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Big Six · 05-18-2007, 11:38 AM

Boston Herald, May 12, 1939

O'FARRELL: ARE TWO SPORTS ONE TOO MANY?

BOSTON--The 1939 season is just over a month old, and the American League pennant race is showing every sign of being a hard-fought struggle. Four teams currently find themselves within a game of the lead, which is currently held by the Boston Red Sox. In a tight race like this one, the contributions of every player are essential. That's why the performance of righthander Mike O'Farrell has been keeping Sox manager Bill Carrigan up at night.

O'Farrell, 24, is one of the American League's most talented young hurlers. On any given afternoon, O'Farrell can be absolutely dazzling, as he was on April 17 when he fired eight shutout innings at the hard-hitting New York Yankees. O'Farrell can also be maddeningly ineffective, as he demonstrated a week later by allowing the Detroit Tigers to score ten runs against him in eight innings.

O'Farrell spends each fall playing pro football, winning an NFL championship with the Detroit Lions last December. Are the demands of playing professional sports nearly year-round taking too heavy a toll on him? O'Farrell missed most of two Lions games with an injury to his shoulder. Football is a hard-hitting, physical game. Has the constant pounding quarterback O'Farrell must endure begun to affect pitcher O'Farrell's performance?

O'Farrell is quick to claim this is not the case. "I've always played both sports, throughout high school and then at Notre Dame. I can rest between the end of the football season and the beginning of spring training. I'm still young (O'Farrell is 24 years old), and my body heals quickly. I probably won't be doing this when I'm 30, but for now, I can handle it. I enjoy both sports. Why not keep playing both of them?"

The Red Sox have to hope that O'Farrell, who currently possesses a solid 4-2 record despite an ERA of nearly five a game, is right, and that he continues to develop into the kind of pitcher who can help a team win a pennant. As long as he keeps playing football, however, that outcome is far from a sure thing.

05-18-2007, 11:38 AM	#1144 (permalink)
Big Six Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 2,493 Thanks: 145 Thanked 100x in 79 posts	Doing too much? Boston Herald, May 12, 1939 O'FARRELL: ARE TWO SPORTS ONE TOO MANY? BOSTON--The 1939 season is just over a month old, and the American League pennant race is showing every sign of being a hard-fought struggle. Four teams currently find themselves within a game of the lead, which is currently held by the Boston Red Sox. In a tight race like this one, the contributions of every player are essential. That's why the performance of righthander Mike O'Farrell has been keeping Sox manager Bill Carrigan up at night. O'Farrell, 24, is one of the American League's most talented young hurlers. On any given afternoon, O'Farrell can be absolutely dazzling, as he was on April 17 when he fired eight shutout innings at the hard-hitting New York Yankees. O'Farrell can also be maddeningly ineffective, as he demonstrated a week later by allowing the Detroit Tigers to score ten runs against him in eight innings. O'Farrell spends each fall playing pro football, winning an NFL championship with the Detroit Lions last December. Are the demands of playing professional sports nearly year-round taking too heavy a toll on him? O'Farrell missed most of two Lions games with an injury to his shoulder. Football is a hard-hitting, physical game. Has the constant pounding quarterback O'Farrell must endure begun to affect pitcher O'Farrell's performance? O'Farrell is quick to claim this is not the case. "I've always played both sports, throughout high school and then at Notre Dame. I can rest between the end of the football season and the beginning of spring training. I'm still young (O'Farrell is 24 years old), and my body heals quickly. I probably won't be doing this when I'm 30, but for now, I can handle it. I enjoy both sports. Why not keep playing both of them?" The Red Sox have to hope that O'Farrell, who currently possesses a solid 4-2 record despite an ERA of nearly five a game, is right, and that he continues to develop into the kind of pitcher who can help a team win a pennant. As long as he keeps playing football, however, that outcome is far from a sure thing. __________________ My OOTP dynasties: The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell: where it all began The Connecticut Shore League: a fictional league story Three Pals, a Base Ball Story: my newest fictional story Last edited by Big Six; 05-18-2007 at 11:39 AM.