Adolph Schneider

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Adolph Philip Schneider

• Throws Right
• Height 5' 4", Weight 135 lbs.

BR Minors page

Many early twentieth century players used other names besides their birth names. Such was the case for Adolph Schneider, who played under the name of "Phillip Dank" but was nearly always reported on as "Midget Dank", likely due to his small stature.

Born January 30, 1882 in Narrowsburg, NY, Schneider moved to eastern Pennsylvania with his family in the early 1890s, soon after the death of his brother. He excelled in baseball for Lafayette College (Easton, PA) and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1909. He picked up the "Midget" nickname when he played in an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Athletics in the summer of 1909. The Athletics had a pretty good pitcher named Jimmy Dygert who was considered (and still is) probably the smallest (weighing the least) pitcher in major league history. Reporters of that less-enlightened age gave Jimmy the “Midget” nickname, and Dank soon had the same.

The nickname “Midget” followed him to the West Coast team by the end of the 1909 season, the Oakland Oaks. Dank and his new bride Mayme traveled out to Oakland after their marriage in early 1910 so he could continue his baseball career. However, he began to falter in the summer of 1910, losing several key games in June, and he was sent to a league back east, closer to home. He played much, much better in the east and was positioned to continue playing pro baseball in the Eastern League in 1911 but retired instead of returning that season.

Schneider prospered in his after-baseball life, opening an ice cream factory, coaching college baseball for a few years at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA), and was instrumental in bringing minor league baseball back to Allentown in 1929. He died in an automobile accident in 1946 in Allentown.