Art Schallock, Oldest Living Former MLB Player, Dies at Age 100

Art Schallock, who pitched for the New York Yankees during the team's 1953 World Series win, has died at age 100.

MLB announced the news Saturday.

Schallock, who was the AL and NL's oldest former player, would have turned 101 next month.

Schallock pitched in 58 games over five MLB seasons for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles between 1951 and 1955. He finished his career having struck out 77 batters in 170.1 innings pitched.

He made his MLB debut after the Yankees optioned future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle in July 1951, something he told This Great Game he and Mantle later joked about.

He also roomed with another future Hall of Famer in Yogi Berra shortly after his call-up, he told Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.

Schallock was later part of three title-winning Yankees rosters and pitched in one Fall Classic. He retired the Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson during the 1953 World Series, per McCauley.

“Those were some great times,” Schallock said about his Yankees career last April, per MLB.com's Dan Cichalski. “Hard to believe I’m hitting 100, but looking back on my life, I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had.”

Schallock was born in April 1924 in Mill Valley, California, and later served in the Navy during World War II, per SABR's Bill Nowlin. After his MLB retirement, he worked for multiple real estate firms and loved to golf and fish, per MLB.com's Dan Cichalski and Daniel Johnson of the Sonoma Index-Tribune.

“It’s been a wonderful career, but if I had to do it over again, I would play more golf and do more trout fishing. I love trout fishing—but I don’t like to eat ’em,” Schallock told Johnson last April.

Schallock was predeceased by his wife, Donna, who died in 2023 after 76 years of marriage.