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Harry Hoch (1905) was a star pitcher for the baseball team in the early years of athletics at what was then called Keystone State Normal School. The “Normal Nine” had winning records in each of Hoch’s four seasons on the team, including a 10-1 record in 1905. During that season, Hoch was the winning pitcher in the team’s 11-10 win over the storied Carlisle Indian School. He also was the winning pitcher, and chipped in two hits, in a win over Kutztown’s AA team, a local semi-pro team from the borough. Hoch had several games with double-digit strikeout performances, fanning 15 against Albright in 1905 and 13 against West Chester Normal in 1906. After leaving Kutztown, Hoch went on to become the first alumnus to play major league baseball. He spent the 1908 season with the Philadelphia Phillies, compiling a 2-1 record with a 2.77 earned-run average in 26.0 innings. After that season, Hoch went to law school, graduating in 1913. The baseball bug bit again, though, and Hoch suited up for two seasons with the St. Louis Browns. He appeared in 27 games over the two seasons, pitching 94 innings. One memorable outing was a 1-0, extra-inning loss vs. legendary pitcher Walter Johnson, in which Hoch pitched the entire 11 innings. He finished his major league career with a 2-7 record and a 4.35 ERA. Hoch then began a vocation in law, working at the law firm of Judge Daniel Hastings, who went on to become a U.S. Senator. In 1920, Hoch organized Delaware Corporation Law, which specialized in the incorporation of companies. After various other business ventures, Hoch retired in 1962. In 1974, Hoch was invited to throw out the first pitch at the Phillies Old Timers Game, as the oldest living former Phillie at the time. Hoch passed away in Lewes, DE, on October 26, 1981.
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