Ossee Freeman Schreckengost (April 11, 1875 – July 9, 1914), born F. Osee Schrecongost, was an American
professional baseball catcher and
first baseman. He played for seven
Major League Baseball (MLB) teams between 1897 and 1908. Between 1902 and 1908, he caught for the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
, where he was the roommate and
battery mate for pitcher
Rube Waddell. Schreckengost's first name is sometimes spelled "Ossie" and his last name is sometimes shortened to "Schreck" to suit the limited space in baseball box scores.
Early life
Schreckengost was born in
New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Naaman Schrecongost and the former Sarah Caroline Protzman. The family lived in the nearby town of
Fairmount City for a few years when Schreckengost was a child before moving the two miles back to New Bethlehem. Schreckengost worked in the mines and played local baseball in New Bethlehem before he went to
Williamsport in 1895 to play semipro baseball.
Career
He made his
Major League Baseball debut with the
Louisville Colonels on September 8, 1897.
[ He spent the 1898 season and part of the 1899 season with the Cleveland Spiders before joining the ]St. Louis Perfectos
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
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, where he took over at first base for the team's player-manager, Patsy Tebeau.
Playing in the minor leagues with the Buffalo Bisons in 1900 and with the Boston Red Sox in 1901, Schreckengost went to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1902. He played in the 1905 World Series
The 1905 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1905 season. It was the second edition of the World Series after the 1903 Series, since the 1904 season ended with no Series held. The 1905 Series matched the Nat ...
, but the Athletics lost the series 4-1 to the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Schreckengost appeared in three games, recording two hits in nine at bats and scoring two runs. It was his only career World Series appearance.[
He appeared in his final game on October 2, 1908, which was the perfect game pitched by Addie Joss. He was also on the wrong side of Cy Young's perfect game, pitched four years earlier. He may be best remembered for being Rube Waddell's primary catcher and roommate for the duration of Waddell's Philadelphia Athletic years. Waddell's unpredictable and bizarre nature famously led to Ossee insisting on a "no crackers in bed" clause added to Waddell's contract.] Schreckengost played without shin guards and was one of the last major-league catchers to do so.
Later life
Though Schreckengost made his last major-league appearance in 1908, he spent the next two years in the minor leagues. He died of uremia at the age of 39 in Philadelphia; he collapsed at a local café the day before his death.[ He was buried at Kittanning Cemetery in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.Baseball-Almanac.com]
Retrieved October 24, 2006. His battery mate Waddell had died a few months before him. Schreckengost was survived by his wife, the former June Reed, who was from New Castle, Pennsylvania.
References
External links
*
TheDeadBallEra.com
– Schreckengost's grave marker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schreckengost, Ossee
1875 births
1914 deaths
People from Clarion County, Pennsylvania
Baseball players from Pennsylvania
Major League Baseball catchers
Louisville Colonels players
Cleveland Spiders players
St. Louis Perfectos players
Boston Americans players
Cleveland Bronchos players
Philadelphia Athletics players
Chicago White Sox players
19th-century baseball players
Williamsport Demorest Bicycle Boys players
Augusta Kennebecs players
Shamokin Coal Heavers players
Sunbury Pirates players
Fall River Indians players
Cedar Rapids Rabbits players
Ottumwa Giants players
Youngstown Puddlers players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Columbus Senators players
Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
Marion Diggers players