Schulte, Frank M. "Wildfire"
Baseball
b. Sept. 17, 1882, Cohocton, NY
d. Oct. 2, 1949
A solid hitter and fine defensive center fielder, Schulte joined the NL's Chicago Cubs late in the 1904 season and became a starter in 1905. Injuries troubled him for his first several years, but he led the league with 13 triples in 1906 and with 10 home runs in 1910, when he hit .301.
Schulte was named the NL's most valuable player in 1911. He batted .300 that year and had a league-leading 21 home runs, 107 RBI, and .534 slugging percentage. His home run total was the highest in the twentieth century up to that time and the fourth highest in major league history.
He then settled back into a good but not outstanding career. The Cubs traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1916 season and the Pirates sent him to Philadelphia the following year. Schulte retired after spending the 1918 season with the AL's Washington Senators.
A left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder had a .270 career average with 1,776 hits, including 288 doubles, 124 triples, and 92 home runs. He stole 233 bases, scored 906 runs, and had 792 RBI.