A short(er) history of the Pat O'Farrell dynasty

[Big Six]

First of all, I want to thank everybody who has expressed their support of The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell over the past three years. When I began the dynasty, I had no idea I would still be writing it a thousand posts later. I've enjoyed it thoroughly, and I'm glad that some of the rest of you have enjoyed it, too. Many have been the times when reading the kind comments you've made has put a much-needed smile on my face.

Several people have commented to me that they've been intrigued by the story, but they simply don't have the time to dedicate to reading the dynasty all the way through. Some who have just discovered the story have told me "I'd really like to follow this one, but I can't find the time to catch up, and I don't think I'd ever really get into the story like I should if I'm picking it up 30 years in."

I've decided to create a thread to help readers who would like to experience TBBLOPO in smaller doses. First, I'll provide links that will direct you to different "chapters" of Pat's story. That way, if you want to read about a particular event, or a portion of his career, you can find it easily.

If you click on a link, you'll go to a specific post that marks the beginning of a "chapter" of the dynasty. To read on from there, click on the name of the thread, where it appears in the top right hand corner of your screen.

1906-1907: Pat in the minor leagues; meeting Bill Carrigan; Pat's sweetheart Sarah

1907-1909: Pat's major league debut; a young star is born; courting Miss Malloy; the first World Series ring

1909-1910: Endorsements; a ring for Sarah; world champions again

1910-1912: Wedding bells; Series loss to the Reds

1912-1913: Baby makes three; Pat the journalist; little sister meets Smoky Joe; revenge on the Reds

1914-1915: Here comes the Babe; Matty dons Red Sox; pennant playoff Pruiett; defending champions; Daddy's little slugger; "Rough's Rooters;" Emily's news; champions again

1916-1917: Meet Mrs. Wood; Carrigan the All-Star; a race for the ages; back home again in Stockbridge; Mary Kate, a little late; falling just short again; MOB

1918-1920: Contract time; the Big Train arrives; back on top again; 2000; the walking man; one more ring

1920: Here's Johnny; an invitation from Roy Hitt; ring #7

1920: Barnstorming; men of color; Moonlight

1921-1922: Bustin' Babe; the fifth little O'Farrell; MOB scene; farewells and injuries; erasing the color line; Pat the Boston icon; Carrigan takes the reins

1923-1925: The Trade; Archie gets the call; 300 for a barnstorming buddy; a pennant and a Series loss; lifetime leaders; love from Grandpa; 3000; black and grey ink; 3000 for Tris

1925-1927: Hall of Fame opens; rooming with Judy; RBI king; heartbreak, and a heartwarming welcome; goodbye, Grandpa; this one's for you

1927-1928: Season #20; baseball's most beloved star; Pat the Series correspondent; "You belong to New England;" one more year; 300 for Smokey Joe; Field of Dreams trade; farewells; the final Series

1928-1930: Pat's career totals; happily retired; Sox win another Series for Carrigan; a young fan named Paveskovich; signing Josh Gibson

1930-1932: Pat becomes GM; Mike the schoolboy mound star; home in Wellesley Hills; Cooperstown calling; Mike the All-State halfback; 31 wins for Hoyt

Pat's Hall of Fame plaque

1932-1933 Choices for Mike; Pat covers Series for Globe; fatherly advice; "Wake up the echoes"

1933-1934: Wild night in Wellesley; Billy O'Farrell and another World Series for the Sox; sister knows best; Uncle Joe and the curve ball; here comes Mr. Starffin; Archie Graham retrospective; academic woes

1934-1936: Malcolm Little, baseball fan; Mike's debut on the Irish gridiron; wedding bells for Beth O'Farrell; prayers for Sarah; lesson learned; Mary Kate to MHC; 300 for Brady


I'll also post a condensed version of the story here, a Cliff's Notes or SparkNotes edition, you might call it. The names of important characters in Pat's story will be written in bold face when they enter the story, so you can keep them straight--even without a scorecard.

Hopefully, these will help a few more of you who might enjoy reading about Pat, his career, and his family.

[Big Six]

Our story begins on September 16, 1887, when a son was born to Francis and Elizabeth O’Farrell of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The couple named him Patrick Joseph, and he grew up strong and healthy, playing in the fields and hills of the Berkshires. As a boy, Pat enjoyed all kinds of outdoor games, but like many a young man at the turn of the twentieth century, he fell in love with base ball. He dreamed of being a star like Hugh Duffy, Bobby Lowe, and the other Boston Red Stockings whose exploits he followed in the newspapers.

Francis O’Farrell was an attorney, who made a solid living from a practice begun by his own father, Colonel Joseph Francis O’Farrell. Young Pat, then, was expected to make a living using his brain, not his brawn, and when his talents as a base ballist attracted the attention of the Boston American League club in 1906, his father made him promise to continue his education while he pursued his dreams of a professional base ball career.

Pat’s contract was assigned to the Richmond club in the Virginia League, where among his teammates was a man who would become his best friend, catcher Bill Carrigan. Neither Bill nor Pat would remain in Richmond long; before the season was out, both of them had been promoted to the New Bedford club in the faster New England League. Both in Richmond and New Bedford, Pat found time to correspond with a girl from back home, Sarah Malloy.

After a fine season at New Bedford in which he hit well over .300 and stole nearly fifty bases, Pat was called up to Boston and made his major league debut on September 9, 1907. He rapped his first major league hit that day, an RBI single of the White Sox’ Doc White, but fared less well against most big league pitching and finished the two-week audition with a .189 average.

True to the promise he made to his father, Pat attended Amherst College during the offseason during his first years as a professional ball player. The results of his rookie season guaranteed him a place in his chosen career, as he hit .281, made the All-Star team, and led the Red Sox out of the second division.

1909 witnessed the beginning of two trends that would characterize the American League for the next two decades: the consistent excellence of the Boston Red Sox and the superlative play of Pat O’Farrell. The Red Sox rode the arm of big-game pitcher Tex Pruiett to a victory over the New York Giants in the World Series, and Pat hit over .300 for the first time .

Pat not only experienced victory on the ball field in 1910; he also achieved an even more important triumph in love. The Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series, but Pat had no such obstacles to overcome in his suit for the heart of Miss Sarah Malloy. Sarah and Pat were married on Christmas Eve, 1910. Pat’s sister Emily was Sarah’s maid of honor, with Bill Carrigan serving as his buddy’s best man. Emily O’Farrell might very well have seen for the first time that day the man she would one day marry.

The 1910 Series was also the first of several titanic battles between the Red Sox and the Reds. Roy Hitt and Del Mason pitched against O’Farrell for the first time that October, initiating a highly-pitched rivalry that would lead to the development of a deep mutual respect and, eventually, close personal friendships.

With Tris Speaker and Joe Wood emerging as stars, the Red Sox played well throughout 1911, but were nosed out for the pennant by the New York Highlanders. Pat was now the most dangerous hitter in the American League, hitting over .350 with power, and stealing bases in bunches. The Sox returned to the World Series in 1912, but were no match for Cincinnati, who won their second straight Fall Classic.

[Big Six]

Pat and Sarah became parents on November 19, 1912, when their daughter Beth was born. The new father led the Red Sox through a furious pennant fight with the Detroit Tigers in 1913, hitting nearly .500 over the last 48 games of the season and powering his team into a Series rematch with the Reds. Pat wrote dispatches for the Boston Globe during the Series, which was a fall classic indeed. It was certainly so for Joe Wood; the young righthander won three games for the Sox, including the decisive seventh game, while his feelings for Emily O’Farrell began to deepen into love.

As the Sox fell behind a powerful Tigers team in 1914, they acquired Christy Mathewson from the Cubs, and the move energized Pat and his teammates. The Sox and Tigers ended the regular season with identical 104-50 records, and Tex Pruiett added to his reputation as a winner by pitching Boston to a victory in the pennant playoff. Once again, the Bostons had a date with the Cincinnati Reds in the Series, and this time the Red Sox made it two straight World Championships with a 4-2 victory in a Series that was even more thrilling than that of 1913. Christy Mathewson, who had earlier that season won his 300th career game and was thought to be lost for the Series with a bad arm, won the fifth game. The Red Sox won the decisive sixth game in extra innings. And, Pat O’Farrell established a major league record by lashing 13 hits in the Series.

A month before Pat and his teammates reported for spring training in 1915, Sarah gave birth to a son, named Michael. The Red Sox cruised to another pennant, while the Giants spoiled the Reds’ plans for a rematch by defeating them in a playoff. Perhaps the Giants were exhausted by their efforts, for they put up very little fight in the Series. Now twenty-eight and in his prime, Pat had played on five pennant winning teams, and had won four World Series rings.

Just after New Year’s 1916, Joe Wood became Pat’s brother-in-law as well as his teammate, in a wedding that was featured on the sports pages of the Boston papers as well as on the society pages. With Pat serving as best man, and with teammates Carrigan, Speaker, and Mathewson standing up for Smoky Joe, the event drew autograph seekers and well-wishers who wanted a closer look at their favorite players.

That season, Bill Carrigan stepped behind the plate full-time, and the Sox fought tooth and nail with the Tigers for the pennant. This time Detroit prevailed, but the Tigers were defeated by the still-powerful Reds in the World Series. Domestic life dominated Pat’s offseason; the family built a fine house in their home town of Stockbridge, and he and Sarah planned for the arrival of their third child. The baby, a daughter, was born in June, and she was named Mary Catherine. The 1917 Red Sox fought through a serious injury to Tris Speaker and, by August, were in the heat of the pennant fight again. For the second straight year, however, the Sox were beaten out—this time by the Philadelphia Athletics.

Pat O’Farrell could not be blamed for the Red Sox’ “struggles.” He won the American League Most Outstanding Batter award for the first time, on the strength of a .327 batting average and league titles in on base percentage, slugging average, home runs, runs scored, runs created, and bases on balls. Furthermore, he set an American League record by stealing 99 bases, a total that has not been surpassed. Pat received a healthy raise for his efforts. The three-year contract he signed in February 1918 paid him a total of $45,000, making him one of the three or four highest-paid players in the game.

[Big Six]

In 1918, a young outfielder named Ruth joined the Red Sox lineup, and the Babe joined Speaker and O’Farrell to form a powerful hitting trio. Christy Mathewson was nearly through, but Joe Wood headed a staff that now included good young arms like those of George Dauss and Art Nehf. One more pitcher was added to the Red Sox ****nal when Walter Johnson was obtained from the Senators in exchange for Chuck Rose. Both pitchers would eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame. An injury to Speaker led the Sox to sign Edd Roush, who would give the Boston club several productive seasons. These moves were not to deliver a pennant to the fans of Boston, however, as the Athletics won the American League for the second straight year.

By now, it had been three years since the Red Sox had last won a pennant, and there were whispers concerning a possible managerial change in Boston in the air as 1919 began. Jimmy Collins spoke privately to Bill Carrigan about taking the reins, and Carrigan exchanged letters with Pat in which O’Farrell assured his pal that he had the necessary skills to do the job well.

That summer, Pat suffered the worst injury of his playing career, an injured leg muscle that shelved him for a month. He returned by the Fourth of July, and on July 13, he smacked a single off Jack Coombs of the White Sox for career hit No.2000. A month later, he became the career leader in an offensive category for the first time when he drew his 1,133rd base on balls to surpass a mark held by Sammy Strang. Pat and his teammates broke their pennant drought in 1919, and they also took the Series in a sweep over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pat hit a cool .625 for the Series, scoring six runs and knocking in eight in four games.

Pat O’Farrell was now perhaps the most famous star in baseball, and his wholesome image lent itself to a number of endorsement opportunities. Local businesses used his image to sell suits and hats, while national companies discovered his appeal to men, women, and children alike. Even Sarah O’Farrell became a commercial “star,” singing the praises of Cream of Wheat. On January 11, 1920, Sarah had one more mouth to feed, a little boy named John.

Note: I've had to add an extra space to the word "ar senal," because the spelling censor wants to make sure I'm not calling someone a pain in the ar se.

I've also noticed that the censor occasionally has a problem with a particular combination of letters in the spelling of the O'Farrell's home state of Massachusetts, and that star pitcher Bert Sin****'s surname is equally offensive.

[Big Six]

The 1920 season and the months following it were among the most important periods in the history of professional baseball. The Red Sox and Pat O’Farrell began the season on fire, and in early June, Pat received an invitation from old friend and rival Roy Hitt to join a team that would barnstorm the West that fall. Roy Hitt’s All-Americans would play several series of games against a team made up of Negro League stars. Pat accepted the invitation, and after the Red Sox won their seventh World Series title (over the St. Louis Cardinals), he joined Hitt’s squad for an adventure that would indelibly make its mark on the history of major league baseball.

Roy Hitt’s All-Americans included many of the biggest stars in the major league firmament. Besides O’Farrell and Hitt, future Hall of Famers on the squad included Del Mason, Joe Wood, Walter Johnson, Jim Nealon, Ty Cobb, Tillie Shafer, Joe Jackson, and Chuck Rose. The All-Americans played their way from St. Louis to California, where Ty Cobb left the squad after playing relatively poorly. Rumors circulated that Cobb departed because he was uncomfortable playing on the same field as black men, but the Tigers star claimed he was increasingly distracted by business matters back home.

On November 15 in San Francisco, the All-Americans began their first series of games against the Road Kings, a barnstorming squad of Negro players led by catcher Bruce Petway. The All-Americans won three of the first four contests, despite the tremendous play of Road Kings outfielder Oscar Charleston and the skillful pitching of Smokey Joe Williams. As Pat and Roy relaxed in their hotel after the fourth game, they were approached by a young man named Archie Graham, who had played well against them in Sacramento and offered his services as a practice player and substitute for the remainder of the All-Americans’ journey.

Pat exchanged letters with his Grandpa O’Farrell on the trip, the older gentleman sharing with his grandson the lessons of ninety years of life. Likewise, Pat and his teammates served as mentors for young Archie Graham, whom they dubbed “Moonlight” for his willingness to remain on the field long past sundown, sharpening his skills. The exposure young Graham received paid off for him in the form of a minor league contract offer from the Phillies organization. The Phillies traded him to the White Sox early in 1921.

[Big Six]

The Red Sox started the 1921 season quickly, as Babe Ruth, who already owned the single-season mark for home runs with 34, began slamming the ball over the fence at an even more rapid rate. Walter Johnson and Joe Wood were both sidelined with arm problems, but four of their teammates—Speaker, Ruth, O’Farrell, and catcher Johnny Bassler--started for the American League All-Stars. Hugh Bedient took up some of the slack, winning 20 games by the first of August, and minor league veteran Chet Nourse rescued faltering Red Sox starters again and again.

With the pennant race in full swing, Sarah on August 21 delivered the fifth O’Farrell child, a son named William after his father’s buddy Mr. Carrigan. The Detroit Tigers spoiled the Red Sox’ pennant plans, but on the final day of the season, Pat set a new American League record when he scored his 158th run of the season. With 216 hits, including 15 homers and 25 triples, 92 steals, a batting average of .379, and a slugging percentage of .621, Pat had the best season of his career statistically and won his second Most Outstanding Batter award, albeit one boosted by a much livelier baseball.

Now a fourteen-year major league veteran, Pat had begun to accumulate career totals that ranked him among the all-time leaders. His lifetime batting average was then .335, as high as it would ever be, and for the only time in his career, he ranked among the top ten hitters for average of all time. Pat had also established himself among the top ten home run hitters, RBI men, base thieves, triples specialists, and run scorers of all time.

Pat was also, by this time, one of the game’s most popular stars. He was often cited as an example of a true sportsman, a gentleman who made his living as an athlete, and it was a role Pat embraced eagerly.

The 1922 season could very well be considered the most important in the history of baseball, because of an event in which Pat played a crucial role. At the All-Star break, representatives of the sixteen major league clubs met and decided to shatter the barrier that had kept African-American players out of the major leagues for decades. By the end of July, several black players had been signed, including Oscar Charleston, who immediately began knocking down fences for the Chicago Cubs. Teenaged infielder Judy Johnson became the Red Sox’ first African-American player when he signed a contract with the team late in the 1922 season.

The O’Farrells’ friendship with Archie Graham deepened that summer as well. Archie played for the Pittsfield Hillies, and lived with the O’Farrell family in nearby Stockbridge. Archie and the young O’Farrells enjoyed each other’s company, and the young outfielder gained a number of fans who would support him throughout his baseball career.

The season ended in disappointment for O’Farrell and the Red Sox, who lost the pennant by six games to the Tigers. Pat adjusted to the arrival of a livelier baseball by hitting a career-high 17 homers, and his total of 120 RBI were also a career best. His “slash stats” (367/.447/.600) clearly indicated his continued status among the league’s most dangerous hitters, at the age of 35. The lively ball offset some of the beginnings of a slow decline in Pat’s skills, a decline that Pat sensed even if the fans who looked at his statistics did not.

That fall, Pat turned down an offer to appear in a movie titled “The Ball Player and the Showgirl,” which no doubt pleased Sarah O’Farrell greatly. He did, however, eagerly agree to support golfer Francis Ouimet’s charity efforts in Boston. O’Farrell and Ouimet soon became good friends, and several years later Francis helped Pat find a home near his in the leafy Boston suburb of Wellesley Hills.

Some fans might have been surprised when long-time Red Sox manager Jimmy Collins announced his retirement in December 1922, but Pat O’Farrell was not. Pat had been communicating with Bill Carrigan regarding Bill’s possible managerial career for some time, and when Carrigan was named the manager of the Providence club in 1922, the Red Sox’ plans became clear to both Bill and Pat. The 39-year-old Carrigan, who had just retired as a player, was named the Red Sox manager on December 14, and would be one of only two big league managers for whom Pat would play.

[Big Six]

The Red Sox started fast under Carrigan, moving into first place in late April. Against the Browns on April 26, Pat O’Farrell became the second player in baseball history to hit three home runs in one game. The only other man to achieve the feat, Babe Ruth, watched each of Pat’s homers from the on-deck circle, and shook his hand as he crossed home plate. Little did either man know that within another month, the two would no longer be teammates.

On May 12, the Red Sox made a trade that shocked the baseball world. They traded Ruth and Del Paddock to the Yankees for young first baseman Lou Gehrig, catcher Ray Schalk, and journeyman pitcher Neal Brady. Immediately, Boston fans screamed in protests, and the wails of despair grew louder as Ruth blasted homer after homer for the Yankees.

Pat continued to play as well as ever, making his fourteenth All-Star team and leading the Red Sox back to the World Series, which they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. The Cardinals pitching staff was led by Pol Perritt, with whom Pat had barnstormed with the All-Americans. Two other players with whom Pat had become good friends on the barnstorming tour, Roy Hitt and Archie Graham, experienced memorable moments during 1923, too. In July, Hitt won his 300th major league game, and Archie made his big league debut with the White Sox in September.

During the offseason, the Red Sox rewarded Pat with a contract that paid him $22,500 a year for two years, a salary that kept him among the game’s best-compensated stars. The team appeared primed for another run at the pennant in 1924.

Unfortunately, the Sox slid into sixth place by June, and as Ruth kept pounding the ball in New York, some fans began to call for Carrigan’s dismissal. The criticism of his friend angered Pat, who was quick to say that the Red Sox still supported their manager wholeheartedly.

On August 4, the gloom surrounding the Red Sox was temporarily lifted when Pat O’Farrell made the 3000th hit of his major league career. The landmark safety was a line single to left off the Yankees’ Rube Bressler, a hit that was eerily similar to his very first—a line single to left off the White Sox’ Doc White almost seventeen years before.

Later that season, Pat moved into second place on the all-time list of home run hitters when he connected for No. 151. The very same afternoon, Archie Graham picked up his first major league hit, and sent a quick telegram to Pat to let him know.

Individual achievements like these were all Pat and the Red Sox had to celebrate in 1924, as the team finished in fourth place, only two games over .500. Meanwhile, Babe Ruth hit an incredible 71 homers, and won the American League Triple Crown.

Bill Carrigan’s job was probably on the line as the Red Sox began the 1925 season. “Rough Bill” rose to the challenge, and as Lou Gehrig blossomed into a star, the Red Sox found themselves in a pennant race once again. Pat, now 37 years old, was still playing well. He made his sixteenth All-Star team, hit .292, scored 130 runs, and stole 69 bases.

The Red Sox and the St. Louis Browns finished the regular season in a tie, and for the second time in his career, Pat was involved in a one-game playoff to settle the pennant race. The Browns won, 3-2, and faced their cross-town rival Cardinals in the World Series. Pat and his teammates were touched by the greeting they received when they returned to Boston after the playoff, as a huge crowd thanked their heroes for a job well done. Needless to say, the critics who had called for Carrigan’s head on a platter had been silenced.

Pat took his young double play partner, Judy Johnson, under his wing; their friendship was sealed when Pat asked the younger man to room with him on the road. Perhaps the two of them discussed the opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, which inducted its first six players in 1926. The first class of immortals enshrined in the Hall were Sam Crawford, Addie Joss, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, and Del Mason.

[Big Six]

Old barnstorming pal Roy Hitt retired at the beginning of the 1926 season, one which Pat and the Red Sox began in style. Before the season ended, however, tragedy touched Pat’s life. His beloved grandfather passed away in late July, at the age of 96. As the summer wore on, the Sox fell out of the pennant race, and a grieving Pat dedicated his pursuit of the batting title to Grandpa O’Farrell. When the season ended, Pat’s average stood at .3421, with Lefty O’Doul a whisker behind him at .3415. Pat therefore won his first, and only batting title—fifteen years after he was edged out by George Moriarty. Crowned at the age of 39, Pat remains the oldest batting champion in the history of major league baseball.

Pat returned to Boston for his twentieth season as a player, and by now he was generally acclaimed as the game’s most popular star. He made his final appearance at the All-Star game, starting at second base for the American League for an unprecedented eighteenth time.

As he approached his fortieth birthday, Pat found it harder to recover from nagging aches and pains, and he sensed that his skills were slipping away from him. The Red Sox won another pennant and, with Pat writing a daily column for the Globe, defeated the Chicago Cubs in the Series. Pat hit a home run off Satchel Paige to win Game One for the Sox.

Pat seriously considered retiring after the 1927 season. The Red Sox were World Series champions, and going out as a winner appealed greatly to Pat. His best friend in baseball persuaded him otherwise. Bill Carrigan reminded Pat, “you belong to New England,” and urged him to give his legion of fans an opportunity to tell him good-bye.

O’Farrell returned to the Sox for 1928, and was rewarded with the chance to be on the field as his brother-in-law, Joe Wood, won his 300th major league game. Several weeks later, however, Pat announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Tributes poured out from all over the league, and while the Red Sox were clinching the pennant, fans in each American League city bid farewell to Pat O’Farrell.

The 1928 World Series was the eleventh in which Pat had participated. The Sox’ opponents were the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the American League champions opened a 3-1 Series lead when Kiki Cuyler hit a home run in the tenth inning of Game Four.

The next afternoon, October 7, was the final game of Pat O’Farrell’s baseball career. It was played in Fenway Park, with Joe Wood pitching, and the Red Sox won both the game and the Series that day. It would be difficult to compose a happier ending to Pat’s tremendous career.

Pat’s statistical record was among the most impressive in the history of the game. He retired with 3668 hits, placing him second all-time. His total of 209 home runs placed him third, and his lifetime batting average of .327 ranked him among the all-time greatest. In almost every other meaningful offensive category—RBI, runs scored, doubles, triples, walks, and stolen bases—Pat O’Farrell set all-time records.

[Big Six]

Pat returned to Stockbridge and enjoyed his retirement for two years, spending more time with Sarah and their children. He watched the Red Sox win another World Series in 1929, but as the team made a series of unwise player moves, including trading away young pitcher Hilton Smith, Pat’s urge to return to the game became stronger. He was not willing to accept a position that would require him to travel; he was too happy with life at home with his family. When the Red Sox offered him the job of general manager in November 1930, he accepted it willingly. The family relocated to the suburb of Wellesley Hills, near the home of Pat’s friend Francis Ouimet.

In October 1931, Pat traveled with his family to Cooperstown for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A unanimous choice of the voters, Pat was touched by the warmth with which the fans in attendance greeted him. He enjoyed watching his oldest son, Mike, excel on the football field, basketball court, and baseball diamond even more.

Pat also felt a great deal of pride as he watched his protege, "Moonlight" Graham, develop into one of baseball's most exciting stars. Now with the Cubs, who had obtained him in a trade for young catcher John Kinsella, Graham won the 1931 batting title. He also displayed great speed and a tremendous throwing arm. Kinsella moved on to the Senators, establishing himself as a solid major league catcher both at bat and in the field.

Mike O'Farrell's athletic talent provided him with a difficult choice between two intriguing options. His pitching talent attracted the attention of professional baseball scouts, who were eager to sign him to a contract. And, the University of Notre Dame offered him an athletic scholarship and the chance to play both baseball and football. Mike took his dad’s advice and accepted the scholarship to Notre Dame.

Handsome and talented, Mike O’Farrell was also a bit of a rascal. Weeks before he left for college, he narrowly escaped arrest when a party he had planned was crashed by the Wellesley police. The carousing he enjoyed as a Notre Dame freshman landed him on academic probation and forced him to attend a session of summer school in order to remain eligible for athletics. Fortunately for Mike, he also seemed to have a rare talent for landing on his feet or charming his way out of trouble.

Then, on a wintry night in January, 1935, the O’Farrells’ world was nearly shattered. A drunk driver slammed into the family car, leaving Sarah O’Farrell seriously injured. Her condition was so grave that a priest gave her the last rites of the Church.

As thousands who knew Pat O’Farrell only as a ballplayer sent their prayers and best wishes, Sarah recovered in time to attend Beth’s wedding in June. Now Mrs. John Parker, Beth moved with her husband to the Philadelphia area.

Mike, literally sobered by the events that nearly cost his mother her life, swore off alcohol and pursued his studies with renewed vigor. He also starred as a quarterback and safety for the Fighting Irish, who had recaptured their winning ways under Elmer Layden’s guidance. Mike was even more impressive as a member of the Notre Dame baseball team; as a junior, he was once again impressing major league scouts and made second team All-American.

The 1936 season began auspiciously for the Red Sox, too, but before it ended, a pair of milestone accomplishments would turn out to provide the most enduring positive memories. A tight pennant battle with the Philadelphia Athletics was highlighted by Neal Brady’s 300th victory on July 4. Brady beat the A’s, moving the Sox into first place. The Red Sox couldn't maintain this level of success, however, as age began to take its toll on veteran aces Brady and Waite Hoyt. By season's end, the Sox had slipped into third place, and the only true excitement of the last weeks of the season was provided by Lou Gehrig, who smashed his 400th career home run.

[patch]

I came across your story by accident 2days ago, and just wanted to say how good it is. I am really enjoying reading, and you choose a really good name for the main character, thank you
Patrick O'farrell age 13

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by patch

I came across your story by accident 2days ago, and just wanted to say how good it is. I am really enjoying reading, and you choose a really good name for the main character, thank you
Patrick O'farrell age 13

How did you find this thread? Did you Google your name?

[Astros33Resurrected]

Thanks for condensing the story like that.

[patch]

you guessed right

[Vris]

Originally Posted by patch

I came across your story by accident 2days ago, and just wanted to say how good it is. I am really enjoying reading, and you choose a really good name for the main character, thank you
Patrick O'farrell age 13

Now that's hilarity!

[patch]

just wanted to know what i might be famous for!

[Vris]

Originally Posted by patch

just wanted to know what i might be famous for!

This Pat O'Farrell is one of the greatest fictional baseball players ever, just in terms of his story.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by patch

I came across your story by accident 2days ago, and just wanted to say how good it is. I am really enjoying reading, and you choose a really good name for the main character, thank you
Patrick O'farrell age 13

Thanks, Patrick. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

I chose the name Patrick O'Farrell because it's the name of a real ancestor of mine. He came from Ireland to Canada in the 1840s.

Your parents chose a good name for you, too.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Vris

This Pat O'Farrell is one of the greatest fictional baseball players ever, just in terms of his story.

Thanks very much, Vris. I know I've had an incredible amount of fun creating him and writing about him, and I'm glad other people have enjoyed his story, too.