[Big Six]

Stater Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

Mrs. Sarah O'Farrell
84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

July 26, 1927

My dearest Sarah,

I am back in my hotel room now, relaxing for a bit before I go downstairs for dinner. A few of the fellows invited me to go with them to watch a motion picture, but I politely declined. I slept very poorly on the train the other night--I find that happening more and more often now--and I am still tired. The heat here in St. Louis is suffocating, and today's ball game drained what energy I had left. We lost, 4-3, although Joe pitched a fine game in the heat.

The Tigers and Athletics lost too, however, so we are still six games in front of Detroit and seven up on Philadelphia. This week we will learn what trades we, as well as the other teams, might make to strengthen themselves for the remainder of the pennant race. We have to remember to play to win, rather than to play not to lose, if that makes any sense.

The excitement of being in first place has been doing its best to counteract the fatigue I have felt, but I can confess to you--and only you--that it is becoming increasingly difficult to force my body do the things on the playing field that have been so natural for me for so many years. I suppose it is no secret that after my wonderful start to the season, I haven't been a .300 batter since. I wake up every morning with something aching, usually my back or my knees. More often now, I find myself just missing pitches I used to hit sharply, or hitting ground balls when I used to hit line drives.

I suppose I should not complain. After all, I am nearly forty years old, and I have been playing professional baseball for over half my life. Unless I am mistaken, I have been playing in the major leagues longer than any other player. I have been blessed with good health and more success than I could have ever imagined.

At the same time, I have had to bid you and our children goodbye every February, and cannot see you for more than a day or so at a time until June, when all of you come to the town house in Boston. You have always borne more than your share of caring for our children, and you have done so without complaint. I hope I have, in some way, been able to express to you how much I appreciate this, my darling. You have supported my baseball career since I was a teenager, and for that I am just as grateful.

I am thinking seriously about retiring from the game at the conclusion of the season, especially if we win the World Series. There will be much time for us to discuss this in the fall, but I wanted you to be aware of my thoughts on the matter now, so you might have time to think about the matter, and offer your typically wise counsel when the time comes.

I am considering some investments in the stock market, which has proven to be a very lucrative practice for a few of the fellows on the club. I am somewhat leery of placing too much money in the market, however, and need the advice of someone who knows more about such things than I do. There will be time for that, too, in the fall.

I am sorry to write you such a cheerless letter, my dear. If we win tomorrow, I will write again, and you will undoubtedly find my mood much improved. Give my love to our children, as always.

All my love,
Pat

*************
Of course Pat doesn't know it, but his mood is shaped somewhat by the slow decline of his ratings. His Contact remains at 63, but his Gap Power has slipped to 80, his Home Run Power to 47, his Eye to 72, and his K Avoidance to 59. His Talent scores for each of these areas is at or near all these levels, too.

After 99 games, O'Farrell is batting .307/.400/.546. He has 14 homers and 62 RBI, with 58 walks, 93 runs scored, and 43 steals in 45 attempts, so he is still far from a liability. With 4.5 stars, he remains much more productive than most teams' second basemen.