The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Level]

i wonder what pat's handicap is.

[Big Six]

I'm sure it's lower than mine is, Level.

[Big Six]

Despite the disappointment of another second place finish, Pat had another fine year in 1922. Here are his statistics for the year, along with his career totals:

        G    AB   H   2B  3B  HR  RBI   R    BB  SO   SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS
1922   151  567  208  33  24  17  120  144   84  27   86  24 .367 .447 .600 1.047 
Total 2172 8029 2705 469 249 119 1353 1733 1426 906 1064 237 .337 .437 .502  .939

Pat's 17 homers and 120 RBI were career highs. He has reached double figures in home runs each of the last three years and has driven in over 100 runs five times, including the last three seasons.

He extended his amazing string of thirteen consecutive seasons with over 100 runs scored, too. The next longest streak I have discovered is Ty Cobb's; Ty ran off six straight from 1911-1916, scored "only" 86 in 1917, and has started another run of five in a row.

Pat reached a number of milestones over the course of the season. A third consecutive season with over 200 hits put him easily over the 2,500 mark, and within range of the magic 3,000 with another two good years.

With three more triples, he will tie Sam Crawford's all-time record. That might take him no more than a week or two, as he's ripped 72 three-baggers in the 1920s alone.

He is opening up a huge gap between himself and the field in the art of drawing bases on balls. Pat has walked almost 300 times more than Al Bridwell, who ranks second all-time. Bridwell's total is closer to that of Honus Wagner, in twenty-fifth place, than it is to O'Farrell's.

Thirty-one more runs scored will move Pat past Willie Keeler into second place in the career rankings, which are led by Ty Cobb.

Pat did race past Cobb in one category, however. With 86 more stolen bases, Pat not only cleared a thousand for his career, but by swiping 28 more than Ty, he overtook him on the all-time list as well. O'Farrell has 1,067 steals in his career, to Cobb's 1,057.

Next: More statistical treats from 1922, and a look at Pat's ratings and how they are responding to the passage of time.

[John P. Yuda]

How old is Pat now? 32 or so?

[Big Six]

The 1922 World Series was a rematch for the 1921 pennant winners, the New York Giants and the Detroit Tigers. And, just as in 1921, the Giants took the Series, 4 games to 2.

The Giants have supplanted the Cincinnati Reds as the dominant team in the National League. The New Yorkers have won four of the last six World Championships, although they have never won a Series over the Red Sox.

Each pennant winner was led by a batting champion: Ty Cobb, who hit over .400 for the second straight year (.406), and Tillie Shafer, who just missed that mark (.396). The Giants' Ross Youngs established himself as one of the most exciting young stars in baseball, batting .367 to place third in the National League.

The Giants' Rube Marquard came within two Ks of the pitchers' Triple Crown, as he whiffed 188 men to Pol Perritt's 190. Marquard set a new NL record with 30 wins, and paced the senior circuit with a 2.85 ERA. Not surprisingly, Rube was chosen the Most Outstanding Pitcher in his league--his third MOP award.

The American League witnessed new all-time single season marks in two key power categories. Boston's Babe Ruth broke his own record with 38 homers, while the Tigers' Harry Heilmann drove in 158 runs to edge past Ruth's two-year old record. Heilmann, who also batted .360 and clubbed 17 homers, was named the AL's Most Outstanding Batter.

The National League home run king also called Boston his home. Fred Beck put 25 balls over the fence to set a new league record, after smacking 18 the season before. It was Beck's third home run crown, but his first since 1914. Pittsburgh's Rabbit Maranville led the league with 138 RBI, and after going wild in August with ten homers, finished the season with 23. For his efforts, Maranville was named the Most Outstanding Batter in the National League.

"Handsome Harry" Suter of the White Sox had long been considered one of the best relievers in the game, making eight trips to the All-Star game. In his second season as a starter, he won 26 games to lead the American League. He lost the MOP balloting to Philadelphia's Bunny Hearn, who went 23-8 with a league-leading 2.54 ERA.

Among the men who reintegrated Major League baseball, the most impressive debut was that of Chicago Cubs outfielder Oscar Charleston. In his first 13 big league games, Oscar hit a sizzling .474, with 5 homers and 16 RBI. On August 22, however, he broke his hand, ending his season...but not before he established himself as one of the players to watch for 1923.

Tigers prospects Turkey Stearnes and Cool Papa Bell each had successful seasons at the highest level of the minor leagues. Stearnes (.327-7-28) and Bell (.348-3-10, 14 SB) might find it hard to crack a Tigers outfield that already features stars like Cobb, Heilmann, and Pete Knisely, but that embarrassment of riches could allow the Tigers to make deals to plug any holes that might open up. Judy Johnson was not as pleased with his professional debut, hitting .219 for Bill Carrigan's Providence club.

Veteran Rube Foster's debut was not nearly as successful. He was released by the White Sox after posting an ERA over 9.00 in four appearances. Teammate Smokey Joe Williams was also hit hard, posting a 3-7 record and a 6.30 ERA; it was apparently a tough year for pitchers bearing that nickname.
Bullet Joe Rogan was the most successful of the pioneer pitchers, going 4-2 for the Brooklyn Dodgers with a 5.40 ERA.

And, finally, Archie "Moonlight" Graham finished his season at Pittsfield with a solid .290-15-69 line, which firmly established him as the White Sox' top prospect.

1923 should be an exciting year...

[Big Six]

Funny you should ask, John. The next post is a look at the first signs of decline for our protagonist.

Pat turned 35 on September 16, 1922. For the first time, his ratings have begun to slip a little bit, as he enters the decline phase of his career. I haven't said much about Pat's ratings in a while, as I've concentrated on the story that I've created around his performance in the simulation. I'll be paying closer attention to them for the remainder of his career, and I'll update his fans as they change.

His Contact rating peaked at 88, which precisely equaled his potential in this area. It only began to fall in 1922, and as the season ends, it still stands at 80. The switch-hitting Pat makes slightly better contact from against righties, 81-78.

In contrast, Pat is hitting the ball with even more authority as he ages! His rating for Gap Power has risen from 91 to 94 over the past two seasons; that and the livelier ball has made him into a triples machine. With a talent rating in that area of 93, he's as good as he'll get...right?

I had never imagined Pat would turn into a home run threat...but it happened anyway. His talent for driving the long ball has risen to 53, and he's developed it even further, to 59.

O'Farrell home run trivia time: The all-time leader in home runs at the end of the 1922 season is Pat's barnstorming buddy, Big Jim Nealon of the Tribe, with 150. For the time being, guess who is SECOND all-time, with 119? Barring cataclysmic forces or career-ending injuries, a guy named Ruth, who has 115, will pass both of them and take the all-time lead, but for one shining moment, only one man in all of major league history has hit more homers than Patrick O'Farrell.

The ability to distinguish between good and bad pitches often improves as a player ages, and this has happened to Pat. His Eye rating has soared to 102, close to his Talent potential of 106. No wonder he's walked more times than anyone in history.

Pat can still get around on a fastball, and he's still awfully hard to strike out. His rating for Avoiding Ks is 85, based on a talent rating of 80.

Like Lou Brock, Pat has retained the ability to steal bases into his thirties. His Speed, which peaked at a blazing 93 and remained there for years, has finally begun to decrease...although at 85, he can still outrun most major leagues with ease. By contrast, Cobb, who is about the same age, has apparently been eating too much barbecue during his winters in Georgia, and has "slowed" to a 67.

Pat was once a better-than-average fielder, but now his play around the keystone sack is merely average. His Range has slipped from 76 to 51, and he's become a frightful option at short or in left field (8 and 7). He still catches what he gets to, and his arm is still nearly as good as it once was (61 now, down from 70).

I hate to see Pat age, but I'm resisting the temptation to tweak his ratings in a Ponce de Leonesque attempt to find him a Fountain of Youth. For one thing, I'm anxious to see how OOTP handles his aging process. For another, I just don't want to cheat. And finally, I think writing the story of his baseball autumn will be a lot of fun, too.

[NCBeachBum]

I imagine you'll find some very good storylines in Pat's inevitable decline..... the increasing aches and pains he'll have the mornings after games, the personal conflicts over when and how to hang 'em up, and the almost guaranteed class he'll show in the way in which he does so.
There's nothing quite like seeing a great character deal with the dips and curves life throws them, seeing the qualities that make them who they are really show. I'm looking forward to that aspect of it.

[Big Six]

Thanks, NCBB. While I hate to think that Pat's run will come to an end, it will be fun to describe it, like you said.

I accidentally forgot one of the Negro League stars when I was writing up my 1922 update, and considering the fact he remained healthy and in the major leagues until the end of the season, he was the most productive of all!

Shortstop John Henry Lloyd of the Phillies hit a cool .358 in 42 games, with five homers and 35 RBI, scoring 35 runs, reaching base at a .421 clip, and slugging .509. Since "Pop" is 38 years old, he's not a long-term solution for the Phillies, but he might provide them with a few more productive seasons. Ironically, Lloyd's arrival led to the benching of Swede Risberg, whom the Phillies obtained when they traded prospect Archie Graham to the White Sox.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, December 14, 1922

JIMMY COLLINS RETIRING
Bill Carrigan To Take Reins Of Red Sox

BOSTON--The case can be made that Jimmy Collins is the most successful manager in the history of baseball. Eight pennants and seven World Series titles give him a record that no pilot can equal.

Yesterday, Collins announced that his successful run has reached its end, with his retirement from the Red Sox managerial post. "I have had a great career here, but it's time for me to move on," Collins said simply.

The Red Sox announced that Bill Carrigan, who managed the Providence club this past season and has retired from active play, will be their manager for the 1923 season.

[Big Six]

As Pat's longtime friend "Rough" Bill Carrigan announces the end of his playing career, it's time to take one last, close look at his accomplishments.

Here is his lifetime batting record:

Year   G    AB   H   2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1908  133  492  116  17  2  0  50  39  29  69  2  2 .236 .278 .278 .557 BOS 
1909   69  253   65   5 13  0  39  26  23  15  3  2 .257 .319 .379 .698 BOS
1910   97  333  105  12  9  1  53  45  49  49  2  2 .315 .403 .414 .818 BOS 
1911   96  300   66   6  3  0  46  39  48  66  1  1 .220 .328 .260 .588 BOS 
1912   25   65   17   3  2  0   6  12  10   9  0  2 .262 .360 .369 .729 BOS 
1913   52  142   45   5  3  1  22  16  21  31  0  0 .317 .405 .415 .820 BOS 
1914   48  141   43   7  1  2  23  19  12  33  2  2 .305 .359 .411 .771 BOS 
1915   43  139   42   8  4  0  17  20  14  35  2  0 .302 .366 .417 .783 BOS 
1916  133  482  144  24  2  3  77  60  71  90  4  2 .299 .389 .376 .764 BOS
1917  136  498  152  19  4  0  77  69  59  83  1  2 .305 .379 .359 .738 BOS
1918  117  401  116  14  1  1  56  49  37  68  1  3 .289 .349 .337 .686 BOS 
1919  123  492  122  22  4  2  60  46  31 138  1  1 .248 .293 .321 .614 BOS 
1920   34  110   30   4  3  1  17   9   7  41  0  0 .273 .316 .391 .707 BOS 
1921    7   20    5   1  0  0   2   0   0   3  0  0 .250 .250 .300 .550 BOS 
1922    3    7    2   1  0  0   0   0   1   1  0  0 .286 .375 .429 .804 BOS 
     1116 3875 1070 148 51 11 545 449 412 731 19 19 .276 .346 .349 .695

Bill spent a good portion of his career backing up Bill Peterson, an All-Star catcher, but Carrigan was a three-time All-Star himself (1909, 1916, 1917). Bill also won the AL Slick Fielder award five times. No other backstop in either league has won more than three Slick Fielder prizes. Carrigan was, arguably, the best fielding catcher in major league history.

His first major league hit was a double off the White Sox' Ed Walsh, on April 1, 1908. He hit his first career home run a little over two years later, as he connected off the Naps' Lucky Wright on June 19, 1910. That day, he drove in six runs, and was undoubtedtly named Player of the Game--an honor he received 32 times during the course of his career.

In 1916, Bill's finest year as a regular, he placed in the American League's top ten in four offensive categories: doubles, RBI, OBP (8th in each) and walks (9th). He also placed eighth in RBI again in 1917.

The longest hitting streak of Bill's career ran fourteen games, and he once drove in runs in six consecutive contests.

Never a true home run threat, Carrigan once launched a 419-foot blast, and his second longest shot traveled only a foot short of that distance.

Perhaps most significantly, however, Rough Bill was one of a nucleus of Boston players who played on eight pennant winners and seven World Series champions from 1909-1920.

[Big Six]

Majestic Hotel
Hot Springs, Arkansas

Mrs. Sarah O'Farrell
148 Cherry Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

March 18, 1923

My dearest Sarah,

I am relaxing in the lobby here at the Majestic, with an ice pack on my sore right knee--the product of a hard smash by a young outfielder named Cuyler in yesterday's workout. I told myself that I would never have been able to have gloved a shot like that one, but when a ball player reaches the age of thirty-five years as I have, he begins to wonder if his reflexes are as sharp as they once were.

Then, after I walked off the sharp pain from the blow to my knee, I resumed my position. The very next batter, an outfielder named Pittinger, rapped one into the "hole" behind second base. I moved for it easily, grabbed it, planted my foot and in one motion, turned and fired the ball over to Judge at first. That, more than anything else, made the pain in my knee--and my ego--much easier to endure.

Bill Carrigan is working all of us hard, as he wants us to be ready for the beginning of the season. He remembers, however, that if we are too tired as April arrives, we won't play our best ball, and he is determined that we will start the season well. Bill has had no trouble commanding the respect of the players, as almost all of us know him well from his years as a player, and both his knowledge of the game and his desire to win are unquestionable.

It sounds so strange to speak of Bill's playing career in the past tense! He has been my teammate for at least part of every season I have spent in professional ball. I am glad, however, that I will have the opportunity to play for him as a manager.

I know that Joe feels the very same way. Whatever ailed him last season seems to be a thing of the past, as he is throwing easily and naturally, with as much speed as I have ever seen from him. If he can return to his usual form, we will have a pitching staff that is second to none. Last season, without Joe and Walter to fall back upon, men like Bedient, Dauss, and Nehf displayed talents they had never revealed to such an extent. Dauss, in particular, seems poised to become a true "ace."

Speaking of Walter, I received a letter from him the other day. He has heard rumors about a possible trade that will send him back to the American League, possibly to the Yankees. Personally, if Walter is not to be my teammate, I would much rather have him in the other league. I believe he will bounce back and win a lot of ballgames, just like Joe seems ready to do.

The biggest news out of New York's training camp, however, is the play of a young slugger named Gehrig. He is nineteen, but is hitting the ball like he has been a big league home run hitter for years. Please do not say anything about this to anyone, but Bill is thinking seriously about trying to obtain Gehrig from New York--even if it would mean exchanging Babe Ruth for him. Before you begin to worry, Bill has assured me that he would not listen to any trade offer that would involve your husband.

Tonight the team will put on its annual spring camp variety show. As always, Marty McHale will steal the show with his beautiful singing voice. I am flattered by Marty's invitation to join him in a duet, singing "Carolina in the Morning." My contribution should be to move my lips silently so Marty's voice will come through loud and clear, but Marty insists he would like me to harmonize with him. We shall see.

I miss you and the children more each day, and I cannot wait to be back in Massachusetts where at least you will be closer. Remind Beth and Mike to do their best in school, although neither one needs much pushing in that direction. And give them all a big hug and kiss from Daddy.

All my love always,
Pat

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, April 5, 1923

WOOD SHUTS OUT BROWNS ON TWO HITS
Smoky Joe In Classic Form; Sox Win 9-0
Bassler and Babe Are Bosox Hitting Stars

ST. LOUIS--Throughout last season, the characteristics that had always distinguished Joe Wood on the mound--the easy, fluid motion and the hissing sound, followed by a sharp pop if the ball hit the catcher's mitt--were still present. The usual results, however, were not.

Yesterday, Wood returned to form, dazzling the St. Louis club with speed and control on the way to a two-hit shutout victory. The grin on Joe's face as the final out was recorded was as wide as the nine-run winning margin his hard-hitting teammates provided him.

Wood struck out seven men, walking only two, and no Brown reached third base. Meanwhile, his batterymate Johnny Bassler was driving in four runs with a home run and a double. Bassler's two-bagger knocked in the Sox' first run, while his round trip blast drove in the final three.

Babe Ruth continued his home run binge, as he connected off St. Louis starter Joe Oeschger with one man on in the third inning. Ruth has four home runs in the Sox' first four games...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, April 26, 1923

PAT O'FARRELL HITS THREE HOME RUNS
Red Sox Defeat Browns, 10-5
Nehf Wins Fifth Game of Season

ST. LOUIS--Ask almost anyone who follows the national game who the most likely player to hit three home runs in a single game would be, and the answer will be Babe Ruth. Indeed, one look at the Babe, six feet two inches of brawn, is all it takes to peg him as a home run threat.

The Babe was, of course, the first man in the history of the major leagues to hit a trio of four-baggers in a single contest, accomplishing the feat last August. Yesterday, however, Ruth watched as a teammate duplicated the trick.

Babe's vantage point was one of the best available, as he witnessed the three long balls from the on-deck circle. The man who hit them is not the physical specimen Babe is. He is four inches shorter, leaner, and although a slugger, is at least as well known as a speedster.

He is, of course, Patrick J. O'Farrell. Pat's three homers, all struck off hapless Browns starter Dana Fillingim, provided much of the impetus for the Bosox' 10-5 victory yesterday. Two of O'Farrell's clouts came with the bases empty; one occurred with one runner aboard. His final homer, struck in the ninth inning, was immediately followed by another off the bat of Ruth. Frank Frisch completed the barrage of four-baggers, a solo effort in the fifth inning.

"I have never hit three home runs in a game, not even as a boy," O'Farrell said of his feat. "I admit I was trying to hit one the last time I came up. I was lucky on that one, because I usually can't hit them when I'm trying for one, not even in batting practice."

Art Nehf pitched his least effective game of the season, allowing five runs and ten hits. "I did not pitch well, but when the guys hit that well behind me, I don't need to pitch well," he said. Nehf's victory was his fifth of the 1923 season, best in either league...

[Big Six]

ATHLETICS ACQUIRE YOUNG COLORED PITCHER
Bill Foster, Young Lefthander, Obtained from Cleveland

PHILADELPHIA--The Athletics today became the latest major league team to acquire a Negro player, as they picked up pitcher Bill Foster in a trade with the Cleveland Indians.

Foster and another pitcher, Nellie Pott, came to Cleveland in exchange for first baseman Dick Burrus. Foster is a lefty, nineteen years of age, with a promising future. He throws a hard fastball, as well as a drop curve, a change of pace, and a tricky fast curve.

Foster will be sent to Springfield for seasoning.

[Big Six]

Pittsfield Eagle, May 1, 1923

HILLIES DEFEAT WORCESTER, 3-1
Graham, Lyons Shine

PITTSFIELD--In what is rumored to be the final performance in Pittsfield for both of them, Archie Graham and Ted Lyons were the stars of the Hillies' 3-1 victory over Worcester yesterday.

Graham, the 20-year-old right fielder who was surprisingly returned to Pittsfield by the White Sox this spring, drove in all three Hillies runs with a pair of doubles. Moonlight's average now stands at .350, second highest in the league, and his 25 runs batted in places him at the top of the list.

Lyons pitched another beautiful game, earning his fourth victory without a loss.

Pittsfield manager Doc Casey had no comment when asked if Graham and Lyons would be moving up to a higher league after today's game.

[cubuff38]

I became introduced to your dynasty through your question of trading Babe Ruth for Lou Gehrig, and became intruiged so I had to give this a quick look.

After quickly skimming through the first page and the last page, I gotta say, I cannot wait to waste so much time I should be doing schoolwork getting caught up on your dnyasty.

One question that you probably already answered somewhere in your hundreds of entries is this, when your player eventually gets old and retires, what will become of him; will he become a General Manager or Manager or something like that? I have a feeling you have no idea at this point, but was just wondering what you were thinking about since I would think you wouldn't want to see the life of a man you've been developing for over a year and a half end.

-Your Newest Fan

[Big Six]

Thanks, cubuff!

You're right; I don't want Pat's story to end. I haven't always had the time to play OOTP and update the story as often as I've liked, but I've never become bored with it. Besides, Pat is already the career leader for stolen bases and walks, and is about to break the all-time triples record, too. I have to see if anybody breaks his records!

I definitely have some post-playing career plans for Pat. Mr. and Mrs. O'Farrell have three little boys, too.

I'm glad you enjoyed what you've read so far. Sometime when you need a study break, check out more of it.

[William4192]

Bill section of fans speak out about him!:

"Bill was the best. He was undervalued by many who only look at the numbers."

"With more playing time, he would have been one of the greats right up there with Tris and Pat!"

"Best catcher...ever...'nuff said."

"Bill was one of the best...and known as a great leader and teammate."

"'Bout time Collins were fyred! 'Billy shooda has been startin' catcha' fer many years!"--4 year old fan of Bill who is very happy to see him as new manager

[Big Six]

Thanks for the comments from Rough Bill's fan club, William.

During the period when Carrigan was backing up Bill Peterson, the Red Sox CLEARLY had the best catching in baseball. Peterson was, for about four years in the 1910s, a genuine star. He hit .300 every year with 90 walks and 80 RBI, and won two Slick Fielder awards.

The Red Sox traded Peterson and Ray Jansen to the White Sox in 1916, obtaining two men who have gone on to productive careers in Boston: Del Paddock and Joe Judge. Soon after Peterson went to Chicago, he began to decline, and never hit better than .259 again. By 1919, he had lost his regular job; the next year he was back in the minors. He retired in 1922 after spending an entire year looking for a job.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, May 12, 1923

RUTH TRADED TO NEW YORK
Red Sox Trade Slugger, Del Paddock to Yankees
Young Gehrig, Schalk, Brady Come to Red Sox


BOSTON—Throughout their long period of sustained excellence, the Boston Red Sox have never been shy about using trades as a means of strengthening their team. The team’s management has made a habit of trading veteran stars, such as Bill Peterson, Chuck Rose, and Harry Hooper, for young players of promise. In this manner, such Sox standouts as Joe Judge, Irish Meusel, and Johnny Bassler were acquired. As a rule, the Bostons have traded from strength: swapping players at positions where they have surplus talent in order to bolster those where they are thinner.

Yesterday, the Red Sox made a trade that somewhat departs from this successful formula. They traded away a player in his prime, the most feared home run hitter in the game. Babe Ruth, who leads the major leagues with ten home runs, will now be swinging his heavy bat for the New York Yankees.

Skeptical rooters, especially those of a casual variety, might wonder what assets the Yankees could possess which could come anywhere close to providing the Red Sox with a fair exchange. Only those who follow the game closely enough to be familiar with its rising stars will see the operation of a rational baseball mind at work here. In exchange for the Babe, the Red Sox have obtained a young first baseman who is generally considered the most promising young player of all. His name is Lou Gehrig, he is nineteen years old, and upon his broad shoulders rests the burden of one day living up to the title of “the man who was traded for Babe Ruth.” Gehrig has done nothing but impress in his first professional season, batting well over .300 for Hartford of the Eastern League—a mighty tough circuit for a player so young.

Gehrig, of course, is not the only Yankee who will be moving northeast. Talented pitcher Neal Brady, a right-handed twirler who won 32 games over the last two seasons for mediocre New York clubs, has also been fitted for cardinal hose. Indeed, Brady will provide much more immediate returns for the Red Sox than Gehrig, who will be sent to Providence.

Ray Schalk, who had been splitting time behind the plate with hard-hitting rookie Pat Collins, will also be making the trip up to Boston. Schalk is generally regarded as the game’s finest practitioner of the catching art, and paired with Johnny Bassler, will provide the Sox with first-rate backstop play day in and day out. Carrigan, who knows a good bit about catching himself, was able to cajole Schalk out of the Yankees by adding infielder Del Paddock to the deal. The emergence of young Frank Frisch made Paddock expendable.

Naturally, Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan has been asked to justify the trade of Ruth; the fact that this is Carrigan’s first year at the helm of the Red Sox ship makes the questions sharper than they perhaps should be. “I was impressed with Gehrig the first time I saw him step onto a baseball field, during a series of exhibitions we played against the Yankees on our way north. I knew that in order to obtain a player like him, we would have to offer a very talented player in return. And, to obtain an established major league pitcher like Neal Brady and a crack catcher like Ray Schalk along with him, well, we had to offer Babe Ruth and Del Paddock.” Carrigan then smiled wryly, as if he knows things about which we can only guess.

Sources close to the Red Sox say that as Ruth became a bigger and bigger star, he was becoming increasingly unhappy with Boston. “Ruth said more than once that he wanted to play on the biggest stage there is,” the source revealed. “We thought he meant the World Series at first, but when we asked him, he just said 'Not that stage. I’ve been there, kid.' ”

Indeed, the Yankees, plodding along in fifth place, are considerably farther from the World Series than the Red Sox, whom Carrigan has piloted back to the league lead. That, however, was with Babe Ruth in the lineup. The burden will fall heavier on the other Sox—O’Farrell, Speaker and Meusel, young Bassler and Frisch, Wood, Nehf, and Dauss—to keep the Boston team on top.

It is unfair to evaluate this trade until a decade or so has passed. By then, it will be known whether or not Lou Gehrig will develop into the player Babe Ruth is today, and whether or not Babe Ruth will continue to be the player Babe Ruth is today.