To celebrate his more auspicious achievements on the diamond and to recognize his contributions to the community, Altoona Curve front office personnel and Loco, along with Altoona police, made a stop at Fairview Cemetery on Wednesday to visit Gochnaur’s gravesite, where gravestone restoration efforts are underway.

Both Sgt. Matt Plummer and Loco placed wreaths on the site — Loco’s complete with Gochnaur’s baseball card.

Wednesday’s event was not only a promotion for baseball cards the Curve will be handing out to fans at an upcoming game, it was also a way to tell Gochnaur’s story to a younger generation.

Gochnaur holds the record for most at bats without a homer for a player who batted below .200. He is also the last fielder to commit 90 or more errors in a single season.

Courtesy photo / Altoona native John Gochnaur’s trading card will be given out at an upcoming Altoona Curve game.

Gochnaur eventually left baseball to be an umpire, policeman and bartender in Altoona, according to his baseball card.

“He was marred by some errors when he played, but it is interesting that he had that career and then moved back to Altoona to become a part of the community,” said Mike Kessling, director of marketing and promotion for the Curve.

The idea to honor Gochnaur came about after a season ticket holder last year gave Kessling an article written about the majors. After the season wrapped up, Kessling had a chance to look deeper into the piece and discovered that Gochnaur was from Altoona, which gave the Curve an opportunity to highlight local baseball history.

Gochnaur was born Sept. 12, 1875, and died of pneumonia on Sept. 27, 1929, at the age of 54.

He played three seasons in the majors, from 1901-03. He played for the Brooklyn Superbas, the Cleveland Bronchos and Cleveland Naps, according to the information on the back of the baseball cards.

He then returned to the area and went to work. While information on the exact dates of his employment as an officer don’t appear to exist, Plummer said it would be safe to say he was an officer between 1906-29.

Mirror archives show Gochnaur was known as “Goch” to baseball fans and was an official umpire in Altoona and central Pennsylvania. His professional and amateur baseball career covered more than 35 years, being a player over a 20-year period and then as an umpire, according to a Sept. 27, 1929, article about his death.

The baseball card honoring Gochnaur will be handed out to the first 1,000 fans at the Sunday, Sept. 10, Curve game.

The giveaway and Gochnaur’s story “really celebrates the history of baseball in Altoona and the foundation it laid for the Curve to be here,” Kessling said.

Mirror Staff Writer Cati Keith is at 814-946-7535.