Carl Zamloch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carl Eugene Zamloch (October 6, 1889 - August 19, 1963) was a Major League Baseball pitcher, professional magician, and head coach of the University of California at Berkeley baseball and soccer teams.

Contents 1 Major League pitcher (1913) 2 Coach at University of California at Berkeley (1916-1931) 3 The Oakland Oaks 4 Baseball scout 5 Professional magician 6 External links

[edit] Major League pitcher (1913)

Born in Oakland, California, Zamloch played for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, pitching five years in the PCL. His one season in the major leagues was in 1913 with the Detroit Tigers. A right-handed pitcher, Zamloch played in 17 games for the Tigers, with a 1-6 record in 69-2/3 innings pitched. Though his won-loss record was unimpressive, Zamloch had a solid ERA of 2.45, and an Adjusted ERA+ of 119. He was also among the league leaders in 1913 with 11 games finished.

Career statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	GF	SV	IP	BB	SO	ERA	ERA+
1	6	17	5	3	0	11	1	69-2/3	23	28	2.46	119

[edit] Coach at University of California at Berkeley (1916-1931)

From 1916 to 1928, Zamloch was the head baseball coach at the University of California at Berkeley. [1] The Bears had a record of 146-91-7 during Zamloch's 13 seasons as head coach. [2]

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Cal (1916 — 1929)
1916	Cal	11-11-2			no
1917	Cal	12-8-1			no
1919	Cal	7-5-0			no
1920	Cal	22-10-1			no
1921	Cal	10-8-1			no
1922	Cal	12-6-1			no
1923	Cal	12-7-1			no
1924	Cal	13-11-0			no
1925	Cal	11-2-0			no
1926	Cal	8-6-0			no
1927	Cal	4-9-0		5th	no
1928	Cal	8-4-0		2nd	no
1929	Cal	16-7-0		1st	no
Cal:		146-91-7
Total:		146-91-7
National Champion         Conference Champion         Conference Tournament Champion

He was also the coach of the Cal Bears' soccer tearm from 1925-1931, and during Zamloch's time as head coach, the soccer team had a record of 34-17-7. [3]

[edit] The Oakland Oaks

In 1929, Zamloch acquired a minority interest in the Oakland Oaks baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. He also served as the Oaks' manager from 1930-32. [4]

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1930	91-103	5th	Carl Zamloch	none
1931	86-101	5th (t)	Carl Zamloch
1932	80-107	7th	Carl Zamloch	none

According to a history of the Oakland Oaks, the team abolished the salaries of all team officers in 1932 due to financial hardship. Zamloch won a lawsuit against the club when it stopped payments on his $10,000 salary. [5]

There is some indication that Zamloch may have also managed the Twin Falls Bruins in the Utah Idaho League in 1926.

[edit] Baseball scout

Zamloch also scouted for the Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians, signing Bob Loane and Mike McCormick (outfielder).

[edit] Professional magician

Zamloch also worked as a magician for many years. In the off-season, he toured the country performing a magic act. His father was Anton Zamloch, who 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. [6] [7] [8]

In 1937, Carl Zamloch published a book, "17 Simple but Mystifying Tricks to Entertain Your Friends," under the pseudonym "The Great Zam." The book was a pamphlet published by Signal Oil Co. as a premium. [9] Carl Zamloch is credited by magicians today with inventing tricks, including the "Card on the Ceiling" trick, that are still in use today. [10][11]

Zamloch reportedly was adept at using "a bit of magic" to attract prospects like McCormick. Zamloch was "a master of the sleight of hand, an actual magician who could eat glass, swallow fire, and perform a host of magic tricks." (The 1940 Cincinnati Reds, by Brian Mulligan, p. 102) [12] He performed these tricks for young players, which served as an ice-breaker to a conversation about the player's future.

A biography of baseball player (and amateur magician) Joe Abreu reports that he first became interested in magic when Carl Zamloch put on a magic show at McClymond’s High School in 1932. "Abreu was hooked and a few years later went to see Zamloch to learn more skills as a magician." [13]

In 1946, The Sporting News reported: "Carl Zamloch, former pitcher, and a son of the famed magician, Herman the Great, afforded delegates to the convention occasional entertainment with his card tricks and sleight-of-hand stuff. " (The Sporting News," December 11, 1946 p. 28)

In his later years, he worked as a sales executive and legislative consultant for the Signal Oil and Gas Company. He died of a stroke at the age of 73 in Santa Barbara, California in 1963. He is buried at Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito, California.

[edit] External links

• Baseball-Reference.com
• Zamloch Biography on Oakland Oaks Page

Preceded by John Mathews	University of California Head Soccer Coach 1925-1931	Succeeded by Reginald Downing
Preceded by James Schaeffer	University of California Head Baseball Coach 1916-1928	Succeeded by Clint Evans

Persondata
NAME	Zamloch, Carl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Zamloch, Carl Eugene
SHORT DESCRIPTION	20th century American baseball player and sports coach
DATE OF BIRTH	October 6, 1889
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oakland, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH	August 19, 1963
PLACE OF DEATH	Santa Barbara, California