Born August 12, 1892, in Harvel, Illinois, was Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher, Ray Schalk. in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons, from 1912 to 1929. He played for the Chicago White Sox for most of his career, and also spent one season with the New York Giants.
Schalk was a master of the defensive side of the game. To his credit he was able to handle pitchers and many times made them have better performances on the mound. He led the American League in fielding percentage eight times and putouts nine times. He was also credited with catching four no-hitters, though one of those was later taken away.
Schalk was not a power hitter, but he was a reliable contact hitter. He had a career batting average of .253, with 11 home runs and 594 RBIs. He was also a good base runner, stealing 177 bases in his career.
Schalk was a key member of the White Sox teams that won the World Series in 1917 and 1919. He was also a player-manager for the White Sox in 1927 and 1928.