Jeff Schattinger

 

Jeff Schattinger pitched in one game for the 1981 Kansas City Royals.

Jeffrey Charles Schattinger was born October 25, 1955, in Fresno, California. His father, Dick, played in the Pirates’ organization from 1947 to 1949. Jeff attended San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, where he was an all-state first baseman and also lettered in football, graduating in 1973. After spending time at Fresno State and at Fresno City Junior College and not getting anywhere baseball-wise, he took a year off, then, as related in a 1981 Omaha World-Herald article:

A friend of USC coaching veteran Rod Dedeaux suggested Schattinger give the Trojans a try as a walk-on, so he did.

“I was trying to make the team as a first baseman,” the 25-year-old Schattinger said. “They noticed that I had a ball that moved so they said, ‘Look at the percentages. We’ll have one first baseman on this team and 10 pitchers. Where do you think your best chance is?’”

“So I became a pitcher.”

The 6-foot-5 right-hander enjoyed success, capping his collegiate career with a save in the championship game of the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in 1978.

“That was a real big thrill,” Schattinger said. “I came in with the bases loaded against Arizona State and got Bob Horner (who a week later became the sensation of the Atlanta Braves) for the third out.”

Everything looked rosy for Schattinger at that point. He had been drafted by the California Angels.

“I was excited that the Angels had drafted me because they were so close to home.” Schattinger said.

“I was really feeling good about everything, having had a hand in a national championship and being drafted by the Angels all within a couple of days,” recalled Schattinger.

“Then my bubble really burst when I returned home to negotiate my first professional contract. I thought it was a degrading offer. They must have thought of me as a real low prospect.”

Jeff pitched briefly that summer for the Humboldt Crabs, an amateur team of college players, then joined the semi-pro Macy’s Diesels of Rapid City, South Dakota, who made it to the championship game of the National Baseball Congress tournament—Jeff was named the right-handed pitcher on the all-tournament team.

In January 1979 Jeff was drafted again, by the Royals, and he signed with them. In March he got married. He started the season with the Fort Myers Royals of the Class A Florida State League, where, though he was always seen as a reliever, he pitched more as a starter to get more innings of pro experience. He had a 3.33 ERA in 92 innings, with 56 strikeouts and 52 walks, before being moved up to the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AA Southern League. In 22 games there, all in relief, he had a 3.13 ERA and an 8-2 record in 46 innings, striking out 17 and walking 26.

In January 1980 Jeff filled out a questionnaire in which he mentioned that his nickname was “Schatt,” his ancestry was German-English, his home address was still in Fresno, he got a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from USC, and his hobbies were weight lifting, golf, and crafts. He spent the season with the Omaha Royals of the Class AAA American Association, making two emergency starts in August but otherwise spending all his time in the bullpen. He had a 3.89 ERA in 111 innings in 48 games, with 48 strikeouts and 53 walks.

In 1981 Jeff returned to Omaha, and he moved from middle relief to the closer’s role. He got off to a good start and there was speculation about him being called up to Kansas City, but that was the year that the major league players went on strike in early June. The minor leagues continued, and going into the game of June 20 Jeff had an ERA of 0.55. On July 30 the article I quoted from earlier appeared in the Omaha World-Herald, and it also included this passage:

Schattinger said he comes to the park every night expecting to pitch. In one stretch recently, his expectations were rewarded. In eight days he pitched in nine of the 11 Omaha games.

“I like a lot of work, but that may have been a little too much,” Schattinger said. “I was beginning to feel it.”

Schattinger has a 7-1 record, with 16 saves. His earned run average is 2.14, best on the team.

Under normal circumstances, he probably would have been promoted to the big leagues a long time ago with that kind of record. But the major league strike puts that out of his mind, he said.

“I just go out every day and do what I’m asked to do,” Schattinger said. “As for the big leagues, that’s up to someone else.”

Schattinger added a third delivery to his repertoire last year, a submarine pitch.

“That gives me a third pitch to go with the fast ball and slider,” he said. “I don’t throw it as hard as I do when I throw sidearm. In fact, sometimes it breaks better if I don’t try to throw it as hard.”

Schattinger considers himself a student of the game, but doesn’t keep a “book” on what every batter does against him.

“I remember what a guy hits off me without keeping a book,” he said. “What I try to do is mix up the pitches…keep the batters off balance.

“And there’s always that thing—throw strikes, but don’t give them anything they can hit. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

The major leagues resumed on August 10, but Jeff didn’t get the call yet. On the 18^th he earned his 21^st save, breaking the Omaha team record held by Dan Quisenberry, and he finished with 23 in 59 games, with a 2.65 ERA in 78 innings, and improved his control, walking 33. He was named to the league all-star team; meanwhile the Royals won the west division with the best record in the league, but they lost in the playoffs to east division champs Evansville. After the series he was called up to Kansas City.

Jeff didn’t get into a game for the Royals until September 21, at home against Minnesota, when he was brought in at the beginning of the sixth, behind 7-2. The first batter he faced, Dave Engle, reached first on an error on George Brett, and Jeff hit two batters that inning, but he retired Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, and Butch Wynegar and kept the Twins from scoring. He allowed a single and a walk in the seventh, but ended the inning on a double play, and the first batter in the eighth singled but Jeff got the next three outs. He was removed after that, pitching three scoreless innings despite six baserunners. He didn’t get into another game.

In 1982 Jeff went to spring training with the Royals, and on March 24 the UPI reported that he was in contention for a starting job; however, that same day he was traded to the White Sox for utility infielder Greg Pryor. Chicago GM Roland Hemond said “We’ve liked him at various times in the Instructional League, and at Jacksonville and Omaha.” However, on April 2 Jeff was optioned to the White Sox’ AAA team, the Edmonton Trappers of the Pacific Coast League. He did very poorly there, with an 8.36 ERA in 56 innings in 31 games, allowing 91 hits and 42 walks while striking out 20. In August he was demoted to the Glens Falls White Sox of the Class AA Eastern League, where he bounced back to a 2.63 ERA in 13 2/3 innings, with nine strikeouts and eight walks.

I didn’t find any information about what happened next to Jeff. I just know that at some point in the 1983 season he got into six games for the Mexico City Reds of the Mexican League, pitching a total of 3 2/3 innings and earning two saves. Then he popped up with the Birmingham Barons, Detroit’s AA affiliate in the Southern League, where he got into another six games at the end of the season, allowing just two hits in 7 1/3 innings but walking eight, with a 1.23 ERA. He then earned a save in the final game as Birmingham defeated Jacksonville in the league’s championship series.

In spring training 1984 Jeff was competing for a bullpen spot at Evansville, the Tigers’ AAA team; it was said that he was one of eight pitchers competing for three open jobs. He didn’t make it, though, and after that all I found about him were 2015, 2016, and 2018 references to his participating in Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association youth baseball clinics in Florida.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Pschaj101.htm

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schatje01.shtml