The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Big Six]

The Plaza Hotel
New York, New York

Mr. and Mrs. Francis O'Farrell
227 Elm Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

May 29, 1927

Dear Mom and Dad,

I have just finished my breakfast, and I have gone back up to my room for a short rest before we go to the ball park for today's game against the Yankees. Julius Johnson, my room mate, has already left, although it is still two hours before our usual departure time. Many ball players are a suspicious lot, and "Judy," as he is called, is no exception. Last week in Philadelphia, he misunderstood our directions concerning the time we needed to be at the park, and he arrived very early. He got three hits that day, and since then, he has been hitting the ball well. Of course, Johnson now makes sure to arrive at the park early every day; sometimes, he is there before the gates are unlocked.

I am certainly pleased with the way our season has gone so far. There is a spirited three-team fight for the top spot, and the positions of the teams changes almost day by day. Today we are tied for first with Detroit, and Philadelphia is a game behind us. We have all heard talk that if the Red Sox do not win the pennant this year, the ownership will probably "break us up," meaning that older players will be sold or traded for younger ones, in an attempt to give the younger men the seasoning they will need to keep the team strong for years to come.

We players have talked about this among ourselves, and the news has created a renewed determination to give this year the best shot we have. Of course, we would try to win anyway, but we will need every bit of motivation we can find to carry ourselves through the long season.

Before you worry, I don't believe I would be traded, and if I were, I would probably retire rather than play for any other team. As for Joe, I can't see him being dealt, either. Before his recent injury--which I can assure you is a very minor one, a bit of tightness in his arm--he was throwing as well as he has in several years. I don't think Joe liked being a relief pitcher very much. He gets a certain sparkle in his eye the morning he is to start a game, and as a relief man, one never knows when he will be called on to work.

I have been struggling a bit lately, but this week I have shown signs of snapping out of my slump. I had four hits over the weekend, and a double yesterday, and I stole another base. I have tried to steal 26 times this season, and have been caught only once! I know I am certainly no faster than I was as a teenager; I suppose I have learned to pick my spots better over the years.

I am going to close this letter now, so I can relax and listen to the radio for a bit before I leave. Please give my regards to everyone in Stockbridge, and please make sure to thank Mrs. Powers for the card her fourth grade class sent to me. Miss Mary Catherine O'Farrell might have had something to do with it, I am guessing. Sarah will have already thanked the class, I am sure, and I also sent a reply to them, but it was such a pleasant surprise that I want to take every opportunity to let the students know how much I appreciate their support.

Take care of yourselves, and I hope you will feel like another train trip out to Boston to see us again soon.

Your loving son,
Pat

[Big Six]

Here are some of the game's top prospects:

1. Willie Wells, age 18, ss, Chicago White Sox
2. Jimmie Foxx, age 19, 1b/c, Philadelphia Athletics
3. Mel Ott, age 18, of, New York Giants
4. Uel Eubanks, age 24, p, Detroit Tigers
5. Martin Dihigo, age 22, ut, Boston Red Sox
6. Joe Cronin, age 20, ss/2b, Pittsburgh Pirates
7. Guy Bush, age 25, p, Chicago Cubs
8. Sam West, age 22, of, Washington Senators
9. Fred Schemanske, age 24, p, New York Giants
10. Jake Flowers, age 25, 2b, St. Louis Cardinals

Foxx and Cronin are the only players on this list who are currently on major league rosters. Foxx has pinch-hit 6 times with one hit, and Cronin hasn't gotten into a game yet.

Eubanks and Schemanske imported with some CRAZY ratings. Eubanks has kicked around the minors for a while; in fact he was traded for Ty Cobb. His Stuff-Movement-Control ratings are 64-152-138!

Schemanske has an even stranger line: 1 for Stuff; 136 for Movement; 132 for Control! Both Eubanks and Schemanske are pitching at AAA right now, with low ERA and, surprisingly, rotten BB/K ratios.

**************

Other young stars who have spent enough time in the major leagues to lose their status as "prospects" include:

Bill Foster, age 22, Philadelphia Athletics (3-1, 3.22, 30 K in 50 IP)
Charlie Gehringer, age 24, Detroit Tigers (.318-4-25)
Buck Leonard, age 19, 1b, Pittsburgh Pirates (.305-4-27)
Satchel Paige, age 20, p, Chicago Cubs (5-5, 4.27, 45 K in 90 IP)
Hilton Smith, age 20, p, Boston Red Sox (3-3, 8.38 ERA; 10 relief appearances)

Buck Leonard hit his first career home run against Satchel Paige.

The years to come will be a lot of fun, with players like these on their way up to the Show.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, June 14, 1927

RED SOX WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT
Wood Pitches A Beauty, Strikes Out 11

BOSTON--The first thing you noticed was the crowd. It was large for a June contest, first of all; as big as the ones that packed into Fenway when it was new and the Red Sox were winning the World Series with regularity. The crowd was also excited; there was an audible buzz from the grandstands all day long, which erupted into loud cheers from time to time. A veteran rooter could close his eyes and imagine it was 1915 again.

The Red Sox, before this appreciative throng, defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-1 yesterday afternoon. It was their seventh straight victory, and it left them six games ahead of Detroit in the American League standings. This is the Boston club's second long winning streak of the season, following a ten-game skein it ran off last month.

While the large crowd and the first-place standing conjure images of 1915, these are Bill Carrigan's Sox, however, not Jimmy Collins', and some of the principals are different. Lou Gehrig, for example, was in grammar school in 1915, and yesterday he was playing first base for Boston, hitting a triple and his twelfth home run of the season, and producing RBI number 66 and 67. Judy Johnson, also a schoolboy twelve years ago, was making breathaking plays at shortstop and slashing a pair of singles.

A few of the names, however, are familiar ones. Joe Wood was on the mound for Boston yesterday, and he recorded his sixth victory of the season against only two losses. Smoky Joe, aged 37, continued to demonstrate that there is plenty of life left in his right arm.

Wood allowed the Chicagos ten hits, but bore down in the pinch to repeatedly keep the White Sox off the scoreboard. He struck out eleven men and walked only two, and lowered his earned run average to 3.79.

"I feel as good right now as I have in years," a beaming Wood declared as he rested after the game. "I have the same touch on my pitches that I had ten years ago."

[Big Six]

The Sporting News, June 28, 1927

PAT O'FARRELL: BASEBALL'S MOST POPULAR STAR
Boston Second Baseman Wins Fans, On and Off the Field

ST.LOUIS--Baseball fans might disagree about the identity of the most outstanding player in the game. Some will name Babe Ruth; others will offer Oscar Charleston; some might give you a pitcher, like Pol Perritt.

These same fans almost always agree when the subject is the most popular player in the sport. The name of Boston Red Sox second baseman Pat O’Farrell comes up almost every time.

O’Farrell is currently in his twentieth full season with the Red Sox. Within a few weeks of his debut, he had already won over Red Sox rooters through his scrappy, enthusiastic style of play. The fact that he is a Massachusetts native helped endear him to Boston fans, and his Irish heritage didn’t hurt, either.

“Of course, there are a lot of Bostonians with Irish heritage,” O’Farrell said with a smile. “The Irish fans adopted me right away, and began showing up at games waving green banners and calling my name.”

As O’Farrell became a star, and as more fans became aware of his genial, modest personality, his following rapidly grew. The Red Sox clubs of the ‘teens were filled with popular stars, such as Joe Wood, Tris Speaker, Christy Mathewson, and Ed Konetchy, but the rooters who packed the Huntington Avenue Grounds and, later, Fenway Park saved their loudest cheers for O’Farrell.

While many stars are idolized by their hometown fans, very few are also routinely cheered when they play on the road. Throughout most of his career, in every other American League city, O’Farrell has been received as warmly as any visiting player ever has been. O’Farrell has always been glad to sign autographs and greet the rooters in every city he visits, which adds to the high regard in which they hold him.

Pat laughs at the memory of a time when that was not the case. “It was one of the years we played against the Reds in the World Series; it must have been 1913. For some reason, one of the newspapermen there decided he was going to try to get my goat. He wrote a few uncomplimentary things about me, and the next day, a few of the fans gave it to me good. They booed me every time I came to the plate.

“That was our last day in Cincinnati, and the next day, we would board the train back to Boston to finish the Series. We went to the theater that night as the guest of the Reds, and wouldn’t you know, the fans cheered us! I’m sure I signed a hundred autographs that night.

“The next year, we played the Reds again, and I wasn’t booed at all,” O’Farrell recollected.

Younger players throughout both leagues remember being fans of O’Farrell when they were boys. Promising Pittsburgh infielder Joe Cronin, who is twenty years old, recalls: “Sure, I was a big Pat O’Farrell fan when I was a kid. I’m an infielder, like he is, and I’m Irish, too. It was natural for me to want to be like him.”

Tomorrow at Sportsman's Park, Pat will start his eighteenth All-Star Game at second base for the American League. He has played in the Midsummer Game in every big league city, visiting several of them on more than one occasion. It is almost certain that the ovation he receives when he is introduced will be as warm and enthusiastic as any given to any man who is not a Brown or a Cardinal. “I love the All-Star Game,” said O’Farrell. “I enjoy being on the same team with the best players from across the American League, and getting to know them, and the National Leaguers, in a more relaxed atmosphere. And the fans are always wonderful, too.”

As much as O’Farrell appreciates the fans of the National Game, and especially those of Boston, they will always care just as deeply about him.

[Big Six]

The hitters took center stage at the All-Star Game, won by the American League, 11-6.

Here are the starting lineups:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
George Grantham, Chicago, 3b
Bevo Lebourveau, Philadelphia, rf
Oscar Charleston, Chicago, cf
Chick Hafey, St. Louis, lf
Bill Terry, New York, 1b
Rabbit Maranville, Pittsburgh, ss
Gabby Hartnett, Chicago, c
Lance Richbourg, Brooklyn, 2b
Pol Perritt, St. Louis, p

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Pat O'Farrell, Boston, 2b
Frank Frisch, Boston, 3b
Babe Ruth, New York, rf
Lou Gehrig, Boston, 1b
Harry Heilmann, Detroit, lf
Red McKee, Detroit, c
Cool Papa Bell, Detroit, cf
Sam Crane, Philadelphia, ss
Molly Craft, St. Louis, p

Lou Gehrig was the hitting star for the junior circuit, going 3-5 with two runs scored and three RBI, including a big two-run triple.

Pat went 0-3 with a strikeout. He grounded out to first off Perritt to lead off the game for the AL, struck out looking against Perritt in the third, and grounded out to second against the Pirates' Carmen Hill in the fifth. Pat's day ended when Goose Goslin pinch hit for him in the sixth.

Frank Frisch went 2-3 and scored a run.

Art Nehf (14-3 on the season) was named to the AL squad but did not pitch, and Neal Brady would certainly have been picked as well had he not been injured. Brady's tight shoulder landed him on the DL, and he should return in two weeks.

[Big Six]

At the break, Pat is hitting .314, with 10 homers and 46 RBI. He has stolen 35 bases, to lead the major leagues, and has only been caught once. He has crossed the plate 74 times, second in the American League.

Babe Ruth is taking a shot at the Triple Crown. With 30 homers, he has twice as many as his nearest competitor, Lou Gehrig. Lou and Babe are tied for the league lead with 79 RBI, and Ruth also leads the league in batting with a .367 mark. Frank Frisch is second at .355.

Herb Pennock of the A's and Harry Moran of the Tigers lead the AL with fifteen wins apiece. Boston's Art Nehf is right behind them with 14. Moran is also the ERA leader, at 2.30, and Lefty Grove has a narrow lead over him in the strikeout race, 128-124.

Over in the National League, three teams are within a game of first place. The Giants are on top, with the Cubs and Cardinals right on their heels.

The race for the batting title is just ast tight, and currently sees the Reds' Freddy Leach on top at .367. A pair of Giants, Bill Terry and Travis Jackson, are right behind him at .365.

The league-leading Giants also have the home run leader, Mule Suttles, who has kicked 17 out of the park. Oscar Charleston of the Cubs is second with a dozen homers.

Suttles' 66 RBI lead the league, with Boston's Hack Wilson and St. Louis' Rogers Hornsby close behind.

Pol Perritt has 14 victories at the break, and is six away from No. 300. Pittsburgh's Carmen Hill and New York's Red Lucas have 12 wins apiece.

Lefty Lorenzen of the Pirates, the 1926 POY, leads the NL with a 2.61 ERA. Perritt, at 2.79, is the only other NL qualifier with a mark under 3.00.

Perritt also leads the league with 105 strikeouts, the only man in his league who has passed the century mark.

[Big Six]

Philadelphia Enquirer, July 5, 1927

3,000 FOR JOE!!
Jackson Doubles To Reach Milestone

PHILADELPHIA--Yesterday at Shibe Park, Athletics' outfielder Joe Jackson became the sixth man in baseball history to accumulate 3,000 hits. Jackson, age 37, made his major league debut in 1909, and has spent his entire career in an Athletics uniform. The Athletics defeated the New York Yankees, 5-1.

Jackson's milestone hit was a double, yielded by Clarence Garrett with two outs in the first inning. The game was halted while the ball was retrieved, and saved as a souvenir for Jackson. Joe was visibly moved by the lengthy standing ovation he received, and waved his cap to the crowd while he stood at second base. Another loud, enthusiastic greeting came his way when he took his position in left field for the top of the second inning.

"Shoeless Joe" has a lifetime batting average of .337, with lifetime totals of 105 home runs and 1,544 RBI.

The other players with at least 3,000 hits are Ty Cobb, Pat O'Farrell, Willie Keeler, Tris Speaker, and Sam Crawford. O'Farrell is the only member of this exclusive club who is currently playing in the major leagues; Speaker is a player-coach with Providence in the Eastern League.

[kenyan_cheena]

How do you get the time to make all these detailed posts, Big Six? You've posted as much in the last few days as I would be able to manage in a week or two of my thread. Great stuff.

[Big Six]

Thanks again, Cheena.

I'm a teacher, and I'm enjoying my Easter vacation this week...that's why! My wife's "passion" hobbies are beading and embroidery, and her work table is about 10 feet from the computer. We can hang out together, each doing something we enjoy in the evenings, and check out what the other is up to whenever we like. We'll have our son in the room with us; he's a year old, and he's a very good baby. My wife has been among Pat's fans from the very beginning.

[Big Six]

Stater Hotel
St. Louis, Missouri

Mrs. Sarah O'Farrell
84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

July 26, 1927

My dearest Sarah,

I am back in my hotel room now, relaxing for a bit before I go downstairs for dinner. A few of the fellows invited me to go with them to watch a motion picture, but I politely declined. I slept very poorly on the train the other night--I find that happening more and more often now--and I am still tired. The heat here in St. Louis is suffocating, and today's ball game drained what energy I had left. We lost, 4-3, although Joe pitched a fine game in the heat.

The Tigers and Athletics lost too, however, so we are still six games in front of Detroit and seven up on Philadelphia. This week we will learn what trades we, as well as the other teams, might make to strengthen themselves for the remainder of the pennant race. We have to remember to play to win, rather than to play not to lose, if that makes any sense.

The excitement of being in first place has been doing its best to counteract the fatigue I have felt, but I can confess to you--and only you--that it is becoming increasingly difficult to force my body do the things on the playing field that have been so natural for me for so many years. I suppose it is no secret that after my wonderful start to the season, I haven't been a .300 batter since. I wake up every morning with something aching, usually my back or my knees. More often now, I find myself just missing pitches I used to hit sharply, or hitting ground balls when I used to hit line drives.

I suppose I should not complain. After all, I am nearly forty years old, and I have been playing professional baseball for over half my life. Unless I am mistaken, I have been playing in the major leagues longer than any other player. I have been blessed with good health and more success than I could have ever imagined.

At the same time, I have had to bid you and our children goodbye every February, and cannot see you for more than a day or so at a time until June, when all of you come to the town house in Boston. You have always borne more than your share of caring for our children, and you have done so without complaint. I hope I have, in some way, been able to express to you how much I appreciate this, my darling. You have supported my baseball career since I was a teenager, and for that I am just as grateful.

I am thinking seriously about retiring from the game at the conclusion of the season, especially if we win the World Series. There will be much time for us to discuss this in the fall, but I wanted you to be aware of my thoughts on the matter now, so you might have time to think about the matter, and offer your typically wise counsel when the time comes.

I am considering some investments in the stock market, which has proven to be a very lucrative practice for a few of the fellows on the club. I am somewhat leery of placing too much money in the market, however, and need the advice of someone who knows more about such things than I do. There will be time for that, too, in the fall.

I am sorry to write you such a cheerless letter, my dear. If we win tomorrow, I will write again, and you will undoubtedly find my mood much improved. Give my love to our children, as always.

All my love,
Pat

*************
Of course Pat doesn't know it, but his mood is shaped somewhat by the slow decline of his ratings. His Contact remains at 63, but his Gap Power has slipped to 80, his Home Run Power to 47, his Eye to 72, and his K Avoidance to 59. His Talent scores for each of these areas is at or near all these levels, too.

After 99 games, O'Farrell is batting .307/.400/.546. He has 14 homers and 62 RBI, with 58 walks, 93 runs scored, and 43 steals in 45 attempts, so he is still far from a liability. With 4.5 stars, he remains much more productive than most teams' second basemen.

[Big Six]

60 Matthiessen Park North
Irvington, New York

Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

August 2, 1927

Dear Pat,

Thank you very much for your kind letter of July 30, congratulating me on my election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is the most gratifying honor I have received as a ball player, and to be chosen in only my second year of eligibility makes it even more so. I confess I am surprised and flattered to be standing alongside some of the truly great players in the history of the game.

I am looking forward to the induction ceremonies up in Cooperstown very much; it is a short trip from my home, and quite a few members of my family, my friends and my former teammates from New York will be able to attend. The journey from Chicago, where I grew up, is quite a bit farther, but several of my relatives from there will be arriving for the event as well.

There is no doubt in my mind that when your playing career comes to an end, you will be joining me as a member of the Hall of Fame. And why I certainly understand why you cannot attend my induction--you have a pennant race to attend to, after all--I am already looking forward to attending all the inductions that follow, including yours.

Sincerely yours,
George Moriarty

************
Moriarty, along with four other players, were elected to the 1927 Hall of Fame class by the vote of the Pat O'Farrell forum readers. In case you haven't seen it, there is a thread dedicated to the Hall of Fame balloting on the forum as well. You can read about the results and participate in the yearly elections there.

[Big Six]

With the 1927 HoF induction completed, it's time to cast your ballots for the 1928 Hall of Fame class. Roy Hitt headlines this year's group of new eligibles.

The balloting closes on Sunday, April 10.

Visit the Pat O'Farrell Hall of Fame thread to see the ballot...the link is below in my signature.

Thanks!

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, August 1, 1927

RED SOX OBTAIN SLUGGER FROM INDIANS
Lefty O'Doul Obtained for Chapman, Henry

CLEVELAND--Yesterday afternoon, Lefty O'Doul brought his bags to the home clubhouse at Cleveland's League Park, stopped by his locker, said hello to a few teammates, and was then summoned to the manager's office.

Before he knew it, he was crossing to the visitors' clubhouse to greet the Boston Red Sox, his new teammates. O'Doul, who finished right behind one of those new mates, Pat O'Farrell, in the 1926 batting race, had just been traded for veteran shortstop Ray Chapman and minor league pitcher Dutch Henry.

"Sure, it came as a surprise," the jovial O'Doul said after the game. "I liked playing for the Indians. But, then again, I'm now on a first place team. And, I've played in Boston before, with the Braves, and I like the city. I will do my best to help the Red Sox win the pennant, and then the World Series."

The 30-year-old O'Doul is well-traveled, the Red Sox being the fifth major league team to employ him since his career began in 1919. He is batting .259, with five home runs and 41 RBI this season, but his new manager, Bill Carrigan, believes the true O'Doul is the player who hit .342 last year.

"O'Doul has a smooth stroke," Carrigan said. "He is going to bat second, in front of O'Farrell, Gehrig, and Frisch, so he should see a lot of good pitches."

The emergence of young infielder "Judy" Johnson made the trade of Chapman possible. Johnson, who is batting .316, has made the conversion to shortstop seamlessly, and is fielding like he has played there all his life...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, August 18, 1927

RED SOX WIN ANOTHER ONE
Carrigan's Boys Pound Browns, 9-2
Winning Streak At Eight; League Lead At Ten

BOSTON--Yesterday before a large, enthusiastic crowd at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox closed out a sweep of the St. Louis Browns with a decisive 9-2 victory. The Sox, owners of a 79-40 record that is the finest in the major leagues, have won eight straight contests now, and are putting more and more distance between themselves and the rest of the American League.

Bill Carrigan continues to make all the right moves, putting his players in positions where they can excel. The performance of yesterday's winning pitcher, Bill Morrisette, is an excellent example. Morrisette, a 34-year-old veteran, had been pitching well in Providence, and Carrigan summoned him to take the roster spot of the injured George Dauss. The Red Sox have won all three of Morrisette's starts, and he is allowing opponents fewer than three runs a game.

Carrigan is shuffling an outfield corps of Lefty O'Doul, Kiki Cuyler, Bing Miller, Chick Shorten, Irish Meusel, and Phil Todt like a card shark, keeping all six men sharp and matching them against opposing pitchers skillfully. All but O'Doul have season averages over .290, and O'Doul has batted over .300 since joining the Red Sox. "I don't mind not playing every day if I get to go to the World Series," Miller said. "I think every one of us feels the same way."

Pat O'Farrell is another reason why the Red Sox are threatening to end the pennant race early. He seems to have snapped out of his mid-season funk, once again hitting the ball all over the yard and running the bases like a demon. He has scored 114 runs, and yesterday stole his 57th base of the season. Amazingly, Pat has been caught stealing only twice.

Then there's Lou Gehrig, who at the age of twenty-four is the most dangerous offensive force in the league, other than Babe Ruth. Gehrig has clubbed twenty home runs and driven in 111 runs; he has thirty doubles and fourteen triples; he has walked 114 times. "Babe Ruth is an amazing ball player, but I would make that trade again, a confident Carrigan said with a smile. "Look at the pitcher Neal Brady has become. Most people forget we got him in the Ruth trade, too...him and Ray Schalk."

Brady has, as Carrigan reminds us, developed into one of the best moundsmen in the game. He has posted a 14-10 record, often working against the other teams' ace. Brady has allowed a stingy 2.81 earned runs per nine innings, and he has exhibited pinpoint control--walking only 26 batters while striking out 142. Brady, along with Art Nehf and a rejuvenated Joe Wood, have fifty victories between them...

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, Wednesday, September 10

RED SOX DROP EIGHTH STRAIGHT
A's Win Seventh In a Row, Narrow Bosox Lead To Four

BOSTON--In case you haven't noticed it, there is a pennant race in the American League once again. The unfortunate confluence of a Red Sox slump and an Athletics hot streak have, in the span of two weeks, reduced Boston's lead from a once seemingly insurmountable thirteen games to a very precarious four.

Bill Carrigan's crew has recently experienced almost all the set-backs that can afflict a ball club. The injury bug bit Bing Miller hard, shelving him for the rest of the season and endangering his career with a ruptured disc in his back. The bug also got Lefty O'Doul, but not as viciously; O'Doul's painfully jammed finger kept him on the pine until only yesterday, however.

Slumps by Frank Frisch, who has three hits in his last 30 at-bats, and by Judy Johnson, equally inept over his last 20 trips to the plate, have also compounded the problem. "I have to stop pressing so much," Frisch admitted. "I am thinking too much at the plate, rather than simply relaxing and letting my muscles take over."

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, a troika of twirlers has been showing anything but Brotherly Love to rival batsmen. Herb Pennock, Lefty Grove, and young Bill Foster have all been pitching as well as anyone in the game recently.

This threesome has received all the hitting support it needs from men like catcher Mickey Cochrane, first baseman Joe Hauser, and outfielders Joe Jackson and Al Simmons. Also emerging on the scene is a 19-year-old powerhouse named Jimmy Foxx, who has seen time at first base and in the outfield.

"There's no need to panic," Carrigan calmly replied when asked about the Red Sox' recent woes. "We are still in first place, and this team is full of players who have won, and who know how to win."

Carrigan is right about the Bostons' position in the standings, and about its roster full of winners. We hope he is also right about the need for alarm.

[seth70liz76]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, a troika of twirlers has been showing anything but Brotherly Love to rival batsmen.

Phrasings like this is why it is so hard to tear myself away from dynasty and get any of my 'net work done.

[Big Six]

Thanks, Seth. I felt the need to inject a little more old-school flavor, and the blatant alliteration was just too much fun to ignore.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 22, 1927
Special Pennant Edition

RED SOX WIN THE PENNANT!!

Smoky Joe Wood Clinches Flag With Twentieth Win

BOSTON--Before a wildly appreciative crowd at Fenway Park this afternoon, the Boston Red Sox clinched the American League pennant with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Philadelphia Athletics, who yesterday eliminated the Detroit Tigers from the race by defeating them, were today beaten by the Tigers, guaranteeing the pennant to the Bostons. The pennant is the second of Bill Carrigan's managerial career, and Rough Bill has guided the Sox to the best record in the major leagues.

The Red Sox fans, who once were quite used to watching pennant-winning teams, reacted to this event with an outburst of joy that lasted for a full hour. Not until their heroes emerged from the dugout to tip their caps and wave to them would they leave the ball park. The sight of men like Carrigan, Joe Wood, and Pat O'Farrell, who have been with the club since the Sox first won the pennant in 1909, caused grown men and women to whoop like excited children. Tris Speaker, who spent most of the season as a player-coach at Providence, was on hand too, completing the pantheon of veteran heroes.

The final out was recorded in a fashion that conjured up images of Red Sox champions of the past. Smoky Joe Wood reached back and fired a fastball past Earl Sheely for a called third strike. Wood's complete game victory gave him a won-loss record of 20-8.

Wood's story is perhaps the most satisfying one of the 1927 season. The thirty-seven year old pitcher had been written off by many as "washed up," after several seasons of relative ineffectiveness. On several occasions, Carrigan was forced to pull Wood from the starting rotation, in an attempt to help him recover his form.

At spring training this year, Wood displayed "stuff" that was reminiscent of his youth, and when fellow veteran George Dauss faltered, Carrigan wisely inserted Wood into the rotation. Today, Smoky Joe pitched a complete game, striking out five men while walking only one.

"I know I can't throw quite as hard, all afternoon long, as I used to," Wood admitted. "I can still bring it up there as well as ever in spots, however, and my control has improved. I pick my spots for my best hard one now, and that has helped me extend my career. I learned that watching Christy Mathewson when he was with us."

At one point in his career Wood seemed a lock for three hundred wins. Several years ago, with a total that seemed stuck just over 250, his chances appeared to have faded away. Now, with nearly 290 wins, Joe might reach this milestone next season.

"Right now, I don't want to think about that," a grinning Wood said. "I want to enjoy the fact we just won the pennant."

The Red Sox will face either the Chicago Cubs or New York Giants in the World Series. The Cubs, led by hard-hitting Oscar Charleston and phenomenal young pitcher Satchel Paige, currently lead the Giants by two games.

"I don't care who we play," Carrigan said with a shrug. "They are both outstanding teams, and we will have to play our best to beat either of them."

[Big Six]

With the Red Sox back in the World Series, the 1927 season will happily take longer to complete than expected. That means that voting for the Hall of Fame class of 1928 will be extended past Sunday. (Plus, the track team I coach will be in a meet most of tomorrow, weather permitting.)

Pat celebrated his fortieth birthday on September 16, and that is one more reason why this Series will be one to savor. While no player, regardless of age, can assume he'll ever be in a World Series, one who has been in the game for twenty seasons knows he has very few more chances to get there. Pat won't want this one to rush by, and neither will I.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 27, 1927
World Series Edition


CUBS WILL PROVE TOUGH OPPONENT, O’FARRELL SAYS
Star Second Baseman To Provide Exclusive Reports From Series

Special to the Globe by PAT O’FARRELL


BOSTON—I am sure nobody who is reading this article needs to be told that the World Series begins tomorrow, with the Boston Red Sox will be playing the National League champion Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. The excitement surrounding the Series can be felt all over Boston, and even though I have been fortunate enough to play in ten World Series, I can honestly say that the enthusiasm I feel on the eve of a Series is as strong as it has ever been.

It has been four years since we have played for the world’s championship, and seven years since we have won one. Needless to say, all of us players are very eager to demonstrate that we are the best club in the major leagues. Our opponents are, of course, just as eager to prove the same thing, and that is what makes a World Series so compelling.

The Cubs have proven themselves a worthy opponent through their strong play all season long, and their successful pennant fight against the New York Giants demonstrates that they have the “guts”to win when it counts. The Chicago club has a strong lineup and a staff full of outstanding pitchers, and if we are to win the Series, we must play our best ball.

Satchel Paige will start the first game of the Series for the Cubs. Paige is only twenty years old, but especially over the last half of the season, he has been one of the finest pitchers in the game. His control has sharpened, and his “stuff” is supposedly reminiscent of Joe Wood’s or Walter Johnson’s. Some say Paige throws as hard as either of them.

“Duke” Houck and Tony Kaufmann, who each won at least twenty games during the season, will probably join Paige in the Cubs’ Series rotation. Houck is a hard thrower, while Kaufmann relies more on guile; both are tough men to beat. Ralph Miller is the man the Cubs call on when relief is needed, and he certainly can do the job. Miller’s earned run average was less than two per game this season.

The most feared batter in the Cubs’ lineup is certainly their centerfielder, Oscar Charleston. He has won the Most Outstanding Batter each of the five full seasons he has played in the major leagues. Oscar led the league with a .366 batting average and 32 home runs, and added over fifty more extra-base hits.. I first faced Oscar as a member of a touring squad of Negro players whom I played against in the fall of 1920, and from my first glimpse of his talent I knew he was one of the finest players I had ever seen. There is nothing Charleston cannot do on a baseball field.

Charleston is not, however, the only star on the Chicago team. They have a hard-hitting catcher, Gabby Hartnett, who batted .321 with sixteen home runs, and drove in almost 100 runs. First baseman Dick Burrus and second baseman George Grantham also batted over .300 and hit double digits in homers, while Woody English batted almost .370 as a utility infielder.

I came to know the Cubs’ shortstop, Charlie Hollocher, very well when he was my barnstorming teammate. Any team would be glad to have Charlie, as he is a slick fielder and a reliable man at bat. Although his average fell off a bit this year, to .295, he is particularly tough in the pinch.

Charlie Jamieson, Joe Munson, and Pete Scott join Charleston in the outfield, and make it possible for the Cubs’ manager, Bill Killefer, to write a lineup card where every spot is filled by a .300 hitter, or very close to it!

As we prepare for the first game of the Series tomorrow, we have a healthy respect for the Cubs, but we also know we can play with any team in the game. Whichever club wins the Series can be certain that they have beaten a top-flight opponent.