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South Bend: Built by Baseball

Charles "One-Arm" Schmalzried - A Tale of Perseverance

May 20, 2026 · 18 min · Ep 6

His name speaks for itself - Charles "One-Arm" Schmalzried did indeed face an uphill battle in life. Yet Charles pushed forward, and later became South Bend's best industrial league pitcher with the Muessel Breweing Company.


Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman explore Charles' early life, the accident that took his arm, and how he became perhaps South Bend's first true baseball star.


You can also find the feature documentary "South Bend: Built by Baseball" on PBS Michiana's YouTube page.

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