Max Patkin

Max Patkin

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.
• High School West Philadelphia High School, Brown Preparatory School

• Born January 10, 1920 in Philadelphia, PA USA
• Died October 30, 1999 in Paoli, PA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

The second "Clown Prince of Baseball," after Al Schacht, Max Patkin performed for 51 years as a baseball clown. After an arm injury curtailed his minor league career, Patkin joined the Navy during World War II.

Stationed in Hawaii in 1944, Patkin was pitching for a service team. Joe DiMaggio homered off the lanky right hander. In mock anger, Patkin threw his glove down then followed DiMaggio around the bases, much to the delight of the fans, and a career was born.

Later in the 1940s, Patkin was hired as a coach by Bill Veeck and the Cleveland Indians. After Veeck sold the team in 1949, Patkin began barnstorming around the country.

As a barnstormer, Patkin played minor league stadiums throughout the United States and Canada. He had a face, seemingly made of rubber, that could make a thousand shapes. He was rail thin and wore a baggy uniform with a question mark (?) on the back in place of a number, and a ballcap that was always askew. While some derided his act as corny, he became a beloved figure in baseball circles, especially after an appearance in the film Bull Durham.

Patkin estimated he made more than 4,000 appearances. On July 20, 1969, he played to a crowd of four in Great Falls, Montana: most area residents were home watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon. Between 1944 and 1993, he did not miss an appearance.

Max Patkin retired from clowning in 1995 at the age of 75. He died of an aneurysm in 1999.

Related Sites

• Max Patkin at the SABR Bio Project
• Patkin obituary
• Long profile of Patkin