Former AL MVP Shantz, 90, makes annual visit to Pottstown
Ageless.
He may not feel that way, but Bobby Shantz is showing himself to be very much so.
Wednesday afternoon, the 90-year-old Pottstown High alumnus made his annual visit to the high school — and the field that bears his name — in conjunction with the Trojans’ Pioneer Athletic Conference game with Perkiomen Valley. Still driving despite his age, Shantz made the trip from his current home in Ambler to throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch, meet the players and coaches from both teams and greet fans who came out to see a living legend and 1952’s Most Valuable Player from Major League Baseball’s American League.
Shantz noted how a friend of his, during a recent phone conversation, pointed out another distinction in regard to that honor.
“He asked me if I knew Yogi Berra had died,” Shantz recalled. “I told him I knew that. He then told me that made me the oldest living MVP.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ How would you prove that?”
That 1952 season ranks as the best of Shantz’s career, which started in 1949 with the Philadelphia Athletics and ended in 1964 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He won 24 games — leading the American League — and helped the A’s finish fourth on the circuit.
Shantz pitched for eight teams during his major-league career: The Philadelphia (1949-1954) and Kansas City (1955-1956) A’s, New York Yankees (1957-1960), Pittsburgh Pirates (1961), Houston Colt .45’s (1962), St. Louis Cardinals (1962-1964), Chicago Cubs (1964) and the Phillies (1964). Switching from starting pitcher to reliever midway through his career, the southpaw had a career win-loss record of 119-99 and earned-run average of 3.38.
Shantz won eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1957 to 1964 (American League, 1957-60; National League, 1961-64) and was selected for the All-Star Game in 1951, 1952 and 1957. He appeared in relief in three games of the 1957 and 1960 World Series with the Casey Stengel-managed New York Yankees.
Shantz’ connection to the legendary Yankees manager was evidenced by the baseball hat he wore to Wednesday’s game.
“Casey Stengel gave me this cap and told me to wear it,” Shantz recalled.
The namesake of Pottstown High’s Bobby Shantz Field also spoke favorably about the upkeep of the facility, which recently added a banner to the backstop acknowledging the 1972 team’s Ches-Mont championship. During his visit, he chatted with three members of that club: Keith Stahl, George Bailey and Marvin Whitehurst.
“They’re doing a good job on it,” he said.
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The current Trojans did Shantz proud in the game that followed but ultimately ended up on the losing end when Joe Gorla’s RBI double, scoring Matt Szeczesny, in the seventh inning proved the decisive run in a 5-4 Perkiomen Valley victory.
Sean Moriarity and Szczesny each had two hits for PV and Mark Ott was 3-for-3 with an RBI while freshman pitcher Tyler Strechay went the distance and got the win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out five.
Pottstown’s Mason Pennypacker (two RBI) and Logan Pennypacker each had two hits. Owen Morton worked six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, getting a no decision.
PV opened a 4-0 lead through three innings before the Trojans plated a pair on the third and fourth innings. It remained that way until the decisive seventh.
