Three Pals, a Base Ball Story

[Big Six]

102 North Oxford Street
Indianapolis, Indiana

April 12, 1902

Mr. and Mrs. John Callahan
Rural Route 9
Dover, Ohio


Dear Mother and Father,

I have just settled in at the boarding house where I will be living in Indianapolis. My room is very comfortable, with a bed, a wash stand, and a small wardrobe.

There are three of us ballplayers living in the house. Roy Porter and Tom Swain are the others. We got to know each other while we were in camp with the Giants, and we discovered the club had referred all three of us to the same house in New York, where we all ended up taking rooms. Because the club sent all of us to Indianapolis on the same day, we traveled out here on the train together. Roy is quite a talker, while Tom is nearly as quiet as I am. The three of us get along just fine, though. Tom is a catcher and Roy plays first base, and they are both hard hitters.

I confess I am not altogether sorry I am playing in Indianapolis this year. New York City seemed awfully large and noisy to me! Of course, I was aware it was a huge, huge city, but since I had never visited a city bigger than Akron before, I was unprepared for what I encountered in New York. Indianapolis is a large city, to be sure, but it is not nearly as noisy or busy as New York.

The house where I am boarding is within an easy walk of our ball grounds, so when the club is playing at home it is very convenient for me to dress in my uniform and walk to the grounds. In fact, Mrs. Hughes, the woman who owns the house, tells us that if the crowd at the game is large, she can hear it cheering from the front porch. I hope we can give Mrs. Hughes plenty to cheer about this year.

I must close this letter now, as Mrs. Hughes has just rung the bell for supper, and I am mighty hungry. I hope you are all doing well. Maybe you can catch a train out to Indianapolis sometime and watch a few games.

Your loving son,
Charlie

[Big Six]

Indianapolis Star
Sunday, April 27

INDIANS DEFEAT DALLAS IN EXCITING CONTEST
Indianapolis Club Wins Two Of Three Against "Steers"
Porter's Home Run Is "Indians'" First Of Season

Today at the Washington Street grounds, the Indianapolis club scored three runs in the last two innings and won a close game against Dallas. Both teams' batsmen enjoyed considerable success all day long, their hard and frequent hitting making the final score 8 to 7.

Roy Porter provided the most exciting moment of the game when he swung from the heels at a delivery from Dallas twirler Ed Walsh and hit the ball high and far over the right field barrier. Porter's home run was the first one made by an Indianapolis player, and the longest hit we have seen at the grounds in at least a year.

Porter's batting average has now risen to .410, and his mark is the second highest in the American Association. George Magoon of Louisville is atop the list with a mark of .413...

[Big Six]

102 North Oxford Street
Indianapolis, Indiana

Mr. John Rogers '04
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

May 5, 1902

Dear Jack,

I sure was glad to get your letter yesterday. I have been enjoying a very pleasant last few days, and having a letter waiting when I arrived back home last night surely was a fine surprise.

Since you asked how things were going for me on the ball field, I will give you a brief report. The last few games have been very good ones for me. Our last few games were played in Kansas City and Minneapolis, and we won the last four in a row. I have made twelve safe hits in those four games, I have scored six runs and driven home six more. It is truly a pleasure to play ball when I am hitting as well as I am now.

Since I have never visited the "western" states, I have enjoyed traveling around the league and visiting the different cities. Our hotels in Kansas City and Minneapolis were especially nice. The fellows who have been in professional ball a little longer than I have tell me that the hotels we are allowed to stay in are much more reputable than those they had to patronize as frequently as four or five years ago.

Most of the fellows are all right, not the kind of hoodlums professional players are sometimes considered to be by those who don't know better. A few of them drink quite a bit sometimes, but those fellows tend to spend most of their time in each other's company and leave alone those of us who don't choose to spend all our time or money on such things.

I live here in the rooming house with two other players who are about the same age as I. Tom Swain is a catcher from Nantucket, where the whaling ships used to set out years ago. In fact, some of Tom's relatives were involved in whaling, and he has told us some fine stories he learned from his grandfather. Charlie Callahan is a pitcher from Ohio, where his family has been farming since about the time Ohio became a state.

Charlie is a big fellow, almost as tall and heavy as I am, and he has attracted more than his fair share of ribbing from some of the older men who believe him to be a "hayseed." I would be surprised if some of his tormentors weren't from backgrounds every bit as rural as Charlie's, but because they have been on the road playing ball for a while they think themselves quite worldly. Charlie says the teasing does not bother him, but I'm not sure he is telling the truth. I told him that all he has to do is square off with one of the boys who bothers him, and it will stop immediately. As big and strong as Charlie is, I believe his tormentor might close his mouth immediately, once he sees Charlie is determined to stand up for himself.

Tom, too, had a bit of trouble with one player in particular. Aleck Smith is also a catcher, and last year he was the regular man in Indianapolis. Smith spent some time in the big league in the nineties, and he makes no secret of his desire to play there one again. I suppose Smith got jealous of the fact that Tom is playing every day, and playing well. One night, a number of us were out at a saloon near the Indianapolis grounds. Tom and I had each had a mug of beer, but some of the others had been drinking heavily. One of them was Smith, and while he was in his whiskey he began to give Tom a hard time.

Tom took as much of it as he could handle before he told Smith that enough was enough. Smith replied by inviting Tom to step outside, and Tom accepted the invitation. Smith threw one punch at Tom and missed, and Tom hit him once in the jaw and down Smith went. Nobody has dared to push Tom too hard since then.

That is just the kind of story I would never want my mother and father to hear, since they believe all us players are drunken brawlers. I haven't heard from them since March; nor do I expect to. That is why the letters from all of you who are my friends are so welcome.

I hope your classes are going well, and that you teach those professors at old Cornell a few things. Hopefully we can find some time to do some fishing this fall, once my season ends and before your classes begin again.

Your pal,
Roy

[Big Six]

Indianapolis American Association Base Ball Club
Indianapolis, Indiana

Mr. George Davis
New York National League Base Ball Club
The Polo Grounds
New York, New York

May 14, 1902

Dear George,

I am sorry I was unable to respond to your telegram of the 12th until today. I did not get the message until this morning, just as I was about to leave for the grounds.

Each of the three players of whom you inquire have been playing well.

Charles Callahan pitched his best game of the season two days ago, when he defeated the Minneapolis club. He allowed only two runs and eight hits, and most impressively, he did not give a batter a base on balls. Callahan struck out twelve batters, which is the highest total for any pitcher on our club this season.

Callahan has plenty of speed; in fact, I believe he is throwing his fast ball with more velocity than he was at the beginning of the season. His curves are sharp, especially the "reverse curve," with which he confounds many batsmen. If he can continue to control his delivery the way he did against Minneapolis, he will make a fine pitcher for you. I would not suggest rushing him, as he is yet only nineteen years of age.

Tom Swain has caught nearly every game for our club this season, and he has impressed me as one of the toughest young players I have ever managed. He handles our club's pitchers with a skillful hand, despite being, at twenty, younger than nearly all of them.

Swain is, in my opinion, the finest catcher in our league right now. He is agile in pursuit of pop flies and blocks many pitches that would get past many other catchers and allow base runners to advance. He throws hard and accurately to the bases and, by our count, throws out over 40 percent of the runners who attempt to steal against him. Swain would handle the responsibilities of a catcher in the National League well, even now. As a batsman, he is developing into a timely hitter who handles pressure well, and as the season has progressed he is hitting more consistently and with greater authority than he did weeks ago.

Roy Porter is, right now, playing better ball than any man in our league. Lately, he has been the terror of the circuit, keeping his batting average over .400. In our last three games, all against Minneapolis, Porter hit safely eight times and batted in eight runs.

Porter is swinging well from both sides of the plate, although he seems somewhat more comfortable batting righthanded. He is hitting the ball hard nearly every time he bats, and most of his hits are hard drives to centre field. At first base he moves well for a large man, although this is the component of his game that will require the most work.

In my opinion, Porter--if he continues his form of recent weeks--would acquit himself fairly well against National League pitchers right now. Swain is perhaps not quite ready to face faster competition as effectively, although his play in the field would be first-rate. Callahan will require more seasoning before he is ready for your club.

Of course, I would selfishly like to keep all three men on my club, for they are among the best I have, and our chances of winning a championship here are much better with them than without them.

I hope my reports provide you with sufficient information. If there are other matters concerning them, or any of the players on the Indianapolis club, with which you would like to receive information, kindly let me know and I shall oblige you.

Respectfully yours,
Floyd


Floyd Hall is the manager of the Indianapolis club.

[Big Six]

New York Times
Monday, May 17, 1902

...The Giants yesterday announced the purchase of the contract of Roy Porter of the Indianapolis club of the American Association.

Porter is a first baseman, aged nineteen. He has been playing superbly in Indianapolis, leading his league with a batting mark of .428. Since the first of May, Porter has 34 safe hits in 68 at-bats.

Porter will join the club in Cincinnati to-day, and Manager Davis has said that he will waste no time giving Porter a chance. The Reds' pitcher will be Jesse Tannehill, a left-hander, and Davis says young Porter is particularly strong against pitchers who deliver the ball from that side...

[Big Six]

Hotel Sterling
Cincinnati, Ohio

Miss Harriet Emery
Ferry Hill School
Silver Cove, New York

May 17, 1902

Dearest "Harry,"

This will have to be the shortest of letters, because I need to get plenty of sleep tonight. After one day as a major league base ball player, I have already decided that if a man is not at his best, he cannot expect to last long in this game. At the very least, I cannot.

I boarded a train yesterday afternoon in Indianapolis as soon as I discovered the Giants had bought my contract. I arrived at this hotel, where the team is staying while we play the Reds, at about the same time the players returned from the grounds. I shook hands with a few of the fellows I knew well from spring training and ate a quick meal in the hotel restaurant before I got my key and retired to my room.

My room mate, at least on this trip, is Jimmy Sebring, an outfielder who is among the only players close to my age on the team. Sebring came to the room a few minutes after I did, while most of the fellows went out for a while. I suspect they found a saloon nearby.

This morning I woke, dressed in my uniform, and traveled by horsecar to the brand new grounds where the Reds play. It is called the "Palace of the Fans," and I believe the name was wisely chosen. I discovered I would be playing first base and batting seventh in the order.

The pitcher for the Cincinnatis was Jesse Tannehill, who is the best twirler on their club. He certainly had no problems with me! I batted against him four times, and he struck me out twice. On my first time to the plate, I hit a ground ball that the shortstop fielded easily, and he threw me out at first base. The last time I batted, Fielder Jones, our centerfielder, was on third base. I hit a fly to right field that was caught, but it was long enough that Jones could "tag up" and score. I might not have a safe hit to my credit yet, but I do have a run batted in.

We lost the game 6-5, putting our club third in the standings. Cincinnati leads the league, so I suppose it isn't too surprising that they beat us on their own grounds.

I will probably not play in tomorrow's game, according to Manager Davis. The Reds have a tough right handed pitcher, Willie Sudhoff, going tomorrow, and Davis says I will play mostly when we face left handed pitchers. I wish it were not that way; most pitchers are right handed, and I can bat from either side of the plate.

Well, I ended up writing more than I thought I would. I hope I have not bored you with my account of the game. I promise you I will not write such lengthy summaries of every game I play!

Yours,
Roy

[Big Six]

Since I held an inaugural draft when my "universe" began in 1901, the Giants team that Roy Porter has joined doesn't contain all the names you'd expect to see on the real Giants roster.

Here are the '02 Giants, as they appear in our story:

REGULAR BATTING ORDER
Josh Clarke, LF
Fielder Jones, CF
John McGraw, 3B
George Davis, SS
Jimmy Sebring, RF
Dick Padden, 2B
Wilbert Robinson, C
Duke Farrell, 1B

Against lefthanders, Jimmy Bannon replaces Clarke, and Roy Porter starts every other game in Farrell's place at first base. The AI manager scrambles the batting order, too; Robinson bats second, Jones sixth, Porter seventh, and Padden eighth when a southpaw faces the Giants.

The other Giants reserves are 1B Walter Thornton, 2B Tom Delahanty and Johnny Evers, and OF Joe Wright, Joe Peitz, and Tony Thebo.

I wish the AI could recognize that it's 1902. Platooning and mixing up the batting order just don't seem authentic in that day. I know I could manage the Giants myself, but I don't trust myself to play favorites with my featured players. Meanwhile, the other 15 teams would still be managed like it's 2002, not 1902. I don't have the time to set lineups for every team in the majors.

Anyway, here is the Giants' pitching rotation:
LHP Eddie Plank
RHP Addie Joss
RHP Chick Fraser
RHP Billy Rhines

Righthander Bill Carrick is the fifth member of the staff.

[Big Six]

Indianapolis Star
Sunday, June 1, 1902

CALLAHAN IS LEAGUE'S TOP TWIRLER FOR MAY
Young Indianapolis Pitcher Honored For May Performances

It was learned to-day that Charlie Callahan, the 19-year-old left-hander of the Indianapolis club, was chosen as the American Association Pitcher of the Month for May.

Callahan pitched eight games in May, winning seven and losing only one. In 68 innings of work, he struck out an impressive total of 50 batsmen. His earned run average of 3.71 was not as low as one would expect from a pitcher with such a record, but taken in total, Callahan's record indicates he is a man who finds a way to help his team win even when his "stuff" is not first-rate...

[Big Six]

Monday, June 2, 1902

TOM MCELROY
OMAHA BASE BALL CLUB
OMAHA NEBRASKA

EXPECT TWO PLAYERS SENT FROM INDIANAPOLIS STOP
TOM SWAIN AND CHARLIE CALLAHAN WILL ARRIVE BURLINGTON STATION 535 PM STOP
YOU ARE GETTING TWO GOOD ONES HERE STOP

FLOYD HALL
INDIANAPOLIS BASE BALL CLUB

[muted79]

Excellent read so far, if this turns out a tenth as good as the Pat O'Farrell story it will still be a great read, so looking forward to reading more

[Big Six]

Thanks, muted79. I'm enjoying getting back into the Dead Ball Era again. I hadn't played much old-time OOTP since the O'Farrell dynasty, and I remember now why I enjoyed it so much.

I hope you keep reading and enjoying the story.

[Big Six]

344 2nd Street
Troy, New York

Mr. Daniel Werle
330 N. Cross Street
Dover, Ohio

June 27, 1902

Dear Dan,

I am sure you wondered who on earth was writing you a letter from Troy, New York. It appears my baseball travels have taken me back to the eastern states. The Troy club needed a pitcher, and I had not pitched very well in Omaha. I was allowing too many base hits, and the manager at Omaha thought I might benefit from facing somewhat easier competition in Troy. I am not terribly happy with the decision, but I understand things like this can happen to a ball player anytime.

I suppose things could be worse. They certainly are worse for a friend of mine, Tom Swain, who has been my usual catcher since we were in the Giants camp together in March. Swain was sent to Troy from Omaha as well; in fact, he arrived about two weeks ago. He was angry at his fate, and I suppose I cannot blame him. His batting average was exactly .400 with the Omaha club, and he was doing a fine job of catching, too.

Swain didn't hit much when he first arrived in Troy, because he was still sore about being sent here. The last week or so he finally began to play well. He caught me in my first game here yesterday. Unfortunately, he injured a muscle in the back of his leg, and he had to be helped from the field. The doctor says he might not play again for two months.

Swain and I are living in the same boarding house here in Troy, as we did in Indianapolis and Omaha. We get along well, and we spend much of our time discussing the different batsmen in the league and how we might put them out. I will miss having him to pitch to.

Well, old friend, it is time for me to end this letter. Hopefully I won't have cause to pack my trunk and move to another new city before the season ends. When I get back to Ohio, we shall have to do some hunting. That new shotgun you told me about sure sounds like a fine one.

Your pal,
Charlie

[golander40]

Good stuff--unique approach.
Thanks
Gil The Ancient One
Not quite 1902 ancient,however

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by golander40

Good stuff--unique approach.
Thanks
Gil The Ancient One
Not quite 1902 ancient,however

Thanks, Gil. I was a little surprised when the computer GM for the Giants sent both Tom and Charlie all the way down to Class A. Neither of them was really overmatched at AAA; Charlie had been named the league's Pitcher of the Month in May.

When I bought OOTP13 and imported my game to the new version, I noticed the computer GM shuffled the farm system completely about the time Tom and Charlie were sent down. Guys were being sent all over the place, which makes me think the AI's logic concerning farm systems might be a little different in the new version.

(I know there weren't really farm systems in the early 1900s, so I've had to be creative when I tell the story of how Roy, Tom, and Charlie are moved from level to level within the Giants organization. I hope it's not too distracting or unrealistic.)

[Big Six]

838 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York, New York

Mr. Tom Swain
344 2nd Street
Troy, New York

August 1, 1902

Dear Tom,

I was happy to receive your letter of the 29th today. I know you are not too keen on writing letters, so I am especially glad you took the time to write.

I am sorry to hear that your leg is not much better yet, and I understand your frustration at your manager’s unwillingness to let you play now. I think, however, that you should be flattered by the fact that he is not going to rush you back into the line-up until you have healed completely. The legs of a catcher are constantly at work, and an injury such as the one you have would torment you every time you took your position behind home plate. Your manager obviously considers you a valuable asset to the club, one which he should protect carefully.

I am also sorry to hear that Charlie has not pitched well lately. It seems that the fielders playing behind him have done little to help him win. I know that many batsmen hit ground balls when Charlie is pitching, so having infielders who can field them successfully is essential when he is on the pitcher’s mound. Allowing a base hit is much more dangerous when there are men on the bases, after all.

Lately, I have been getting opportunities to play more recently. I am in the starting lineup about once a week, and I am occasionally called on as a substitute batsman. When I first joined the Giants, I played only when a left-handed pitcher faced us, but now it doesn't seem to matter which sort of twirler is in the game. I played first base on Wednesday against St. Louis, and their pitcher was right-handed.

Again, I hope you will recover completely soon so you will be back in the line-up on a regular basis. Then you will have a chance to show someone that you have the genuine goods.

Your pal,
Roy

Roy appeared in 18 Giants games in June and July 1902. He went 13-47 (.277) with four doubles, driving in six runs and scoring five.

[yougo1000]

Out of curiosity what version of OOTP is this? Really enjoying this.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by yougo1000

Out of curiosity what version of OOTP is this? Really enjoying this.

Thanks, yougo1000. I started it with OOTP12, and recently brought it over to OOTP13.

[Big Six]

Troy Record
August 31, 1902

CALLAHAN AND SWAIN CALLED TO NEW YORK
Young Troy Battery To Join Giants

To-day it was learned that the New York Giants have summoned the crack battery from the Trojans, Charlie Callahan and Tom Swain. The players will board a train for Boston this evening and should join the Giants there in time for their contest against the Beaneaters tomorrow afternoon.

Callahan has been impressive of late. On the 27th, he pitched the Trojans to a 15-3 victory over Elmira. Only one of the runs scored by the Pioneers was truly earned; the others resulted from shoddy fielding by Callahan's teammates.

Swain had been missing from the Troy line-up since late June, when he suffered an injury to the muscles of his thigh that made it impossible for him to run or to crouch behind the plate. Tom's return to the lineup yesterday was greeted by much applause, and Tom demonstrated his thanks by scoring three runs in the home club's 12-11 victory over Scranton.

Manager George Davis of the Giants said that he would try his best to get Swain and Callahan into some games during September. The Giants are currently striving for a spot in the first division of the National League, and are pursuing the goal of finishing the season with a winning record...