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Berkshire Eagle
August 5, 1930
MOHAWKS WIN, 1-0, IN O'FARRELL'S RETURN
Williams, Holcomb Team Up For Shutout
O'Farrell Pinch Hits, Draws Walk
PITTSFIELD--Officially, 4660 people were present at Springside Park today to watch the Mohawks defeat Holyoke, 1-0. Several thousands more may one day try to claim they were there, to see the return of Pat O'Farrell to the diamond as a player.
O'Farrell entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, pinch hitting for Jason Miller. When he stepped from the dugout, carrying a pair of bats, the crowd rose to its feet and applauded as Pat doffed his cap and waved. He quickly made a move to quiet the crowd, but they did not heed his request, cheering for a full minute.
Pat faced Papermakers lefty Jim Smith, who had been pitching a dandy of a game; the Mohawks scored in the first inning and since then, Smith had tossed zeroes at them. Millard Tate stood at second for Pittsfield, having singled and moved up on a sacrifice by pitcher King Williams.
Smith, who is usually a cool customer, later admitted to a case of nerves. "I mean, that was Pat O'Farrell up there," he said. "Wouldn't you be nervous?"
Fans who wanted to witness a dramatic moment were denied that pleasure, as O'Farrell didn't take the lumber off his shoulder. Smith missed with his first two pitches, threw one strike, and then misfired twice more, giving O'Farrell his base. Mr. Smith need not feel too badly about this. Mr. O'Farrell drew 2,002 bases on balls in his major league career, and 37 more in 59 World Series contests.
When the inning ended, O'Farrell headed out to third base, where Miller had been stationed, and he played the last two innings there without accepting a fielding chance. Williams set the Papermakers down in order in the eighth, and Chester Holcomb did likewise in the ninth to sew up the Mohawks' victory.
After the game, O'Farrell patiently tried to turn the attention of the press away from himself. "Talk to King Williams," he suggested. "He pitched a great ballgame. I didn't even swing the bat."...
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