[Big Six]

12 Lowell Road
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

Mr. Roy Hitt
1105 St. Gregory Street
Cincinnati, Ohio

September 1, 1933

Dear Roy,

It was wonderful to hear from you the other day. I received your letter when I arrived home from a meeting with the club's "top brass." I was pleased to learn that they wanted to extend my contract for three more years, and with a tidy raise, too. Naturally, I signed the papers before they pulled them away from me!

Thank you for your unsolicited information about the Pittsburgh club! If, when all is said and done, we meet them in the World Series I will put the "dope" to good use, I assure you. I agree that they have done a splendid job of dealing from their strengths to assemble a powerful club. With Joe Cronin at short, they could afford to move "Arky" Vaughan over to third; that made Freddie Lindstrom expendable, and they obtained Lefty Grove for him! Of course, they still have the Waners.

With Grove and Red Lucas pitching as many as five games of a Series, and with Hal Smith pitching as well as he has been, they will be awfully tough to beat.

You asked me about the Athletics, and between you and me, I find it almost incredible that they are still in the American League race. Al Simmons isn't hitting for power, and except for Hilton Smith, their pitchers have never been more than journeymen--until this season! Take Bill Harris, for example. He's spent most of the past ten years in the minors, and suddenly he's 12-3 for a team that is battling for a pennant. The youngster, Dick Barrett, looks like he might be a good one, however.

The Tigers are a club without any glaring weaknesses. They are also a club that has been very carefully constructed to be successful in the long run. They have added some excellent young players over the past two or three years, men like Hank Greenberg, Gee Walker, and Lyn Rowe. The players who have been their stars for the past few years are all in their early thirties, too, so most of them should remain productive while the young players reach their potential.

Right now, of course, we are tied with the Tigers, and the Athletics are a game behind us. There's nothing like a pennant race, is there?

You might be interested to hear that Charlie Hollocher has decided to retire at the end of this season. He is one of the last players still active from our barnstorming days, and he has been a valuable reserve for us since we signed him two years ago. I would love to have him go out with one more World Series ring.

I confess that I am sometimes concerned about the age of our club. The only truly exceptional young players we have in our organization right now appear to be Josh Gibson and Ray Brown, both of whom are in the major leagues already. Gibson is still only 21, and since the All-Star break he has hit well over .300. Brown is 24, and he has shown signs of turning the corner in the past few weeks, too. At my meeting today, I emphasized the necessity to increase the amount of resources we devote to player development. There is nothing a ball club can spend its money and energy on that is more worthwhile.

I've taken up too much of your time, I'm afraid. I look forward to seeing you in Cooperstown next month, as always. I don't believe I'm jinxing anything to say that I believe Joe Wood is a shoo-in for election this year, and our whole clan will be attending his induction. Joe is family, after all!

Thank you again for your kind letter, Roy. I value the friendship we've built over the years, and hope we continue it for many, many more.

Your old barnstorming pal,
Pat