Legacy: The Mike O'Farrell Story

[Big Six]

Many of you who read the forum might be familiar with my long-running dynasty, The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell. I began the story almost five years ago now, and I can't count the hours of enjoyment it's given me as I've played each season and written about it for the forum here.

I recently decided to take some time away from the dynasty, and I honestly didn't think I'd ever return to it. I discovered myself missing it more and more, however, so I've changed my mind.

Many long-running stories aren't told in one volume. Biographies of real--or fictional--people or families are sometimes too long to reside between the pages of one book. How many kids would read all the way to the end of the Harry Potter story if it was written as one book with thousands of pages?

That's why I've decided to continue the story of the O'Farrell family in a new thread. The starting point is admittedly very arbitrary; it's the middle of the 1941 season. Mike O'Farrell, a righthanded pitcher, is emerging as one of the stars of the Boston Red Sox team for which his father Pat starred for twenty years.

Pat, a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in the history of the game, was also one of the most popular stars of all time. He retired in 1927, and came back to the game as the Red Sox' general manager. Along with his best friend, manager Bill Carrigan, Pat O'Farrell has kept the Red Sox among the best teams in an increasingly competitive American League.

If you'd like to read the entire Pat O'Farrell story, you can find a link above, and in my signature. I wrote an abridged version of much of the story; there's a link to that thread in my signature, too. Or, if you're completely new to the O'Farrell family story, I hope you'll be able to join the story in progress and enjoy it as well.

I suppose some of you who are reading this have been reading the Pat O'Farrell posts since the beginning. You could be thinking, "I remember when Pat O'Farrell broke in, back in ought-seven." Others of you who found the story later on might think, "I remember reading about Pat, but I'm too 'young' to remember him as a player. I'm a fan of Mike's, though." Others might be about to encounter the story for the first time, like a brand-new fan of the game.

Whichever kind of fan you are, I hope you'll enjoy the story.

[rem]

Cool beans!

[English_Ray]

[mikev]

Hell. Yes.

[Tyke]

Great news, Big Six - does that mean we'll get the result of the last HOF ballot, also?

[AZTarHeel]

: happy:

WA-HOO!!! Looking forward to this one... Best wishes as you breathe new life into your story...

[Big Six]

Thanks for the support, guys. I'm looking forward to rejoining the story, too.

Tyke: You'll definitely see the results of the 1941 balloting. The new HoFers will be inducted in the fall, as is usual in this universe.

[NCBeachBum]

:lotsofcelebratorysmilies:

[weidner]

I read through the entire Pat O'Farrell dynasty just in time for the end. I was really disappointed because I really wanted to vote for the HOF. But now you're starting up again. GREAT NEWS!!!! I really enjoy your dynasties, I've kept up with several of yours including Mike Sullivan, A Tale of 4 Coaches, etc. Looking forward to Mike's career coming up.

[Big Six]

Mayfair Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

Mr. and Mrs. Nile Kinnick
106 S. Dodge St.
Iowa City, Iowa

June 25, 1941

Dear Nile and Mary Kate,

Just a quick little note to let you know that you can go ahead and buy your train tickets to Chicago. I made the American League All-Star team! There will be two tickets waiting for you at the will call window at Wrigley Field.

I'm pitching tomorrow against the Browns, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to pitch in the All-Star game, seeing as it's on the 29th. I have a feeling I'll feel like pitching an inning or two, and if I do I'll tell Joe McCarthy that it's OK to use me.

There will be seven of us Red Sox on the team: Brown, Weaver, Gibson, Gehrig, Williams, Dihigo, and myself. Carrigan will be the first base coach, so there will be quite a Boston contingent. Mom and Dad will be there, of course; Beth and her family will be coming up from Philadelphia, and Johnny and Bill are almost positive they'll be there, too. Dad has apparently been nagging everyone about coming to the game, which makes me think he's up to something. The fact that he was talking about it long before I made the team only confirms my suspicion.

At any rate, I hope I will be able to spend some time with you in Chicago. It would be great to see you.

All the best,
Mike


The Red Sox beat the Browns 8-2 on June 26. Mike won his 14th game; his 14-3 record is the best in the American League. He ranks third in the league with a 2.22 ERA, two percentage points behind teammate Ray Brown.

Boston enters the All-Star break with a 53-24 record, the best in either league. The Sox lead the Tigers by a comfortable margin of 11 games, with the Athletics and Yankees tied for third, 13 back of the lead.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, July 14, 1941

TALENTED TRIO OF TWIRLERS DRIVE SOX PENNANT HOPES

Among the constant factors that have sustained the Boston Red Sox throughout their thirty-some years of consistent excellence is the presence of at least two, if not three, stalwart pitchers.

Sox fans of the 'teens thrilled to the exploits of Tex Pruiett, Christy Mathewson, and the young Smokey Joe Wood. As a veteran, Wood teamed with Walter Johnson and George Dauss to spark the Sox to greatness in the 'twenties. The next decade witnessed the dynamic duo of Neal Brady and Waite Hoyt.

Younger fans, for whom these names are part of history, now have their own pitching partnership to enjoy. Jim Weaver, Ray Brown, and Mike O'Farrell are this season establishing themselves among the most formidable mound teams in Red Sox annals. Older rooters, who have watched the Sox for years, cannot help but compare them to the stars of yesteryear.

Brown is the senior member of the threesome in terms of years spent in Boston. Now in his tenth season with the Sox, Ray has earned at least 17 victories in each of his seven years as a regular member of the rotation. With fifteen wins to his name so far in '41, Brown should surpass his career high of 23, which he has accomplished twice.

A soft-spoken gentleman, Brown prefers to express himself with his lively fastball and deceptive change-of-pace, and his control is the stuff of legend. At the age of 33, Brown remains in superb physical condition and, as he has said, "should be able to carry a full load for a few more years yet."

If Brown wishes to observe a fine example of a pitcher who still has a lot on the ball as he nears his fortieth year, all he has to do is watch the man who usually follows him in the Red Sox rotation. Big Jim Weaver, who will turn 38 after the season ends, is firing fastballs past hitters as well as ever.

Weaver, a tall Tennessean, made six National League All-Star teams as a Phillies ace before the Red Sox acquired him in a trade in July 1938. In his first full season with Boston, Weaver won his second consecutive Most Outstanding Pitcher prize, winning 29 games for the pennant-winning Sox.

Big Jim has bounced back from a 1940 season that did not meet his usual standard, and has won 14 games against four defeats thus far. His ERA of 2.38 is the best among the Red Sox hurlers.

The third member of the trio, the youngest and least experienced, bears a name that has been synonymous with Red Sox greatness forever, it seems. Mike O'Farrell, now twenty-six years old, appears to be emerging from the lengthy shadow of his famous father Pat and is taking his place among the toughest pitchers in the game.

Once known primarily as a gridiron star, a bon vivant, and the son of his Hall of Fame father, Mike reached the big leagues for good last season and won 23 ballgames. Newfound maturity and a year-round dedication to baseball seem to have done the trick for him; he is tied with teammate Brown for the American League lead with fifteen victories...

[AZTarHeel]

Again, looking forward to how this plays out ... I just hope you have multiple saved versions of the original Pat O'Farrell dynasty just in case something ever happens to servers around here. I've lost a few of my prized first dynasties like that over the years ...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, July 29, 1941

SURGING SOX WIN EIGHTH STRAIGHT
Tigers Tamed By 8-1 Score; Red Sox Lead Now 20 Games

DETROIT--The streaking Boston Red Sox added another game to their run of eight contests without a defeat yesterday in Detroit, whomping the Tigers by an 8-1 score.

The Red Sox win, coupled with a Philadelphia Athletics loss in Chicago, increased the Sox' lead in the American League standings to a full twenty games.

Winning pitcher Mike O'Farrell increased his own personal string of victories to four and his season's total to 19, best in the junior circuit. O'Farrell worked all nine innings, extending an even more remarkable streak.

On June 1, O'Farrell pitched eight innings of the Red Sox' 4-2 victory over the Senators, with Tex Hughson relieving him for the final frame. That was the last time O'Farrell failed to complete a game he started. Since then, Iron Mike has thrown thirteen consecutive complete games.

"My arm feels fine," said O'Farrell in the clubhouse following yesterday's victory. "I'm throwing free and easy. I enjoy playing baseball, and I only want to come out of a ballgame if I absolutely have to."

There was no need for O'Farrell to leave the hill yesterday, as his teammates opened up a quick lead over the Tigers with four runs in the first two innings. Martin Dihigo, who ripped a single, a double, and a triple, led a balanced attack that saw all nine Sox hit safely at least once.

Josh Gibson chased Detroit starter Boots Poffenberger from the hill by launching a long home run in the eighth, the 14th of the season for the strapping catcher...

[lewis31lewis52]

Wow. I had totally forgotten about the O'Farrell stories until now. Keep up the good work, Big Six.

And stop beating up on my Tigers!

[Big Six]

56 Claremont Park
Boston, Massachusetts

Mr. David McAtee
2130 Northumberland Ave.
Richmond, Virginia

August 2, 1941

Dear Dave,

Just in case you haven't had time to read the newspaper the last day or two, I am happy to inform you that I have lost our friendly wager! However, it's a bet I'm more than happy to lose.

I probably should have asked to flip that coin again, because you got the better deal. I, however, figured I truly couldn't lose. After all, if you win the bet, that meant I had twenty wins by August 15. Winning 20 games at any point in the season is a swell thing to do, and if a guy can win that many by mid-August, it means he and his team are having a great year.

I gave up an awful lot of hits to the White Sox yesterday, but my teammates kept them from scoring too many runs. And they also did a good job of scoring runs themselves, so they got me off the hook.

Carrigan left me in the game because I wasn't throwing that many pitches. I wasn't walking anybody, for one thing, and I only struck out two guys. Most of the hitters were taking a cut at the first or second pitch I threw, so I could work nine innings without any trouble. One day this complete game streak will end, but I suppose as long as I keep winning nothing much will change.

I'm looking forward to paying my debt to you when Ellie and I come down to Richmond after the season. I hope that won't happen until late October. In the meantime, you can choose the restaurant!

Your pal,
Mike


Note: Mike's 20th win puts him one ahead of his teammate Ray Brown for the American League lead in victories. His 6-3 victory over the White Sox at Fenway Park was his sixth victory in a row, and it was also his 14th consecutive complete game.

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, August 12, 1941

RED SOX VETS BACK TO FULL HEALTH
Graham, Weaver Activated From DL

BOSTON--With a lead of 23 games in the American League standings, the Boston Red Sox have been doing just fine without the services of Jim Weaver and Archie Graham.

Now, Red Sox supporters will have the chance to see how well the team will play with the two veterans back in the lineup.

Graham and Weaver were both activated from the disabled list in time for today's contest against the third-place New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Graham has been out of action with a torn rib cage muscle since early June. "Moonlight," who has over 2700 big league hits to his credit, was swinging a potent bat when he went down, hitting over .400 in part-time play. The question will be whether or not, at age 38, he will suffer any long-term negative effects from his injury. He will start today against the Yankees, and bat second in Bill Carrigan's batting order.

Weaver's injury, a strained muscle in his money arm, was not nearly as severe. Carrigan couldn't find a replacement for him nearly as easily, however. Bill Butland came up from Minneapolis and started two games, but was hit hard both times. Big Jim, age 37, brings his 16-4 record and 2.49 ERA back to the rotation; he will most likely start in two days...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 1, 1941

RED SOX CLINCH THE PENNANT!
With 94-38 Record, Sox Lead League By 27 Games

BOSTON--By now, nobody should have been surprised to read the news that the Boston Red Sox clinched the American League pennant. Savvy baseball aficionados would have predicted that occurrence weeks ago.

What might surprise them, however, is the fact that the Red Sox ended the race before the calendar turned to September. No team in the history of major league baseball has ever ended a league contest sooner.

The Sox' 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Browns was not a pretty one, with both starting pitchers being thrashed in the early innings, but it was a victory nonetheless.

It was, in fact, the 26th victory of the season for the Red Sox' ace, Iron Mike O'Farrell and, as usual, O'Farrell worked all nine innings. In a feat of endurance that would have impressed the rooter of O'Farrell's father's day, Mike has completed what he started 21 consecutive times.

Not surprisingly, O'Farrell leads the junior circuit with 316 innings pitched and 30 complete games, and his victory total has been tops in the league for some time. Among National Leaguers, only Dizzy Dean of the Cardinals has won more games (27) or pitched as many complete games (30), and only Dean and the Cubs' Satchel Paige have thrown more innings (321 apiece).

Securing the pennant so early gives manager Bill Carrigan the delightful luxury of working O'Farrell and the other Red Sox regulars much less frequently during September. "We plan on playing the starters enough to keep them sharp, but we would also like to give some of our younger players a chance to show what they can do," the veteran pilot said. "We'd be fools to overwork someone and have them tired when the World Series rolls around."

The Red Sox celebrated their American League championship with a gusto that respected the achievement, but also with a restraint that indicated that the players realize their job is not complete.

"Sure, we are excited about winnng the pennant," team leader Lou Gehrig said. "We also realize our season isn't complete unless we win the World Series."

Gehrig's broad, lined face softened as he smiled.

"You'll sure see us celebrate then."

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 25, 1941


IRON MIKE WINS #30
O'Farrell Shuts Out A's, Gehrig Homers Twice

PHILADELPHIA--With the American League pennant firmly in his grasp all month long, Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan has been using most of his regular players sparingly.

The exceptions to this rule have fallen into two categories: younger starters, such as Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Dom DiMaggio, who are still learning their craft, and players who are pursuing important personal milestones.

One of the latter, ace righthander Mike O'Farrell, has taken his regular turn all month long, as he pursues a goal that only a handful of pitchers have achieved in this century.

Yesterday in Philadelphia, Iron Mike completed his quest, firing a shutout at the Athletics to secure his thirtieth victory of the season. Manager Carrigan played most of his first stringers behind O'Farrell, who was certainly making his final start of the regular season. The Red Sox batsmen did their jobs magnificently, producing eight runs on a day when only one was needed.

Lou Gehrig, another of the players who has insisted on staying in the lineup in his fight for the second batting title of his illustrious career, belted two home runs to raise his percentage to .346. Washington backstop John Kinsella stands three points behind, at .343.

"I wanted to be in the lineup today, with Mike going for his 30th win," Gehrig explained. "I hate to sit on the bench."

The burst of power has been a fairly rare thing for Larrupin' Lou. His two circuit clouts gave him a season's total of 17, his lowest ever in a full season of play.

With three runs batted in, Lou did pass the century milestone for the seventeenth consecutive season--an achievement without parallel in the history of the national pastime.

Gehrig has also scored at least 100 runs a year over the same remarkable stretch. Only Pat O'Farrell's streak of 19 straight seasons with at least 100 runs scored exceeds Lou's mark.

Another Red Sox veteran who asked to be in today's lineup was Archie Graham. "I've known Mike O'Farrell since he was a kid," said Moonlight, who lived with the O'Farrell family when he was a bush leaguer in Pittsfield nearly a score of years ago. "Being able to share this day with him is one of the highlights of my career."

As usual, the tireless O'Farrell worked a complete game, something he has done 25 consecutive times this season. His shutout also lowered his earned run average to 2.57, just below the 2.61 marks of his teammate Ray Brown and the Senators' Jake Winters.

O'Farrell will next take the hill during the World Series, when the Bostons will do battle with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Redbirds have a 31-game-winner of their own, Dizzy Dean...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 29, 1941

SOX OUTLAST CARDS, WIN GAME ONE
Boston Outslugs St. Louis, 12-7
Neither O'Farrell Nor Dean Are Sharp

BOSTON--With two 30-game-winning aces on the hill, many expected Game One of the 1941 World Series to be a sharp, low-scoring pitchers' duel.

Instead, the champions of the National and American Leagues combined for 29 base hits against Mike O'Farrell and Dizzy Dean, as the homestanding Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-7 before a capacity crowd at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox drew first blood, scoring twice in the bottom of the second when a walk to Ted Williams was followed by consecutive singles by Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, and Bobby Doerr.

In the next half-inning, the Cards put a five-spot on the board against O'Farrell. The crucial blow was a long two-run triple by Cecil Travis.

Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan nearly removed O'Farrell from the contest, something that has not happened to Mike since early June. The cagey ex-catcher knows pitchers well, however, and elected to stay with his ace. Carrigan was rewarded with six consecutive scoreless innings, time enough for the Red Sox to thoroughly batter Ol' Diz. By the time Dean was lifted for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh, he had allowed eight runs, five of them earned...

Mike O'Farrell might not hit like his famous father Pat, but he swings a mean stick for a pitcher. Iron Mike rapped three hits in five at-bats, and two of them contributed to Sox rallies.

In the seventh, Mike singled and scored ahead of a majestic home run by Lou Gehrig. The next inning, he faced Tex Carleton with two men on and two outs, and cleaned the sacks with a ripping double into the gap...

[Big Six]

Chase Park Plaza Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

Mr. Thomas Flaherty
303 East University Street
Wooster, Ohio

October 2, 1941

Dear Tom,

I promised you I would send you a letter from the World Series, and I didn't want to let you down. Your sister wouldn't forgive me if I forgot my promise, and since she's married to me, I sure don't want her angry with me!

I wish I had pitched a better game today, but I suppose it's OK. We did win, after all, thanks to a lot of help from our hitters. I didn't mean to let up when we took that 12-1 lead, but I suppose it's harder to stay as sharp as you should when your teammates give you a big lead.

Dizzy Dean got a tough break when he got that blister on his finger. We had already scored six runs against him, but knowing Dizzy, I bet he would have toughened up and held us where we were. When Ted Williams and Josh Gibson hit those long homers against Schoonhover, the man who came in to relieve Dizzy, we all felt pretty good about our chances.

I have always loved to hit, and it was pretty swell to hit another double and single today. I now have five hits in nine at-bats in the Series. Can you figure out what my batting average is? I'll tell you this: I'm really proud of it! If you will write me back and give me the right answer, I'll bring you a special surprise when your sister and I come visit you at Christmastime.

We are now up, three games to one, in the Series. If we can win tomorrow, we will be World Series champions, and I'll get a really nice ring. Papa Pat has a bunch of them, and I'd like to win one of my own, too.

I better finish up this letter, because your sister and I are going to have dinner with Charlie Banfield tonight. Keep your eye on Charlie. I think he's going to be a very good pitcher one day!

I hope you're studying hard and enjoying school. I'll call you on the telephone after the Series is over.

Your pal,
Mike