Wildfire Schulte
Encyclopedia
Frank M. "Wildfire" Schulte (September 17, 1882 - October 2, 1949) was an American
right fielder
and left-handed slugger in Major League Baseball
who played for the Chicago Cubs
(1904–16), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1916–17), Philadelphia Phillies
(1917) and Washington Senators
(1918).
Schulte was born in Cochecton, New York. Signed by Frank Chance
after a brief minor league career, Schulte was a part-time player for the Cubs in 1904, playing in 20 games and hitting .286. He enjoyed his best season in 1911, leading the National League
in home run
s (21), RBI
(107), extra base hit
s (72), total bases
(308) and slugging percentage (.534); was 3rd in OPS
(.918) and triples
(21); 4th in runs
(105) and hits
(173), and finished with an exact .300 batting average
, to became the first player in National League history to win the Most Valuable Player Award
. In addition, with his 30 doubles
, he became the founding member of the 20–20–20 club
.
Schulte is also one of only four players in MLB history in the 20–20–20–20 club (i.e., 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases). The only other players to accomplish the feat are Willie Mays
in 1957, Curtis Granderson
in 2007, and Jimmy Rollins
, also in 2007.
Schulte died in Oakland, California
at age of 67.
In 2008, Frank Wildfire Schulte was portrayed by David Martin Rose, in the feature film "Diminished Capacity
," starring Matthew Broderick
, Virginia Madsen
, and Alan Alda
. The film follows the characters as they struggle to hold onto a very rare Schulte Baseball card.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007950
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and left-handed slugger in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1904–16), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1916–17), Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1917) and Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1918).
Schulte was born in Cochecton, New York. Signed by Frank Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
after a brief minor league career, Schulte was a part-time player for the Cubs in 1904, playing in 20 games and hitting .286. He enjoyed his best season in 1911, leading the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (21), RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(107), extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (72), total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(308) and slugging percentage (.534); was 3rd in OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(.918) and triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(21); 4th in runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(105) and hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(173), and finished with an exact .300 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, to became the first player in National League history to win the Most Valuable Player Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. In addition, with his 30 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, he became the founding member of the 20–20–20 club
20–20–20 club
The 20–20–20 club is a term coined by sportswriters that describes a fairly exclusive group of Major League Baseball players: those who have reached the 20 double, 20 triple, and 20 home run plateaus in the same season...
.
Schulte is also one of only four players in MLB history in the 20–20–20–20 club (i.e., 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases). The only other players to accomplish the feat are Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
in 1957, Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before joining the Yankees in 2010, he played with the Detroit Tigers . A center fielder, Granderson is known for being a five-tool player...
in 2007, and Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
, also in 2007.
Schulte died in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
at age of 67.
In 2008, Frank Wildfire Schulte was portrayed by David Martin Rose, in the feature film "Diminished Capacity
Diminished Capacity
Diminished Capacity is a comedy film directed by Terry Kinney and starring Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Alda. It was released at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and opened in theaters in July 2008...
," starring Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
, Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
, and Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
. The film follows the characters as they struggle to hold onto a very rare Schulte Baseball card.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007950
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions