Last Saturday, Johnny "Bear Tracks" Schmitz passed away on Saturday in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin. I've long thought that his nickname was one of the most interesting and unique of all the Orioles players, and he earned it due to the combination of his big feet and the lumbering way he shuffled around the mound.
I've written about Johnny two times, most recently in July 2009, when I added this signed Orioles Crown card to my collection. I don't have much additional to say about him, but I suggest that you read his very well written obituary on the Wausau Daily Herald's website. I feel like sometimes more information is posted online about old-timers like Johnny in their obituaries than was available during their lifetime, and that's unfortunate. He seemed like a very interesting guy, and was a great TTM signer throughout the years.
RIP Johnny.
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