Art Schallock, a World War II veteran who collected three World Series rings pitching with the New York Yankees in the 1950s, has died at 100.
Schallock had been MLB’s oldest-living player since 2022.
‘We are saddened to learn of the passing of Art Schallock, who we celebrated last year on his 100th birthday,’ the league announced in a social media post on Saturday. Schallock would have turned 101 next month.
Schallock pitched for the Yankees (1951-55) and Baltimore Orioles (1955) during his MLB career. The left-hander won three World Series rings with the Yankees in 1951, 1952 and 1953, although he only appeared in one World Series game, in 1953. Schallock appeared in 58 career games (14 starts), allowing 199 hits, 76 earned runs and 11 home runs, while recording 77 strikeouts in 170.1 total innings pitched.
‘I had a great career; I can’t complain. I played with some of the best that ever played and I have three World Series rings,’ Schallock said during a 2019 interview with ‘This Great Game’ (TGG). ‘Sure, playing in the majors was stressful at times, but overall I loved every minute of it and I always look back fondly.”
Born on April 25, 1924 in Mill Valley, California, Schallock played baseball, golf and tennis at Tamalpais High School. After graduating, Schallock was drafted in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy as a radio operator aboard the USS Coral Sea.
‘I was two weeks out of high school when they drafted me. I went in the Navy and I didn’t see a baseball for three years,’ Schallock told TGG.
Schallock attended Marin Junior College after he was discharged from the Navy and went on to get signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. He pitched for various minor league teams before the Dodgers traded him to the Yankees on July 12, 1951. Schallock made his major league debut for the Yankees four days later on July 16, 1951. To do so, the Yankees optioned Mickey Mantle to the minors to free up a roster spot.
“To get on the Yankees’ roster, they had to send someone down and it turned out to be Mickey Mantle,’ Schallock said in 2019. ‘He came back quickly, but for many years Mickey and I would joke about it. … Later, when I was pitching for the Orioles, he hit a monster home run against me and smiled all around the bases.”
Schallock became MLB’s oldest-living player in July 2022 following the death of George Elder. Pitcher Bill Greason (DOB: 9/3/1924) is now the oldest-living former player at 100.
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