Did Charles M. Schulz Ever Watch Bruno Haas Play Baseball?
It could have happened
Did Charles M. Schulz Ever Watch Bruno Haas Play Baseball?
Bruno Haas had one of the worst starts in the history of baseball.
In retrospect, it looks almost like child abuse.
Haas, who was straight out of the Worcester Academy, walked 16 batters — a major league record that still stands — in a 9 inning start against the New York Yankees. He lost the game, 15-7.
It was the first start of his brief major league career. The 1915 Philadelphia Athletics were simply awful, and Haas didn’t do much to help them out.
Haas was 24 years old, however. I’m not sure why he was still pitching for Worcester Academy, but I suppose they did things differently back in the old days.
But Haas wasn’t such a bad pitcher after all.
He bounced around the minors a bit, eventually landing with the independent St. Paul Saints of the old American Association.
And, like the Orioles of that time, St. Paul didn’t sell its players cheaply.
Haas stayed in St. Paul for a decade, finally leaving at age 39.
By that time he had converted to the outfield. He was also an excellent hitter.
And that brings up a natural question.
Charles M. Schulz, who created the famous Peanuts comic strip, famously grew up in St. Paul.
Did he ever watch Haas play?
It’s possible — anything is possible, after all.
Now, Haas was a much better player than, say, Joe Schlabotnik.
But — when I read strips like this one, I’ve got to think of Haas:
What do you think?