John Albert "Bear Tracks" Schmitz (November 27, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles between 1941 and 1956. He missed playing in the majors from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. His nickname was inspired by the way he shuffled to the mound and his size 14 feet. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin.\n', '

At 6 ft (1.83 m), 170 lb (77 kg), Schmitz batted right-handed but threw lefty.\n', '

Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1938, Schmitz was obtained by the Chicago Cubs from the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association as part of a minor league working agreement. He made his major league debut with the Cubs on September 6, 1941, at the age of 20. He was the fourth-youngest player that year. In his debut, he threw only one pitch.\n', '

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