The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Big Six]

South Bend Tribune, April 18, 1936

FIGHTING IRISH SWEEP WEEKEND SERIES WITH WOLVERINES
O’Farrell Applies Whitewash

SOUTH BEND—A chill wind whipped across the diamond, making the afternoon feel much better suited for football than baseball. Mike O’Farrell plays both sports here at Notre Dame, however, and he’s never let a bit of brisk weather bother him.

“I’m from New England,” the junior pitcher said with a grin. “This kind of weather is just fine with me.”

O’Farrell came by that grin honestly, as he had just completed a fine day’s work on the pitching mound. He threw a four-hit shutout at the Michigan Wolverines, leading the Fighting Irish to a 3-0 victory that completed Notre Dame’s sweep of a three-game weekend series.

The tall, broad-shouldered righthander fired his crackling fastball past one Michigan hitter after another, and mixed in the devilish curve he unveiled this spring. The addition of this pitch, which O’Farrell might throw anywhere in the count, has made a good pitcher into an excellent one. The victory was O’Farrell’s fifth of the season, against only one loss.

Andy Pilney was the hitting star for the Irish, swatting a two-run double in the third inning that gave O’Farrell all the runs he would need. Moments later, Pilney advanced to third on a ground out and scored Notre Dame's third and final run on a wild pitch.

“My Uncle Joe helped me with my curve,” O’Farrell said humbly. Before you conjure up too homely a scene, however, please note that Mike O’Farrell’s Uncle Joe is none other than Smokey Joe Wood, who won 350 major league ballgames and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“I don’t throw nearly as hard as Uncle Joe did,” O’Farrell admits. “He probably threw as hard as anybody ever has.” Young Mike brings it up there pretty well, however—well enough to merit consideration as a possible All-American selection, and well enough to draw considerable attention from bird dogs who would love to get his signature on a professional contract.

For now, O’Farrell has no plans to sign on the dotted line. “I’m looking forward to football season. I have one more year of football, and I want to enjoy that first.” O’Farrell, a quarterback, started three games for the Irish gridders last fall, and his leaping interception with two minutes remaining in the game saved Notre Dame’s dramatic 18-13 victory over Ohio State.

One question remained for young O’Farrell. Could he strike out his father Pat, one of the greatest hitters ever to play the game?

Mike O’Farrell simply laughed. “My Dad’s fifty years old, but if I pitched to him, he’d probably hit a line drive back at me. I’d have to hit the dirt or get my head taken off.”

Read that as a compliment of the skill of the father as a batsman, not as an indictment of the ability of the son as a pitcher.

[DTF955]

Great as always. A few historical comments, since you're going to have players play through OTL's World War Two:

1. Japanese treatment of Korea was rough, to say the least, even before the war. Actually, the assassination of a Japanese ruler of Korea in about 1910 could be butterflied away, which would make it easier on them. However, I don't have time to read, and it's been a while, but wasn't there a coup or something that kept the militaristic folks out of Japan? That also could make Japan more lenient toward Korea, maybe they eventually get some sort of Dominion status, as Japan is guided toward becoming a British-type empire, with Korea and Formosa as dominions. And, reports of atrocities in the earlier decades by Japanese in Korea might help awaken minds to the evils of racism in the U.S.. That will be another of those little things that can give successful integration a good chance, like the other little tidbit I posted.

2. How will the Depression end? Right now there is a slow recovery, but it took the war to really get things rolling again. One thought could be a limited European war where Lend-Lease plays a part. America doesnt' get involved, but still must keep supplying Britain. Meltdown at Munich, perhaps, in 1938? Germany wasn't that ready, though. A World War Two where the rest of Europe, including a Weimar Germany, is fighting the Soviets, and it's a fairly easy fight without U.S. troops? Possible, or possible after the Munich Meltdown (nazis thrown out of power afterward.) I forget, what is the status of Germany in this timeline right now?

[John P. Yuda]

I believe Big Six said a few months ago that there will be no WWII.

edit: I just re-read your post, and I see what you're getting at -- other major things that may have happened during that period had there never been a war. Good thinking!

[Big Six]

Thanks for those suggestions, DTF. I confess that I haven't done nearly as much with the "counterfactual" history behind Pat's world as I could have. Maybe that's because I'm a high school history teacher, and sometimes constructing a complete historical reality for Pat's world feels a little too much like work.

I did write a post where Hitler was arrested, and in one of Pat's letters I mentioned that the militaristic leaders in Japan had lost their influence. I hadn't really referred too much to the economic situation in the United States, either. Pat's baseball universe has largely existed in a happy little vacuum, I suppose.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, July 5, 1936

BRADY WINS 300TH GAME
Veteran Hurler Defeats Athletics; Keeps Red Sox In Lead

BOSTON—Last night at Fenway Park, Red Sox righthander Neal Brady became the tenth pitcher in the history of major league baseball to win 300 games, as he defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, 7-3.

Brady’s victory would have been important even without the fact that it enabled him to reach one of the National Pastime’s greatest milestones. The Red Sox and Athletics entered yesterday’s play tied for first place in the American League, and Brady’s virtuoso performance enabled the Red Sox to edge back into the lead.

The 39-year-old righthander had been working for No. 300 for quite some time. When he beat the Browns in St. Louis on June 11, Brady notched his tenth victory of the 1936 campaign, and the 299th of his career. He then pitched badly in two consecutive starts, allowing seven runs to the Yankees and eight to the Indians, before throwing seven strong innings at the Senators in a game the Red Sox won after Brady exited the game. The All-Star break intervened, and for the first time in nine years, Brady had some time off during the midsummer festival.

“I didn’t think I’d make the All-Star team,” Brady confessed. “I had ten wins, but my ERA is high, and a lot of pitchers in the American League are having very good seasons. I didn’t mind the rest. We have a pennant to win, and I want to remain fresh.”

Whether the longer rest made a difference or not, last night Brady looked like an ace once again. He pitched nine strong innings, holding the hard-hitting Philadelphias to six hits and three runs. Pinpoint control, Brady’s stock in trade throughout his Red Sox career, was in evidence once again, as Neal walked only one man, while he mustered the stuff he needed to strike out nine.

Brady’s battery-mate Ed Connolly, filling in for All-Star Josh Gibson, led the Red Sox’ offense, smacking a two-run triple in the third stanza and connecting for a solo home run in the eighth.

Larrupin’ Lou Gehrig, who has been Neal Brady’s teammate throughout his baseball career, drove in the first two runs of the game with a long home run. Gehrig and Brady came to the Red Sox together in 1923, part of the most famous trade in baseball history.

As Brady entertained a group of reporters at his locker, he publicly referred to his role in that trade for the first time. “You know, a lot of people thought of that trade as ‘Ruth-for-Gehrig.’ And sure, they’re both great players,” Brady said, nodding his head and smiling at his teammate, sitting nearby. “But there were three other players involved: Del Paddock, Ray Schalk, and me.”

Brady stopped and grinned again. “I’ve won a game or two since then, haven’t I?”

Indeed, Brady has garnered the vast majority of these 300 victories in Red Sox togs, and most of those after he reached the age of thirty.

He arrived in Boston with a career record of 63 wins and 65 losses, the mark of a journeyman who had labored for similarly mediocre Yankees teams. The Red Sox staff he joined in 1923 was led by three twenty-game winning aces: Hugh Bedient, George Dauss, and Art Nehf. The fourth starter was a Hall of Famer, Smokey Joe Wood, whose arm gave him trouble that season.

“There wasn’t room for me in that rotation,” Brady recalled. “I worked out of the bullpen for most of the next four years. I learned a lot, and I wouldn’t have become the pitcher I am if it wasn’t for that experience.”

By the time manager Bill Carrigan inserted Brady into the Sox rotation late in the 1926 season, the soft-spoken hurler from Kentucky was ready to shine. In his first full campaign as a Red Sox starter, Brady went 16-14 for the third-place club of 1927. His earned run average was a sparkling 2.97, however, and he had developed a surgeon’s touch with his fastball and hard curve.

1928 was, in Brady’s words, “a magical year. We went back to the World Series, and beat the Pirates. We had three guys with 20 wins on that staff, too: Joe Wood, Art Nehf, and me.” Brady led the staff with 25 wins, and he has won at least twenty in every season since.

That season was also the last for Pat O’Farrell as an active player. Now the Red Sox general manager, O’Farrell had nothing but praise for Brady as a teammate and as a man. “Neal is a great competitor, a great sportsman,” O’Farrell said. “I remember hitting against him when he was with the Yankees, and he was always a tough pitcher for me. I was happy to see him on our side.”

The Red Sox would certainly agree. The Boston club, for whom exactly half of the pitchers who have won 300 games in their careers have toiled at some point, have seen many great pitchers, but Neal Brady deserves a place on the list of their very best.

Several hours after the game ended at Fenway Park, fireworks illuminated the sky above the Charles River, a festival of sound and color honoring our nation's birth. On Independence Day, a man whose career has personified the All-American virtues of perseverance and the determination to make the most of his natural abilities reached a milestone that will guarantee his spot among baseball’s immortals.

If Neal Brady wants to think a few of those fireworks were for him, that’s just fine.

[DTF955]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Thanks for those suggestions, DTF. I confess that I haven't done nearly as much with the "counterfactual" history behind Pat's world as I could have. Maybe that's because I'm a high school history teacher, and sometimes constructing a complete historical reality for Pat's world feels a little too much like work.

I did write a post where Hitler was arrested, and in one of Pat's letters I mentioned that the militaristic leaders in Japan had lost their influence. I hadn't really referred too much to the economic situation in the United States, either. Pat's baseball universe has largely existed in a happy little vacuum, I suppose.

That's fine - could even argue that there's no Great Depression in this TL. Which actually could make it a little easier for integration, as people would be more likely to accept it in bits and pieces during prosperous times. Perhaps the investment bubble didn't get that big before for some reason (investors putting more money into baseball? :-) and so there's just a recession. That sounds like the most logical formula.

I vaguely recall those posts now that you say it, but it's tough, I've been really busy. Thanks for the enjoyment.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by DTF955

That's fine - could even argue that there's no Great Depression in this TL. Which actually could make it a little easier for integration, as people would be more likely to accept it in bits and pieces during prosperous times. Perhaps the investment bubble didn't get that big before for some reason (investors putting more money into baseball? :-) and so there's just a recession. That sounds like the most logical formula.

I vaguely recall those posts now that you say it, but it's tough, I've been really busy. Thanks for the enjoyment.

You're very welcome. I enjoy your comments on the history outside the foul lines very much. I've had fun creating a "world" where the evils of the twentieth century--the racism, poverty, discrimination, and greed--haven't had as much room to operate as they did in reality. That way, I can enjoy a baseball world with Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige, and some Japanese stars. I'll get a chance to see how adding a few prime seasons to the careers of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Bob Feller, and other players will affect their careers.

In Pat's world, Joe Wood didn't hurt his arm, and he won 350 games. Hopefully Pete Reiser will be more careful as he chases fly balls to the wall. I'm praying that Harry Agganis doesn't get sick, and that Tony Conigliaro gets out of the way of Jack Hamilton's fastball. And I hope I'll be able to announce that Lyman Bostock and Danny Thompson are retiring from baseball, sometime in the late 1980s.

[Big Six]

Sinton Hotel
Cincinnati, Ohio

Mr. Michael O’Farrell
202 St. Edward's Hall
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana

May 25, 1936

Dear Mike,

I wanted to take a few minutes to write to you and congratulate you on earning recognition as a second team All-American. I wish I could have had the opportunity to watch you pitch this season, but we have very few off days on the weekends. I was, however, able to receive the latest news about your performances from your family on several occasions. I had a nice, long conversation with your younger brothers when they came to watch the Cubs play at Braves Field, and I saw your sister and her new husband in Philadelphia.

I will always fondly remember the time I spent living with your family while I played in Pittsfield. It seems like only yesterday I was playing catch with you and your brothers and sisters in your backyard. I am also very glad to hear that your mother is doing well. I know I don’t have to tell you what a wonderful person she is, and she made a wonderful “Mom” for me while I was missing my own family so much. I’m going to give her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek when I see her next. I hope that will occur this fall, at one of your football games.

If you haven’t already taken your exams, good luck with them; if you have, I hope they went well. I suppose you’re aware of the fact that during my off-seasons, I’m a student, too. I am working on a medical degree at the University of Chicago, and I hope to complete it by the time my baseball career ends in a few years. Perhaps, before then, I’ll have a chance to welcome you to the major leagues, or watch you play some Sunday afternoon in the National Football League.

I need to close my letter now, because I need to get to the ballpark. Benny Frey is pitching against us, so I need to be ready for a challenge.

Once again, congratulations on your accomplishments, and nothing but the best to you in the future.

Regards,
Archie

[DTF955]

Glad you like the outside the lines stuff, I've always loved history and in fact am in a game on yahoo groups right now that others might enjoy, too - SHWI-ISOT (also the name of the yahoo grou.) We're in 1825 right now, and the game is picking up speed.

Originally Posted by Big Six

You're very welcome. I enjoy your comments on the history outside the foul lines very much. I've had fun creating a "world" where the evils of the twentieth century--the racism, poverty, discrimination, and greed--haven't had as much room to operate as they did in reality. That way, I can enjoy a baseball world with Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige, and some Japanese stars. I'll get a chance to see how adding a few prime seasons to the careers of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Warren Spahn, Bob Feller, and other players will affect their careers.

In Pat's world, Joe Wood didn't hurt his arm, and he won 350 games. Hopefully Pete Reiser will be more careful as he chases fly balls to the wall. I'm praying that Harry Agganis doesn't get sick, and that Tony Conigliaro gets out of the way of Jack Hamilton's fastball. And I hope I'll be able to announce that Lyman Bostock and Danny Thompson are retiring from baseball, sometime in the late 1980s.

That would be great. And, of course, Lou Gehrig probably doesn't come down with ALS, either.

Perhaps the lack of a Depression is the best, as it would also likely keep that other great menace, Communism, at bay in all but Soviet Russia; if there's just a recession (let's say as much of one as caused Bush to lose in '92) then workers of the world can't be antagonized into acting as much.

It really can't be stopped with this point of departure, but it can be weakened. Ukraise was independent for a while, at least part of it; perhaps it remains so in this TL. That takes away the Soviet breadbasket, and Stalin may well just purge his country till he really can't do anything; and in OTL they had immense trouble in Finland as it was. Then, finally, it'll fall in about 1989 or so as in OTL.

The lack of Communist scares might also help the Civil Rights movement - nobody can accuse supporters of being allied with Communists.

My suggestion is, FDR over Hoover in '32 (a la our '92), then Wilkie over someone in 1940; he was originally a Republican. When he dies in office (he died in '44 in OTL, pressures of the office can make it late '43) Truman takes over. He'd be a good VP choice, and since he integrated the mliitary in OTL you can have that happen a few years early, say after the '44 election. Then the gradual move toward integration with a Republican winning in '48, probably Dewey, and winning 2 terms. Not sure about '56, but Lyndon Johnson would be good. That way, you have a Southerner supporting it, and it'll be more likely to go through, with him supporting it, as he was a real wheeler-dealer. So, We get Civil Rights passed in 1960 or so.

No Vietnam is going to make things very interesting. Probably not much need for a New Deal, so I'm not sure about Social Security and such, but that's why LBJ is a good man to have in the White House. Then, some Republican years, as I think the country would tire of one party for so long, and it would shift back over, though not with Nixon. Without his platform for the Checkers speech he might never make it to the national stage. Not sure who I'd say wins, though a modified Goldwater would be interesting. Either way, perhaps we get Reagen 4 years early. (JFK in '72, hurt by scandals, may lose reelection in '76, I'll have to think about that, but that's a long way away.)

So, if that's okay, we can just figure that'll be the ouside the lines history for this TL :-) BTW, Wilkie was an internationalist, so so we might see a U.N. anyway, or at least a stronger League of Nations. And, it would be nice of the Italians could be beaten in Abyssinia again in 1936. Maybe like this:
--------------------------------
Mar. 19, 1936:

“We interrupt this broadcast from Spring Training to bring you a live Special Bulletin. We go now to our correspondent in London:

“British forces are claiming victory tonight in reports wired from the fields of Abyssinia. A major breakthrough has occurred in the Empire’s operation to protect that nation from Italian aggression. Sir Winston Churchill made the announcement from the steps of the Parliament building moments ago, at 7:12 PM local time.

“’As the sun sets softly over the Thames, the Empire has succeeded once more in preventing the dark forces of tyranny from enveloping a poor, helpless nation. It is with great thanks that we look at our partners in the League of Nations, and celebrate this joint effort which shall go down in the annals of history. For should our Christian civilization persist yet another one thousand years, they shall still say, this was our finest hour. For rarely have nations so diverse as Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and many others joined forces to protect another, when it would have been so much easier to allow such tyranny to continue. Like the Good Samaritan, we have put aside our philosophical differences, and helped the one which needed it, though it should be noted that the Abyssinians themselves worked alongside us with great bravery and valor and expertise. Their presence in the family of nations is indeed a welcome one.’

“Churchill went on to say that this joint League of Nations effort was one of a kind, and that it would not be undertaken unless no other alternative existed. The victory, which was total, is expected to possibly topple the Mussolini regime, though that is less than certain. He also praised the United States for their efforts in selling weapons to the British over the last few years, helping to build up the Empire. He remarked that such sales may have helped jump start the U.S. economy, mired in a recession from 1929 through 1933, but also has helped keep the world safe, even though the U.S. continues to refuse to join the League.

“This has been a Special Report. We now return you to your regular programming.”

The Italian government did indeed fall weeks later, and was replaced by a democracy with a succession of Prime Ministers. Meanwhile, this action also made the Soviets pause with concern over what could happen. Whether or not Mussolini tried to invade too early, it was clear that the Soviets would face severe problems if they tried anything. After a sound thrashing in Finland in 1939, the nation faced inward for the next 40 years till it fell, while the nations of Easter Europe breathed freely. There were many purges in the Soviet Union, but news of atrocities leaked out in the ‘40s, and eventually led to the formation of the State of Israel, as a number of the victims were Jewish.

The American recession as with the rest of the world, had lifted by 936. it was said that Hoover implemented some good plans, such as federal deposit insurance, but they didn’t come fast enough.

With Mussolini out of the way, and the Soviets held in check except for that ill-fated invasion of Finland that was also met with League resistance, all would be quiet in the world throughout the next few decades. The quietness of things led not only to the United States granting the Phillippines independence several years earlier than they might have, the British were able to reach an agreement with India for peaceful departure – the Dominion of India was formed in 1942, completely self-governintg.

The work of the Abyssinians in defeating the Italians in 1896, then here working alongside Europeans, would also cause many to consider that the races might be able to work together, leading to te integrating of the mlitary in the U.S. 9 years later.

[Big Six]

Thanks for the "bulletin," DTF! Nice job.

[Big Six]

124 Pierce Street
Sacramento, California

Mr. Patrick O’Farrell
c/o Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park
Boston, Massachusetts

July 27, 1936

Dear Mr. O’Farrell,

I don’t suppose you will remember me, since we met over fifteen years ago, and then only on the ball field. Please allow me to introduce myself once again.

My name is Travis Sargent, and I pitched for the Sacramento club that played against Roy Hitt’s All-Americans in the fall of 1920. I will never forget the way you and the other members of the All-Americans treated us, and when you approached me after the game I pitched and complimented me on my performance, it was perhaps the proudest moment I ever experienced on a baseball field. You beat us, 3-2, and I recall you telling me that I had pitched just about as well against us as any pitcher you had faced during your tour.

While my own playing career progressed no farther than the semiprofessional level, I have remained in the game as a high school baseball coach. I also enjoy attending Pacific Coast League games here in Sacramento, and I recently saw two young players with the San Diego team who impressed me tremendously.

Ted Williams is an outfielder, and Bobby Doerr is a second baseman. They are both teenagers; I believe both of them are eighteen years of age.

Williams is tall and slender, a lefthanded hitter. While he managed only two singles in the three games I saw him play, he was matched against veteran pitchers who understandably outsmarted him. In batting practice, however, he hit the ball so hard that it sounded like someone was firing a rifle. I watched Williams drive balls to all fields, and his power to right field is immense.

Doerr appeared smooth and confident in the field, making routine plays efficiently and demonstrating good range and a reliable arm. At bat, he hit three hard line drives, one of which hit the wall for a double. His batting practice displays were not as impressive as Williams’ were, but he hit the ball hard with consistency.

I had seen Doerr play before, as he was a member of the Hollywood team during 1934 and 1935. I remember much being made of the fact that he was only sixteen years old when he broke in with Hollywood, and I remember him playing very well for such a youngster. Not surprisingly, he is a much more polished player, one who would be a fine American Leaguer in time.

I certainly don’t flatter myself with the thought that I am the first to notice the skills of Williams and Doerr; in fact, you are probably aware of them already. I apologize if this unsolicited “tip” has been an annoyance, for I can only imagine how busy you must be. I wanted to do something to express my thanks to you, in some small way, for the cherished memories you and the All-Americans provided for me years ago.

Sincerely yours,
Travis Sargent

P.S. I remember reading somewhere that you are friends with a fellow who played with us in Sacramento and went on to make good in the big leagues. Please tell Archie Graham I said hello, if you have a chance to speak with him at some point in the near future.

Note:
(The Sacramento Bee's account of the game Sargent mentioned is found here.)

[Big Six]

Hi, everyone. I hope you don't mind me hijacking my own thread for a moment.

Sometime over the weekend, The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell was viewed for the 20,000th time. When I started writing about Pat and his world, I never for one moment imagined I'd still be doing so three years later, and I certainly had no idea so many people would spend some of their valuable time reading my attempts to make his world come to life.

Only one dynasty on these boards has been viewed more often, and when I look at the titles of the other stories that have had enduring followings here, I see several that I've enjoyed greatly and that served as my inspirations when I created my own dynasty.

I also see several that were begun more recently, which I've enjoyed from the very beginning. I'm reminded of how much enjoyment the dynasty forum has given me, and I appreciate the time you've put into creating the stories here.

I'm flattered by the many wonderful comments many of you have made about my dynasty. I've said before I would have written about Pat's universe even if nobody else read it, just because I enjoy it so much. The fact that others have enjoyed it makes it that much more rewarding.

Thank you to everyone who's posted here, voted in our Hall of Fame elections, and read part (or all) of the story. I hope you'll stick around for the rest of the ride.

[acetonic]

Thanks to you for posting such an enjoyable tale, and sticking with it for so long. I was late to the game so I got to spend several nights at "work" catching up.

I look forward to your future posts and congratulations on 20k views and counting!

[William4192]

I also started reading this in my spare time at work

[Big Six]

Thanks, guys. I sincerely hope that the only people Pat O'Farrell causes to lose his job are the players and executives he beat out over the course of the dynasty.

[Big Six]

Baseball Magazine, August 1936

THREE MEN FOR COOPERSTOWN
Hall of Famer Urges Voters to Remember Three Stars of the Past

by PAT O'FARRELL

Six years ago, I was fortunate enough to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That afternoon will always be one of the most memorable events in my life, and membership in the Hall of Fame will always rank among the most cherished honors I have received for my accomplishments in baseball. It is flattering to be enshrined there with the greatest players in the history of our National Pastime.

I believe that, on the whole, the voters who each year choose new members for the Hall have done a splendid job. As more and more time goes by, however, I am afraid that the credentials of several "old timers" may be overlooked by voters who might not have been fortunate enough to see them play when they were in their prime. I would like, therefore, to mention the names of a few players whom I believe to be worthy of election to the Hall of Fame.

Simon Nicholls was a fine shortstop who starred for the Athletics and Senators from 1903 until 1923. Simon was not a flashy player, and he was sometimes overshadowed by teammates like Joe Jackson and Eddie Murphy. He hit nearly .300 in his career, however, and recorded nearly 2700 hits. While Simon's home run totals don't look very impressive when compared to the totals accumulated by the batsmen of today, he was considered quite a slugger in his time. He finished among the top five home run hitters in the American League five times, and was the runner-up twice.

The physical demands placed on a catcher might exceed those faced by any other player, and even the most robust backstops need regular breaks in order to remain effective. This makes it difficult for catchers to pile up eye-catching statistical totals.

There have been few catchers in baseball history who were as productive at the bat as Ted Easterly was during his career with the Indians and Giants. Ted hit .321 lifetime, and would have been the American League batting champion twice if he had recorded enough at bats to qualify for the title. In 1911, when George Moriarty led the league at .368, Ted hit .373 in 397 trips to the plate. The following year, his .385 performance in 379 at bats would have topped Tris Speaker's league-leading mark of .372. Before years and years of squatting behind the plate took their toll on his knees, Ted was a fast runner who stole 20 or 30 bases a year.

For years, George Mullin of the Detroit Tigers was one of the most feared pitchers in the American League. When I broke in to the big leagues in 1907, George was the ace of the Detroit staff. He won at least 20 games five times for the powerful Tigers squads of that era. George's career total of 277 wins and his lifetime ERA of 3.18 compare favorably to the records of several Hall of Fame pitchers.

Recently, the Hall of Fame announced that it is limiting the number of years a player may remain on the ballot to twelve. If he does not receive 75% of the vote in a Hall of Fame election within that period, he will be dropped from the ballot, and unless the Hall changes its policy to allow for a re-examination of his credentials, his chances for membership are gone.

Nicholls, Easterly, and Mullin are among the fine ballplayers whose names will be erased from the ballot if they are not elected to the Hall in 1937. I would be honored to welcome each of these men as fellow members of the Hall of Fame, and I hope that the voters seriously consider them for election.

[Tib]

Absolutely rock-solid as always, Big Six. I continue to read with enthusiam.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Tib

Absolutely rock-solid as always, Big Six. I continue to read with enthusiam.

Thanks very much, Tib. It's great to hear from someone who has followed Pat's career almost as long as I have. There are some events coming up in the O'Farrell universe that I hope will keep the story interesting for another three years of "real" time and a few more decades in Pat's world.

Short Hop has always been one of my favorite dynasties, and it was great to see Chapter 50 appear the other day.

[Big Six]

The Sporting News, August 13, 1936

RED SOX PITCHERS WILT IN AUGUST HEAT
Bill Carrigan Looking for Answers

BOSTON--As recently at July Fourth, the Boston Red Sox occupied their customary position at the top of the American League standings. In the five weeks or so that have elapsed since then, the veteran pitchers who have formed the core of the Red Sox pitching rotation for years have suddenly started to show their age.

Neal Brady, who on that glorious national holiday won the 300th game of his illustrious career, has struggled since then. The 39-year-old righthander has clearly lost a bit off his fastball, and while he can compensate for some of the effects of age with his remarkable knowledge of the pitcher's art, it is clear that he isn't the hurler who could be marked down for at least a score of victories each season.

Waite Hoyt, two years younger than Brady, has also found the going much tougher in 1936. Hoyt is allowing just over a hit per inning pitched, and like many moundsmen who allow batters that much success, his record hovers around the break-even point.

Age can't be blamed for the hardships endured by Ray Brown this summer, however. Brown, in the prime of his career at age 26, has simply been victimized by bad luck. He is pitching well enough to win, but on the days he takes the mound, his teammates haven't seemed to produce runs.

Manager Bill Carrigan has auditioned several pitchers for the final spot in his rotation. Fritz Oestermueller, Danny MacFayden, Red Ruffing, and Larry Boerner have all had their chance to nail down the job, but none have managed to pitch well enough to do so.

Pat O'Farrell, the general manager of the Boston club, was supposedly in the market for pitching before the recent trade deadline, but found no takers. With pitching talent at a premium, it isn't surprising that O'Farrell failed to swing a deal to bring a talented younger arm to Beantown...

[Big Six]

Philadelphia Inquirer, August 16, 1936

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE HELPS BOTH TEAMS
Foxx, Smith Both Thriving In Returns To Clubs That Traded Them Away

PHILADELPHIA--If a team wants to acquire a slugger like Jimmie Foxx, it must be prepared to offer a valuable player in return--such as a star pitcher like Hilton Smith.

The Chicago White Sox realized this four years ago, when they offered Smith to the Philadelphia Athletics in exchange for Foxx. This deal, one of the rare deals that featured players in their primes, worked out well for both clubs. With the White Sox, Foxx inherited Babe Ruth's title as the top home run hitter in baseball, while Smith blossomed into one of the game's finest pitchers with the Athletics.

Exactly four years later, the A's and White Sox were in the mood to discuss a trade once again. The Philly club needed a big bat to solidify the heart of their batting order as they drive for the pennant, and the White Sox looked to add a true ace to their pitching staff.

So what did the teams do? Something that had never been done in the long history of our National Pastime.

They traded Smith and Foxx for each other once again.

Jimmie contributed to his old new ballclub immediately, smashing a long home run in his first game back with the Athletics. Hilton, too, made his presence felt in Chicago right away, tossing a five-hit shutout in his first start as a White Sock since July 1932.

It is very likely that Foxx will end the season as the leading home run hitter in baseball, with a fine chance to hit fifty over the fence before the season ends. It is just as likely that Smith will win the laurels for the league's best pitcher, and thirty victories is not out of the question for him.

Each man laughs when asked about the unusual way in which their careers have been linked. "Who wouldn't want to be considered good enough to be traded for Jimmie Foxx?" Smith remarked. "I've had that happen twice, which is even more of a compliment."

"I never hit much against Smith," Foxx admitted. "Honestly, I'd like to be his teammate sometime, instead of always having to face him."

I very nearly missed this one, because I didn't check the deadline trading as carefully as usual. I'm so conditioned to thinking of Foxx as a Philadelphia Athletic that the sight of "J. Foxx PHA" on the leaderboards seemed very natural. "Dang, with Foxx in the lineup, Hilton Smith probably won't lose again all season long," I thought. Then I looked at the American League leaders in wins...and there was "H.Smith CHA".

I think this deal might even top the one in which Archie Graham was traded for John Kinsella.