It is 1918 and Nick Altrock is Washington’s second biggest draw on the road. The fans come out just to watch his comic routine. But on 6 June the Old Fox decides to momentarily retire the Crown Prince of Baseball and give him a new job, starter.
Earlier in the year the 42 year old Altrock had pitched well in a spring exhibition game against the Sammies. Short of pitching, Clark Griffith calls on Uncle Nick to take his turn on the mound against Hugh Jennings Tigers. Altrock proves equal to the task and the Nationals win in Detroit by the score of 3 to 2.
The game write-up gives the credit to Altrock who lasts until the eighth when he is relieved by the versatile Doc Ayers in what turns out to be a rain shortened game.
“Nick Altrock has great “comeback” to former skill. Nick Altrock’s record in his remarkable come-back, would be worthy of credit even were he not nearing his forty-second birthday, had he not been through as an active participant in baseball for eight seasons, and were this not the sixth successive year in which he had not pitched even an inning or two in a contest.”
The impressive nature of the start even tempts Clark Griffith to try his hand, “There is a suspicious gleam and a steely glitter in the eyes of Mr. Griffith that causes foreboding of fearful nature in the minds of his young mind. With not a word said by him, it is believed that Nick Altrock’s success in grabbing a 3 to 2 rain-shortened game from the Tigers on Thursday is causing Griff to wonder if he is not still the little Old Gray Fox, and if he, too, should not take a turn on the mound here.”
Nick will finish with a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 3.00. He will return to the mound in 1919 and again in 1924, his final season in the majors. Altrock is unique in that he pitched in four different decades and played in five.
His comeback is a nice tale, one of many in a long and storied career.
In an article about his efforts that day there is this little gem…
“He (Altrock) got by on fewer pitched balls than most of the youngsters do. No one has kept figures to ascertain the average number of balls pitched in a nine-inning game, but the figure is generally accepted as from 120 to 135. World Series that have been tabbed making the latter figure the correct one. Altrock retired with one man out in the eighth, and had pitched fifty-three strikes and forty-three called balls, a total of ninety-six deliveries to the batsmen.”
Some neat trivia.
Notes, we were part of the great mass of humanity standing in the heat and humidity before the gates of National Park today. Maybe the team should try to develop a policy on line control. While we are talking about that why not have a special line for those who do not have bags. Maybe have a band on hand, following the example of what the Reading Phillies, minus the mascots, to entertain crowds before special games. Karen predicted that Mr. Haren would go on the DL. A final thought, watching Mr. Harper take batting practice is worth the price of admission.
