[ukhotstove]

"Mr D'Arcy it's *Bill Christ on the phone from Brandon, Manitoba".

*Bill Christ was a recently retired ball player, he'd played close to 20 years in the majors mostly for Buffalo before playing for the Montreal Habitats in his final season. Mainly a bench player, what he lacked in skill he more than made up for in baseball intelligence which was the main reason he was given a scouting roll within the Montreal Habitats organisation at the end of his playing days in 1946.

" Hi Bill, how's that Jenkins kid looking".

"He's a washout **boss, decent bat but the throwing arms weak. Maybe worth a last round draft pick at best, probably looking at a desperation free agent pick up to be honest".

**The "boss" was Mike D'Arcy, D'Arcy lacked any baseball knowledge. On the other hand he could run a business like a fine Swiss watch, the problem was baseball wasn't a business not least on the field it wasn't that's why he relied on Bill Christ.

Bill Christ maybe have a work title of scout but D'Arcy relied on him as a non paid GM as well, at least since he fired Francois Tinkler a few days ago who had been the GM/Manager for a grand total of 37 games at the end of the 1950 season. That was after he fired Dan Whiting 37 games before the end of the 1950 season after nearly 5 seasons in charge of the Habs.

"Call it a day Bill, go spend the off season with your family".

"No boss, I may not have found a player. However I may have found our new manager!"

"I sent you for a scouting report on a player not a manager".

" Boss I'm telling you, I got talking to this guy called ***McMullen, he knows baseball".

***Henry "Hank" McMullen was born in England at the turn of the century, at 15 he'd got his older brother James to help him sign up for the Cheshire Regiment who were being shipped out to Gallipoli to fight in the Great War. After serving in Egypt and Mesopotamia he ended up as a Lance Corporal, on his return home he got a job in the cotton mills of the north west of England.

This is were his baseball career started, firstly as a first baseman for the Rochdale Ball Club who went on to lose to London in the 1935 championship game. He was also a first baseman on the 1938 championship winning team who beat Oldham 1-0 after 15 innings, Rochdale would return to the 1939 championship game losing 9-5 to Halifax but without McMullen.

Henry again would be called upon to fight for his country, this time as a Captain serving in his old Cheshire Regiment. He would go onto serve in North Africa with the 1st Battalion, it was after being shipped back to England having been injured he met his wife Mary, a Canadian who had volunteered to be a nurse. This was were his travels to Canada would start.

"Tell me about him then".

"He was manager of the 1946 Saskatoon Vets in the Saskatoon Senior League championship winning season, then headed to Edmonton in 47 to manage the Edmonton Eskimos to the Alberta Big Four Intercity championship. He's been in Brandon the last 3 years and won the Manitoba Senior League every year (in 1950 the Senior League was called the Mandak League)".

24 hours later Henry McMullen was in Montreal.

"Mr McMullen here to see you".

"Send him in".

"Welcome to Montreal Hank, don't mind if I call you Hank, do you?"

"Long as my wife doesn't hear you".

"Bill's told me about you and I trust him on baseball decisions, I run the business side so if you want the job it's yours".

"I get full control of anything baseball related, we get an house to live in of my wife's choosing. When I win a division title we keep the house, when we win a championship you extend my contract by 2 years guaranteeing you pay me 1 year's salary even if you fire me".

"That's a tough deal Mr McMullen".

"No disrespect Mr D'Arcy, your team hasn't reached the play offs, ever! I've been managing 5 years and I've never! Not won a championship, now I'm not saying I'll win a championship in my first year but I think your getting a good deal".

"Welcome to the Montreal Habitats Mr McMullen".