On Monday April 4, 2016 – one day after Opening Day 2016, Major League Baseball's oldest living major leaguer, Mike Sandlock, died at his home in Cos Cob, Connecticut at the age of 100. The title of oldest living major leaguer now transfers to 99-year-old Eddie Carnett. Former Philadelphia Athletic's pitcher Carl Miles is now second on the list at age 98.
Sandlock was born in Old Greenwich, Connecticut on October 17, 1915 – four days after the Philadelphia Phillies lost their first World Series to the Boston Red Sox. He quit his job as an electrician and signed his first professional baseball contract in 1938. He was called up to the Boston Braves in 1942, worked in a munitions factory in 1943 and rejoined the Braves in 1944. He was traded to Brooklyn in 1944, where he spent two uneventful seasons as backup catcher and infielder. Sandlock then spent six years in the minor leagues before returning to the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953, as a specialty catcher for knuckleball pitcher Johnny Lindell, a former New York Yankees outfielder.
The Lindell-Sandlock battery was not a successful one, and led the league in wild pitches (11) and passed balls (15). The Pirates sold Lindell to the Phillies in August 1953, who would go on to purchase Sandlock's contract.
The Milwaukee Journal explained that the Phillies purchased Sandlock's contract because of his unique ability to handle the knuckleball, adding "It's a wonder the Phillies' other catchers didn't meet Mike Sandlock at the train with a brass band."
Former Phillie and eventual hall of fame Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker explained that the easiest way to catch a knuckleball was to wait until it stops rolling around and then pick it up. Sandlock's philosophy was less comical, but similar in intent. Sandlock was quoted in the Journal as saying,"It's no fun catching those knucklers…you just hope for the best…John [Lindell] doesn't know where it's going half the time. Neither do I…Wait until the ball comes to you."
In reality, the Phillies hoped that Sandlock's experience catching knuckleballs would benefit their entire staff. Murry Dickson and Bob Miller also threw the knuckleball, while Steve Ridzik and 1950 National League MVP Jim Konstanty threw the palmball, which was also difficult to handle.
This type of versatility led the Topps Company to produce a Mike Sandlock baseball card for their 1954 set. But Sandlock's versatility was over-hyped and he was sent down to AAA for the entire season. He retired from professional baseball following the 1954 season.
Still, his story is one of the more interesting in terms of the lost history of the Phillies.
On behalf of everyone in the Sports Talk Philly family, our thoughts and condolences are with Sandlock's family.
Matt Alberston (@mdalbert88) is a historical columnist on Philliedelphia.com.
