|
Frustration
56 Claremont Park
Boston, Massachusetts
Mr. Nile Kinnick
1114 S. 79th Street
Omaha, Nebraska
June 24, 1939
Dear Nile,
It was great to get your letter last week. It sounds like you're really enjoying your summer vacation, although I can understand how that job with the grocery can be tedious. Between you and me, as "glamorous" as the life of a professional athlete might seem, there are also a lot of long, boring hours riding trains and lounging in hotel lobbies. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but there are times I wish I were back in school like you are.
You're right, it is very exciting to be part of a tight pennant race. It's been very frustrating for me at the same time, however, because I haven't been pitching very well. If all you look at is my record, it looks like I'm having a great year. I'm 8-4, and I think there are only twelve pitchers in the league who have more. It's a very deceptive statistic, the result of the fact that the guys are hitting the ball well every time I start. When you have guys like Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, and Ted Williams on your team, you'll win lots of games by accident.
Bill Carrigan seems to have lost some confidence in me lately, and I don't blame him. I'm now the fourth pitcher in the rotation, which means I'm the one whose turn gets skipped when we have a day off. There's been some discussion about sending me back to Minneapolis so I can work some of my problems out. My dad has assured me he'll handle me the way he'd handle any pitcher, and I'm glad of that. I'm already starting to hear some of the fans taunting me from the stands. The other day, I was getting roughed up pretty badly, and one loudmouth shouted "Hey, O'Farrell...if your dad wasn't your boss, you'd be back in the bush leagues by now!"
To make things worse, it seems that when I'm pitching badly, my girl Gisele doesn't seem nearly as interested in me as she is when I'm pitching well. She's living in New York, of course, which makes seeing her somewhat of a challenge sometimes. We spend time together every time we go up to play the Yankees, and if we have a day off, I'll take the train up to visit her.
I had a nasty confrontation with Ted Williams the other day over that issue. He told me I'd pitch a whole lot better if I wasn't out carousing in New York so much. I told him to mind his own business, and he started after me. I was ready for him, but Josh and Lou stepped between us before we could get at each other. Ted might have busted my nose, but I wasn't about to let him get away with a wisecrack like that.
I'm heading out to the ballpark a little early today so Carrigan can watch me throw. He thinks there might be something mechanically wrong with my delivery that he can straighten out. As great a catcher as he was, he'll spot it if it's there. All I know is that if I don't start getting more guys out, I'll be back in the Midwest with you before long.
Either way, I hope I see you soon. It would be great to visit with you when we're in Chicago or St. Louis. In the meantime, enjoy the life of a grocer!
Your pal,
Mike
|