Charlie Schmutz

Charles Otto Schmutz
(King)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1½", Weight 195 lb.
• High School Seattle High School, Abraham Lincoln High School (Seattle)
• Debut May 13, 1914
• Final Game April 14, 1915
• Born January 1, 1892 in San Diego, CA USA
• Died June 27, 1962 in Seattle, WA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Charlie Schmutz played for the Brooklyn Robins in 1914 and 1915. He was the first major league player to be born in San Diego, CA, although for most of his life, he lived in Seattle, WA, where he died in 1962. He worked for Graybar Electric for 35 years.

He was a star pitcher for an excellent Seattle High School team in 1907 that also included Charlie Mullen and Ten Million. The team was so good that he defeated the minor league Seattle Siwashes in one game, and the team went on a cross-country tour, playing high school, semi-pro and professional teams, after the season. He transferred to Abraham Lincoln High School two years later and won another city championship with them.

He spent all of 1914 with Brooklyn, although he was used sparingly, finishing at 1-3, 3.30 in 18 games. In 1915 he made a relief appearance on Opening Day on April 14th, but it proved to be his final major league appearance as he was sent down to the minors when rosters had to be trimmed at the end of the month. He was the same age as teammate Casey Stengel.

Most of his minor league career was with teams in the Northwest. In that part of the country, he played for Tacoma, Vancouver, Salt Lake City and Seattle. In 1916 he went 19-11 for the Seattle Giants. After serving in Europe during World War I, he married a woman from a prominent local family and stopped playing professional baseball to work for Graybar Electric. He remained involved in the game pitching for semi-pro teams on week-ends, and then supporting youth baseball when he no longer played.

Further Reading

• Bill Lamb: "Charlie Schmutz: The First San Diego-Born Major Leaguer", in Cecilia M. Tan, ed.: Pacific Ghosts, The National Pastime, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2019, pp. 16-23.

Related Sites

• Charlie Schmutz at the SABR Bio Project