despite his strong physique and his father's solid reputation, the Tigers decided Charles Jr. needed minor league experience. As a result, Schmidt was sent to Toronto of the International League4 . He played one game with Toronto in 1929 before he was released in January during the offseason.

The next spring, Schmidt traveled to San Antonio, TX to try to earn a spot with the New York Giants at their spring training camp5 . He did not make the team however, and instead may have spent the 1930 season playing with Pine Bluff of the Cotton States League. In any case, Schmidt did not follow in his father's footsteps and continue to pursue a baseball career. Instead, he returned to his home in San Francisco and worked as a bank teller and later as a salesman6 7 .

Schmidt died on February 9th, 1948 in San Mateo, CA and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in San Mateo.8

Excerpts

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"The latest addition to the Tiger hurling staff is Charley Schmidt, Jr., son of the old-time catcher, now of the Detroit pay-roll as a coach of pitchers. Young Charley is an all-around athlete. He was a star football player at the University of California and a boxer of some talent. At the close of the college baseball season in June, young Schmidt joined a team of collegians for a tour of Japan. He has just returned from the Orient when he received word from his father to report to the Tigers. Young Charley is a powerful physical specimen, more so than old Charley, who had a reputation 25 years ago for being one of the greatest rough and tumble fighters extant. Old Charley confidence that his son is going to be a big league pitcher and no one doubts that he has the size. If strength and raggedness alone were required, his name could be put close to the top of the list now. But it takes more. Obviously, young Schmidt is shy of experience and he may have to serve a period in the minors before he can qualify for the American League."9

" . . . Schmidt played on the California varsity nine and just returned from a tour of the Orient with a team of collegians when Detroit signed him."10

"[Charles Schmidt Sr.] has returned to his home in San Francisco and so has his son, Charles Schmidt Jr., who had a brief trial with Detroit last Summer as a pitcher. Young Schmidt hasn't yet decided whether he wants a baseball career. He has one or more opportunities to go into business on the Coast and he may prefer that to joining some minor league club, which he would surely have to do if he resolved definitely to take up the pitching profession. All of his experience has been in college."11

"This seems to be a great year for sons of former major league players in spring training camps what with the Walshes, Leinhardts, Puttmans, Caldwells, Jacobs and Cooneys will represented in the pre-season gatherings. And in mentioning the names of boys whose fathers once blazed a trail through either the American or the National League, young Charles Schmidt, Jr., son of the former catcher of the Detroit Tigers and nephew of Walter Schmidt, who saw considerable major league service with the Pittsburgh Pirates, must not be overlooked. Charles, Jr., is receiving a trial with the New York Giants at their camp in San Antonio. The youngster is a pitcher, and if his father has succeeded in imparting to him any of the ability that he himself showed as a major league player, the lad should be a success. He is a husky boy, as was his father, still remembered for his feats of strength. Charles, Jr. is around the six-foot mark, and well built. Those have seen him in action are enthusiastic in their declarations that he has much ability, but that he needs some additional experience before he is ready for the brand of baseball the major leagues demands. Charles Schmidt, Jr., has been around a bit since last August when he signed with the Detroit Tigers. The Bengals shipped him to their Toronto International League farm, but the Leafs released him in January. He has since been trying out with the New York Giants at their Texas camp."12

Stats

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Statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.