Jerry Wachter: 'He took a piece of our heart with him.'

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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2005-11-11

Jerry Wachter: 'He took a piece of our heart with him.'
Former Sports Illustrated contract photographer dies at 61

By Brad Mangin, SportsShooter.com

Photo by Jon Hayt

Jerry Wachter, left, with his son Scott Wachter before a Denver Broncos game in 2002 at Invesco Field in Denver.

Former Sports Illustrated contract photographer Jerry Wachter, father of SportsShooter.com member Scott Wachter, died from Merkel cell carcinoma on Thursday, November 10, 2005 at the age of 61 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sports Illustrated Director of Photography Steve Fine broke the news to his staff in an email on Thursday morning. "The photo department lost another member of the family today, former contract photographer Jerry Wachter. In the 80's and 90's, Jerry contributed 32 covers and countless openers to this magazine. He was that rare action photographer who was adept at all four major sports. When you sent Jerry out to a game, he always delivered. And he brought a sense of humor that helped lessen the stress of the job in the trenches. Some of his most famous pictures include Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's record, Michael Jordan leading UNC to an NCAA championship, and the glory years of Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers. Jerry battled cancer for the past two years and succumbed at home today."

"Jerry was a great friend, a great person and a great photographer," said longtime friend Mickey Palmer when reached near his Oregon home on Thursday afternoon. "We first met in Florida 36 years ago when Jerry started shooting for Topps at spring training. You couldn't ask for a better friend than Jerry. We called ourselves brothers. We were the Three Musketeers, Jerry, Johnny (Iacono) and myself. He loved life. He loved nature and loved traveling. I couldn't ask for a better brother. We never had an argument. We were his brothers he never had. The last words he said to me were "You've been better than a brother to me,"" said Palmer about his dear friend.

Four legends gather for Jerry Wachter's second marriage in 1998. From left: Mickey Palmer, Jerry Wachter, John Iacono and Tony Tomsic.

When reached in his Long Island home on Thursday the third member of the Three Musketeers, Sports Illustrated staff photographer and SportsShooter.com member John Iacono, was very sad. "I'm gonna miss him. He was always with me in Sarasota, Florida for spring training. He was my buddy down there. I could always count on him to pick out a good restaurant. It's not gonna be easy to go down there for spring training next year. Herb Scharfman introduced us 35 years ago. He had a good heart- he would give you his right arm if you needed it. Jerry, Mickey and I were the Three Amigos. The three of us always planned on getting condos together and retiring down in Florida. He took a piece of our heart with him," said Iacono.

Johnny and Mickey visited Jerry one last time in mid-October, just days before the World Series began. "When Mickey and I were talking to Jerry I told Jerry "If you go upstairs please put a good word in for me, but if you go downstairs put a good word in for Mickey." Jerry smiled and laughed," said Iacono.

Wachter began his career as the Baltimore Orioles team photographer during the 1970 season and continued to work for the ballclub despite his battle with cancer throughout the 2005 season. He also worked for Topps for 36 years. Just last week Topps sent Wachter a huge baseball card (about 20" x 30") that his family presented to him.

"Along with his love for the Orioles, Jerry loved to travel and enjoyed spending time during spring training in Siesta Key, Florida. For fun, he took landscape photographs with his panoramic camera during his travels around the country. He also was fond of collecting photo statues and self-manipulated Polaroid images," said his son Scott Wachter.

Jerry Wachter and Cal Ripken Jr.

"Jerry was a great person, a class act and a fantastic photographer. His friendship meant a lot to me and I'm glad I got to talk with him recently. I've known him for many years and it is very sad to see him pass," Orioles Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson told WBAL radio in Baltimore on Thursday.

"Jerry was a fixture at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards and his photographs captured the rich history of Orioles baseball," former shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. told WBAL radio. "At nearly every memorable moment of my career, I can remember Jerry being there and photographing every moment. He is a member of the Orioles family who will be missed, but his memory will live on through his work," Ripken said.

Major League Baseball Photos Director of Photography and SportsShooter.com member Rich Pilling was very choked up when he spoke about his dear friend from his New Jersey home on Thursday. "Jerry was a terrific friend and a great guy. I loved talking photography with Jerry and learned a lot from him. The guy loved crabs- nobody could eat crabs like Jerry. That is one thing I will always remember about Jerry- his love for life and his love for food. I first met jerry in 1977 when he owned a camera store in the Baltimore area. I would stay at his house whenever I came to Baltimore to cover the Orioles. Jerry, Mickey, Johnny and I were like brothers. Sometimes we didn't see eye to eye but we were always there for each other," said Pilling.

Sports Illustrated picture editor Porter Binks had many memories of Wachter. "I first met Jerry through his nephew, Mitchell Layton, while I was at USA TODAY. Jerry was skeptical of me at first, and little standoffish. But we became friends and he was always helpful to me in Baltimore, first at Memorial Stadium then later at Camden Yards. At Memorial we had to kneel on the gravel next to the backstop. He was one of the first to warn me about where to be and how to get out of the way (I think we were actually "in play" under those old ground rules). He also warned me about Ernie "the ball boy," whose job it was (and still is, I think) to keep the umps supplied with balls and, in the old days, keep an eye on the photogs on the field," said Binks.

Topps presented Jerry with a giant-sized version of this card recently.

Binks once asked Jerry what the key was to shooting good football pictures. He told Binks it was having someone to throw the 600mm to.

Binks continued, "I shot more than my share of basketball games with Jerry at the old Capital Centre. I also shot a few college games on the road with him. Like all of us, he loved to have fun on the road, and he was fun to be around at the game and at dinner. He'd always kid about how much time it took him to pack up vs. me. He always wanted to barter about who would go up on the catwalk and turn everyone's strobes off. We'd playfully argue about it being his turn. He never thought it was, though he hadn't gone up in a week. I have this photo of Jerry with his arm around Malcolm Emmons (now deceased) at an ACC tourney game at the Cap Centre, and that reminds me of the camaraderie he had with photogs."

Binks went on to talk about the three photos in particular that reminded him of their friendship:

* A group shot of all the photogs at the last game played at Memorial Stadium.
* A photo of us together before a baseball game at Camden Yards, where Jerry is pretending to strangle Binks. Probably because Binks is asking, for the 10th time, who stole his stool for the dugout.
* At the Preakness where, hands cupped over thin Macanudo cigars, Jerry is trying to lite Porter up. They used to trade cheap cigars but somehow Binks managed to pay a little more for his than Jerry did.

"We enjoyed some turbulent and wonderful times together and I'll miss him," Binks concluded.

Longtime Oakland Athletics and San Francisco 49ers team photographer and SportsShooter.com member Michael Zagaris had several memories about Wachter when reached at his San Francisco home on Thursday evening. "I remember when the new ballpark (Camden Yards) first opened- when I first came out there Jerry gave me a tour like a proud friend would of his dream house. We went all over, into the clubhouse and into his office in the building behind right field. Everybody knew Jerry everywhere we went. He had the coolest bathroom ever with a view of right field from his urinal," recalled Zagaris.

"I remember the All Star game in 1993 in Baltimore. We all went out to dinner at a crab place. I remember Jerry drawing blood on Johnny's arm while attacking him with a crab claw. I used to love reminiscing about the old Oriole teams with Jerry. He was Baltimore through and through. He should have been in the movie Diner. He was perfect. When I think of Baltimore I think of Art Donavan, Lenny Moore, Johnny Unitas, Brooks Robinson, Earl Weaver and Jerry Wachter. No matter who the Orioles go out and get to replace him there will still be a big hole in their lineup, said Zagaris.

Jerry Wachter and San Francisco Giants manager Frank Robinson hang out during spring training in Arizona in the early 1980's.

Steve Fine wanted to say a little more about Jerry on Thursday afternoon. "In his later years as Oriole's team photographer Jerry took care of the photographers who worked at Camden Yards and made it pleasurable to work there. He was that rare bird- he had a gift for anticipating the big play and in the days before auto focus he had amazing hand eye coordination and reflexes. He was one of the big horses in the stable back here at the magazine. He never came back without a picture. It was hard work back then being a photographer. Jerry would put up his own lights when he did basketball without an assistant," said Fine.

Jerry is survived by his wife, the former Joanne Cecilia Strohmer, whom he married in 1998. Also surviving are his two sons from a previous marriage, Martin Richard Wachter, who lives with his wife Kimberly in Phoenix, Maryland; and Scott Evan Wachter, who lives with his wife Shawn in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Services will be held Monday, November 14, 2005 at 10 a.m. at Sol Levinson & Brothers Funeral Home, 8900 Reisterstown Rd., Baltimore (800) 338-1701. In lieu of flowers, Jerry asked that donations be made in the name of Jerry Michael Wachter to the American Cancer Society. To donate to the American Cancer Society by phone, call 1-800-ACS-2345.

Sports Illustrated staff photographer and SportsShooter.com member Al Tielemans said it best in an email to Jerry's son Scott on Thursday. "Hope this finds you well and at peace with the fact that he's moved up to the big field in the sky....no refs, no TV-only line, endless photo positions and free pre-game meals...Padres vs. Angels everyday with bright overcast sunset light that never goes away," said Tielemans.

Related Links:

Scott Wachter's member page