Carl Zamloch
Carl Zamloch | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Oakland, California, U.S. | October 6, 1889|
Died: August 19, 1963 Santa Barbara, California, U.S. | (aged 73)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
May 7, 1913, for the Detroit Tigers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 9, 1913, for the Detroit Tigers | |
MLB statistics | |
Earned run average | 2.45 |
Win–loss record | 1–6 |
Strikeouts | 28 |
Teams | |
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Carl Eugene Zamloch (October 6, 1889 – August 19, 1963) was an American baseball player, manager, and coach, and magician.
The son of famed magician Anton Zamloch, he performed as a boy in his father's vaudeville magic act. He then played professional baseball player for 20 years, principally as a right-handed pitcher, between 1911 and 1930, including one season in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers in 1913. He compiled a 1–6 win–loss record and a 2.45 earned run average (ERA) in the major leagues. In nine minor league seasons for which records are available, he appeared in 154 games with a 25–25 record.
For 13 seasons from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1928, he compiled a 146–91–7 record as the head baseball coach for the University of California Golden Bears baseball team. Zamloch also served as the manager of the Twin Falls Bruins in 1926 and the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League from 1930 to 1932. He was also a part owner of the Oaks from 1929 to 1934. He also performed for much of his life as a magician.
Early years
Zamloch was born in Oakland, California, in 1889.[1] His father Anton Zamloch was one of the most famous magicians (performing under the name "Zamloch the Great" and "Professor Zamloch") in the late 19th century and early 20th century.[2] As a boy, Zamloch was the assistant in his father's magic act.[3]
Baseball career
Playing career
Zamloch began playing professional baseball in 1910, at age 19, as a
In October 1912, Zamloch was sold to the
Although his major league career ended in 1913, he continued to play in the minor leagues for several additional years, including stints with the
College coaching and military service
In February 1916, Zamloch was hired to coach the California Golden Bears baseball team.[13] He continued to serve as Cal's head baseball coach from 1916 to 1917 and 1919 to 1928.[14] For several years, he coached Cal through their season which ended in April and then played minor league baseball for the balance of the spring and summer months.
In 1917, he attempted to enlist in the
Zamloch was released from the Army in January 1919.[18] He returned to Cal, and during his 13-year tenure as Cal's baseball coach, his teams had a record of 146–91–7.[19] In 1928, while coaching at Cal, he gained attention for developing "reversible baseball" which allowed a batter to run the bases in either direction (starting at first or at third base), provided that if there was already a man on base, subsequent batters had to run in the same direction chosen by the man already on base.[20][21]
He was also the coach of the California Golden Bears soccer team from 1925 to 1931, and during Zamloch's time as head coach, the soccer team had a record of 34–17–7.[22] He worked as an insurance salesman, and later as a stock broker, when he was not coaching.[23][24]
Oakland Oaks
In October 1929, Zamloch and two others, A. Robert Miller and Victor Devincenzi, purchased the Oakland Oaks baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from J. Cal Ewing for a price estimated to be close to $500,000.[25] As part of the acquisition, it was agreed that Zamloch would leave his position with the University of California and take over as the manager of the Oaks.[25] His resignation as a coach at the university was accepted in early December 1929.[26]
Zamloch served as the team's manager for three years, leading the Oaks to a 91–103 in 1930, an 86–101 record in 1931, and an 80–107 in 1932.[27] After the 1932 season, Zamloch was removed as the manager of the Oaks.[28] He also became involved in litigation with his former co-owners over claims that he failed to share a commission for the purchase of the club in 1929 and that he was owed salary for his service as the club's manager.[29] In December 1934, Zamloch sold his stock in the Oaks to Victor Devincenzi.[30]
Professional magician
Zamloch also worked and performed as a magician for many years. While coaching at the University of California in the late 1920s, he worked as a stock broker in the morning, coached baseball in the afternoon, and performed his magic act in the evenings.[3] Zamloch reportedly was also adept at using "a bit of magic" as an ice-breaker in starting discussions with baseball prospects.[31]
After his baseball career was over, Zamloch performed his magic act at schools, clubs, and other events.[32][33] His acted included sleight of hand, card tricks, a spirit show, slate writing and cabinet tests, a mysterious trunk, a mailbag escape, driving a car on public street while blindfolded and guided by a "psychic sense," his father's Hindu rope trick, Houdini's needle and thread trick, the Egyptian fire trick, a Chinese silk and water feat, vanishing pigeons, and the mystery of the six boxes.[34][35][36][37] In 1937, he published a book, "17 Simple but Mystifying Tricks to Entertain Your Friends", under the pseudonym "The Great Zam."[27]
Later years
From 1936 until his death in 1963, he worked as a sales executive and legislative consultant for the Signal Oil and Gas Company.
Head coaching record
College baseball
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
California Golden Bears (Pacific Coast Conference) (1916–1917) | |||||||||
1916 | California | 11–11–2 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
1917 | California | 12–8–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
California Golden Bears (Pacific Coast Conference) (1919–1929) | |||||||||
1919 | California | 7–5 | 0–2 | 6th | |||||
1920 | California | 22–10–1 | 5–1 | 1st | |||||
1921 | California | 10–8–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
1922 | California | 12–6–1 | 2–1 | 2nd | |||||
1923 | California | 12–7–1 | 3–0 | 1st (South) | |||||
1924 | California | 13–11 | 3–3 | T–1st | |||||
1925 | California | 11–2 | 1–2 | 2nd (South) | |||||
1926 | California | 8–6 | 4–2 | 1st (South) | |||||
1927 | California | 4–9 | 4–8 | 5th (CIBA) | |||||
1928 | California | 8–4 | 8–4 | 2nd (CIBA) | |||||
1929 | California | 16–7 | 11–3 | 1st (CIBA) | |||||
California: | 146–91–7 | 50–26 | |||||||
Total: | 146–91–7 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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References
- ^ a b c "Carl Zamloch". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Fitzhamon, E.G. (April 3, 1927). "Magician's Bees Replace Black Art: 'Zamloch the Great,' Past 70, and Wife Retire Here After a Half Century of Mystifying U.S. Audiences". Oakland Tribune.
- ^
- ^ a b c "Carl Zamloch Minor League Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^
- ^ "The Centennial of The University of California, 1868–1968". content.cdlib.org. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "California History | California Golden Bears". cstv.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "2012 Golden Bears Record Book" (PDF). University of California. 2012. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^
- ^ a b "Carl Zamloch". William B. Shubb. 1999. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ISBN 9780786420902. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Magic Program for Traffic Commission". Oakland Tribune. August 26, 1934. p. 33.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)