September 18, 1946: Chicago, IL:
It was a mid-September afternoon, and the Philadelphia Keystones found themselves out of the pennant race for the first time in three years. Bobby Barrell, the team's left fielder, was dissatisfied with his performance. Despite hitting 30 home runs, he was trailing behind his teammate Hank Koblenz, who had 33. Bobby's batting average had plummeted to .272, a substantial drop from his career mark, leaving him feeling uncertain about his future as he turned 35. As he stood in Chicago, his wife Annette's hometown, thoughts of retirement and his pursuit of his 3000th career hit swirled through his mind. Bobby entered the game at Whitney Park with 2,999 hits, eager to reach the milestone.
Before the game, as batting practice came to a close, Bobby lingered on the field. Bob Martin, the Chiefs' star third baseman and a member of the exclusive 3000 hit club, approached him and wished him good luck. Martin had achieved the milestone back in July and offered Bobby some perspective. "It's really just another hit," Martin explained, "but the fans go nuts for this stuff, and the writers make it out to be a big deal."
Bobby nodded in agreement, sharing that his father had instilled in him the significance of joining the exclusive club. Until Al Wheeler of the Cannons accomplished the feat in 1945, only six men had reached 3000 hits, with Powell Slocum standing as the immortal leader with more than 4000 hits.
"So it is a rarefied air kind of thing," Bobby explained. Martin smirked at him and said, "You're not a college man, as I recall," to which Bobby nodded and then Martin adds, "'Rarefied air' indeed," and walked away laughing.
John Stallings was to be the Chiefs' starting pitcher. A big, hard-throwing lefty, Stallings had been the first overall pick in that summer's draft and the Chiefs thought so highly of him that they'd brought him straight to Chicago. He'd never pitched against Philadelphia, but Bobby had gotten a scouting report from Harry, who'd gone 0-for-3 with a walk against him a few weeks earlier when the Chiefs were visting Boston. Harry's opinion was that Stallings was talented, but raw, hadn't yet harnessed his ability and was wild.
In the lineup posted by first year skipper Jack Everhart, Bobby was penciled in his usual #3 spot, with Koblenz batting behind him and Billy Woytek ahead. The game commenced with Wilbur Zimmerman, the leadoff man, drawing a walk but getting caught attempting to steal second base. Woytek lined out to center field, and Bobby faced his first at-bat. With a 2-1 count, Bobby made contact with Stallings' fastball, hitting a ground ball to Ossie Grogan at second base, who threw him out.
His next opportunity came in the third inning. Tim Humphrey, the eighth-place hitter, opened the inning with a ground-ball single up the middle. Pepper Tuttle, the Keystones' pitcher, sacrificed Humphrey to second, and Zimmerman drew another walk with his keen eye at the plate. Woytek, swinging at the first pitch, sent a fly ball to right field, setting up a two-on, two-out situation for Bobby.
Bobby settled into the batter's box, observing Stallings on the mound. The young pitcher appeared slightly rattled, and Bobby thought this might make his control a bit tenuous. Deciding to wait for a favorable pitch, Bobby watched a curveball for strike one, followed by a well-located fastball for strike two. Smiling confidently, Bobby's demeanor may have unsettled Stallings, who proceeded to throw three consecutive balls, filling the count. True to Bobby's instincts, Stallings aimed to avoid loading the bases for Koblenz and delivered a tempting fastball just inside the middle of the plate.
In a swift motion, Bobby turned on the pitch, making solid contact as he sent the ball sailing into the left-center field gap. Humphrey scored easily, and as Bobby rounded first base, he saw the third-base coach waving Zimmerman home. With a burst of speed, Bobby sprinted towards second base as the outfielder retrieved the ball. Bill May's throw was accurate, but Bobby slid safely into second base with a two-run double, securing hit number 3000.
Completing his journey around the bases, Bobby scored on Koblenz's RBI single, extending the Keystones' lead to 3-0, which turned out to be the final score of the game. Pepper Tuttle pitched a gem, and Bobby added another single for hit #3001. The victory pushed the Keystones one game above the .500 mark, with a record of 74-73.
After the game, surrounded by eager journalists in the clubhouse, Bobby was asked about his hitting philosophy. Reflecting for a moment, he shrugged and replied, "I never think about it too much. I just see the ball and hit it." Although his answer didn't fully satisfy the newshounds, Bobby added with a grin, "Hey, I'm just a simple guy from Georgia."
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Bobby Barrell in the clubhouse after his 3,000th hit 9/18/45
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