Baseball Celebration

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Baseball Celebration
Sunday: September 16, 2007
And
Monday:" September 17, 2007
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/SectionVTalksback/schulte.jpg http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/SectionVTalksback/137px-Wildfire_Schulte_Chicago_Cubs.jpg
Cohocton native Frank M. "Wildfire" Schulte, the 1911 NL MVP

Commemorating The Town Of Cohocton Baseball Team "The Pioneers" and the 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Frank M. "Wildfire" Schulte the 1911 National League M.V.P from the Chicago Cubs who was born in Cohocton.

Following a "Sandlot" Baseball game they will unveil a Baseball Exhibit at the Historical Society building. Former Kansas City Royal John Sullivan will throw out the first pitch.

Born September 17th 1882 in Cohocton, NY Died October 2nd 1949, In 1906 he led the league with 13 Triples and led the league with 10 Home Runs in 1910 when he hit .301. Schulte was named the National League M.V.P in 1911. He batted .300 that year and had a legue-leading 21 Home Runs, 107 RBI, and .534 slugging percentage. His home run total was the highest in the Twentieth Century up to that time and the fourth highest in major league history. A left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, the 5'11", 170 pounder had a.270 career average with 1,776 hits, including 288 doubles, 124 triples and 92 home runs. He stole 233 bases, scored 906 runs, and had 792 RBI. "Wildfire" is #33 on Cubs "Top 100 Cubs of All Time" list, he was the first ever Chicago Cub to be named M.V.P

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MLB Debut: September 21,1904 For Chicago Cubs

Final Game: September 2,1918 for the Washington Senators

Teams: Chicago Cubs (1904-1916)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1916-1917)
Philadelphia Phillies (1917)
Washington Senators (1918)

Career Highlights and awards: World Series Champions: 1907,1908
National League Pennant: 1906,1910
1911 National League M.V.P
National League home run champion
1910, 1911
National League RBI Champion 1911

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(Article Not available online)

Cohocton Gears Up to Celebrate Its Own Backyard Baseball History!
by Frank Williams
Genesee Country Express

What a surprise it must be to be doing some research one day &
discover that you had a real live major league baseball player in your
backyard?! That's the story in Cohocton these days at people there are
gearing up a celebration of the life of Frank "Wildfire" Schulte who
gained fame in the "bigs" back in the "dead ball"era of the early
1900's with the Chicago Cubs. Matter of fact, Schulte played right
field for the last Cubs team to ever win the pennant!
The Cohocton Historical Society under the guidance of Diane Zeh
& Jane Towner has been planning a 125th anniversary of Schulte's birth
set for Sept. 16 & 17th at the Cohocton Sports Complex. Some of the
preliminary plans are to have an "old timers game" while honoring all
players who ever played for any of the Cohocton Town baseball teams
(including the Pioneers, Blue Goose, White Buck, or the Red Wings) They
are invited to take part in a game that's slated for 2pm on Sunday
Sept. 16th. Dansville native, & former major league player and coach
John Sullivan will be throwing out the first pitch. An invitation has
been extended to Joe Altobelli as well. A chicken barbaque will also
take place while a re-enactment of Abbott & Costello's "who's on first"
is being planned as well. The historical society is hoping to put
together an exhibit of Schulte memorabilia as well.
Monday Sept. 17th, the actual anniversary of "Wildfire's" birth
there is more excitement. This time the action is at the Cohocton Post
Office where a "Commemorative Postal Cancellation for the 125th
Anniversary of Schulte's Birth" will take place.
Research by Sam Burke & many others reveals some highlights of
Frank M. "Wildire" Schulte's career include....playing for 4 major
league teams from 1904-1918 ( including a dozen years with the Chicago
Cubs)....winning the World Series title in 1907 & 1908....National
League pennant in 1906 & 1910....he was 1911 National League Most
Valuable Player {21 homers, 107 rbis, .300}...National League home run
champion 1910 & 1911....& National League rbi leader in 1911.
Other notes on his life include....being born to German immagrant
John Schulte Sept. 17, 1882...his father tried to bribe him with a
thousand dollars to give up his baseball career to become a bookeeper
for his dad's contracting business...."Wildfire's" World Series shares
alone totaled $ 6,160.28....had a triple, double & single in his first
major league game on Sept. 21, 1904 for the Cubs vs. Phillies....stole
home 22 times in his career....eccentricities included combing the
streets looking for hairpins stating that they would predict his
success in the batter's box...used a thin-handled 40 oz bat where he
was known to break an 'uneard of' 50 bats a season during the dead-ball
era.....owns a .309 World Series batting average & in his 4 Series
appearances had a 13 game hitting streak ....in his M.V.P.
season also had a .534 slugging percentage, had 173 hits...105 runs &
became the first player ever to top the 2O mark in doubles (30),
triples (21), homers (21), & stolen bases (23)...also had 31 sacrifices
that year...married Mabel Kirby on June 26, 1911 in Chicago...later
settled in Oakland, California where he passed away at age 67 on Oct.
2, 1949.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson joined Willie Mays and Frank "Wildfire" Schulte as the only players in major-league history with 20 stolen bases, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 doubles. Granderson stole his 20th base Sunday in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners, and receiced a rousing, standing ovation from fans in the stands and teammates in the dugout at Detroits Comerica Park.

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Cohocton to honor ‘Wildfire' Schulte

By SHAWN VARGO
svargo@the-leader.com

COHOCTON | The Cohocton Historical Society will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Frank “Wildfire” Schulte - a Cohocton native that earned the National League Most Valuable Player award while playing for the Chicago Cubs in 1911 - with festivities Sunday and Monday.

Highlighting Sunday's events will be a chicken barbeque at 1 p.m. and a baseball game at 2 p.m. at Cohocton Elementary School. A performance of Abbott and Costello's “Who's on First” skit, by Greg Parks and Luke Day is also planned following the game. An exhibit of Schulte and Cohocton baseball memorabilia will also be on display at the Historical Society building on Maple Ave following the game.

Among the items will be Schulte baseball cards and a tobacco button and an autographed bat.

Schulte, who was born on Sept. 17 1882, made a name for himself playing for town and factory teams near his Cohocton home. His contract was purchased by the Cubs in 1904 and he made his major league debut on Sept. 21 - where he played the outfield and had five hits in a doubleheader.

Schulte was part of the Cubs' world championship teams of 1907 and 1908, but had his career season in 1911 when he hit 21 home runs and drove in 107 runs. Showcasing his speed, he also had 30 doubles, 21 triples and stole 22 bases - making him the first quadruple 20 player in history (home runs, doubles, triples and steals).

That season earned him the Chalmers award (now known as the MVP award) and a Chalmers automobile.

How difficult a feat was it?

Willie Mays next accomplished it in 1957 and Detroit's Curtis Granderson just completed it last week to become the third member.

Schulte died in Oakland, California in 1949 at the age of 67.

Sunday's game will feature former baseball players from the area. Richie Zeh, 96, the oldest living member of the Cohocton Pioneers, is expected to appear. Hank Moschano and Art Veeder, who also played with the Pioneers and Cohocton Red Wings, will also be honored.

Local personalities expected to play include Bob Rossi, Lou Condon and Rich Woodcock (Corning), Ivan Cranmer, Ben Joseph, Bob Buckley and Tom Sutryk (Bath), Len Cotter and Al Sutryk (Bradford), Charlie Alsheimer, Walt Alsheimer, Walt Matthews, Dana Wightman, Terry Ostrander, Dick Hargraves, Jim Johnson, Bud Johnson, Jim Goodrich, Bob Cleeves and Bill Cleeves (Avoca), Brian Putnam, Elton Shaw and Jim Fitzwater (Prattsburgh), Elsie Tripp, Jim Burke, Gene Kuhn, Vin Vogt, Henry Delio, Wayne Wagner, Bill McInnis, Mike Parks, Gratten Wallace, Jim Mehlenbacher, Joe Delio, Terry Brown and Bill Matthews (Cohocton), John Crossett, Gene Baird, Dick Vanscoter, John Wearkley, Dick Hober, Don Folts and Jr. Johnson (Wayland), Len Caruso, Joe Mauro, Mike Fortuna, Don Fortuna, Don Loper (Hornell) and Tom Kenney and Rick Muchler (Dansville).

“The historical society called me and told me what they were doing and they asked me to arrange a sandlot game. To find out about this guy Schulte was amazing,” said Jim Burke. “Because I managed a lot of Cohocton teams, I had quite a few names and addresses. We've got about 50-55 guys coming.”

On Monday, a postal cancellation ceremony will be held throughout the day, featuring a cancellation stamp featuring Schulte, which was designed by Cohocton Historical Society President Diane Zeh.

“We went to a lot of effort to be granted permission to have the stamp made. We had to make sure an estate didn't have the rights to his likeness or image,” Zeh said. “It features Schulte's image, the 125th anniversary, Cohocton, New York and Monday's date.”

The Historical Society will be open after the game Sunday, then at 9 a.m. Monday.