# Mike Schemer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Schemer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mike_Schemer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Schemer > Source revision: 1346291100 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American baseball player (1917–1983)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Mike Schemer |position=[First baseman](/source/First_baseman) |image=Lefty Schemer.jpg |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{Birth date|1917|11|20}} |birth_place=[Baltimore, Maryland](/source/Baltimore%2C_Maryland), US |death_date={{death date and age|1983|4|22|1917|11|20}} |death_place=[Miami, Florida](/source/Miami%2C_Florida), US |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=August 8 |debutyear=1945 |debutteam=New York Giants |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=April 24 |finalyear=1946 |finalteam=New York Giants |statleague = MLB |stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball)) |stat1value=.330 |stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s |stat2value=1 |stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in) |stat3value=10 |teams= *[New York Giants](/source/History_of_the_New_York_Giants_(baseball)) (1945–1946) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [baseball](/source/baseball)}} {{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[Baseball World Cup](/source/Baseball_World_Cup)}} {{MedalSilver| [1938 Great Britain](/source/1938_Amateur_World_Series) | [National team](/source/United_States_national_baseball_team)}} }} '''Michael Schemer''' (November 20, 1917 – April 22, 1983), nicknamed '''"Lefty"''', was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player whose eight-year (1940–1942; 1944–1948) career included 32 [games played](/source/games_played) in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) for the {{baseball year|1945}}–{{baseball year|1946}} [New York Giants](/source/New_York_Giants_(NL)). A [first baseman](/source/first_baseman), he stood {{height|ft=6|in=0}} and weighed {{convert|180|lb}}. ==Early life== A native of [Baltimore, Maryland](/source/Baltimore%2C_Maryland), he was Jewish and the son of an Orthodox rabbi.{{cite journal |title=Big League Jews|journal=[Jewish Sports Review](/source/Jewish_Sports_Review) |date=January–February 2020 |volume=12 |issue=137 |page=20}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ZzxydPInwgC&q=%22Mike+Schemer%22+%22high+school%22+baseball&pg=PA167 |title=The Big Book of Jewish Baseball |author= Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz |year=2001 |publisher=SP Books |isbn=9781561719730 |access-date=2020-02-05}} He attended [Miami High School](/source/Miami_High_School) and the [University of Miami](/source/University_of_Miami). Schemer served in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) during the World War II era.[http://baseballinwartime.com/those_who_served/those_who_served_atoz.htm Baseball in Wartime.com] ==Baseball career== Prior to his professional career, Mike played as an amateur on the [United States team](/source/United_States_national_baseball_team) assembled by international baseball proponent [Leslie Mann](/source/Leslie_Mann_(athlete)) in the inaugural [Amateur World Series](/source/1938_Amateur_World_Series) held in England in 1938. All but one of his Major League appearances occurred during the 1945 season. Called up from the [Jersey City Giants](/source/Jersey_City_Giants) of the [International League](/source/International_League), Schemer made his MLB debut for the [New York Giants](/source/History_of_the_New_York_Giants_(baseball)) on August 8, 1945, against the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) at the [Polo Grounds](/source/Polo_Grounds). He notched two [singles](/source/single_(baseball)) in four [at bat](/source/at_bat)s against Cardinals' left-hander [George Dockins](/source/George_Dockins).[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1945/B08080NY11945.htm 1945-8-8 box score] from [Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) He hit well for the Giants in his [rookie](/source/rookie) season. In 31 games he had a [batting average](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) of .333 (36-for-108) with one [home run](/source/home_run), 10 [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in), 10 [runs scored](/source/run_(baseball)), and a [slugging percentage](/source/slugging_percentage) of .407. Defensively, he made two [errors](/source/error_(baseball)) in 27 appearances at [first base](/source/first_base) and had a [fielding percentage](/source/fielding_percentage) of .993. He hit his only MLB home run on August 20, a three-run blast against [Hank Wyse](/source/Hank_Wyse), the 20-game-winner from the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs).[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1945/B08200NY11945.htm 1945-8-20 box score] from [Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) However, with the return of Giants' slugger [Johnny Mize](/source/Johnny_Mize) from military service in 1946, Schemer would get into only one more game for New York. On April 24, 1946 he went 0-for-1 as a [pinch-hitter](/source/pinch-hitter), bringing his lifetime average down to .330. ==Personal life== Schemer married Illinois native Gloria Lowe and divorced in the mid 60’s. They had three children: Nancy, Michael, and Sophie Schemer. Schemer died at the age of 65 in [Miami, Florida](/source/Miami%2C_Florida). ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{baseballstats|br=s/schemmi01|brm=scheme001mic}} *[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pschem101.htm Retrosheet] {{DEFAULTSORT:Schemer, Mike}} Category:1917 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Baseball players from Baltimore Category:Fort Smith Giants players Category:Jacksonville Tars players Category:Jersey City Giants players Category:Jewish American baseball players Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Miami Beach Flamingos players Category:New York Giants (baseball) players Category:Richmond Colts players Category:Sacramento Solons players Category:Salisbury Giants players Category:United States Army soldiers Category:University of Miami alumni Category:West Palm Beach Indians players Category:Miami Senior High School alumni Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:20th-century American Jews Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mike Schemer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Schemer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Schemer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.