Ducky Schofield

John Richard "Ducky" Schofield (January 7, 1935 – July 11, 2022) was an American professional baseball infielder who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers from 1953 to 1971.

Early life Schofield was born in Springfield, Illinois, on January 7, 1935. He was the only child of Florence and John "Ducky" Schofield, who played 11 seasons of minor league baseball and made it to Double-A with Kansas City before going into farming. Schofield attended Springfield High School in his hometown, where he played baseball and led its team to the Illinois Junior American Legion Championship as a junior in 1952.

He was awarded a basketball scholarship by Northwestern University. He later collected his first hit on July 17 that year and hit his first home run on August 16. Together, they had three children: Dick, Kim, and Tammy (who predeceased him in 2021). Dick played in MLB for 14 seasons. Kim excelled at track and field and was inducted into the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, alongside her father and grandfather. His grandson, Jayson Werth, played 15 seasons in the majors.

After retiring from professional baseball, Schofield returned to his hometown, where he served on the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority from 1983 to 2003. He also worked for 23 years as a salesman for Jostens, starting in 1975. Schofield died at home in Springfield, Illinois, on July 11, 2022, at age 87.