The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Big Six]

Baseball Magazine, November 1914

A SERIES TO REMEMBER, GAME BY GAME
O'Farrell's Thirteen Hits Pace Red Sox' Series Defense

For several years now, the Boston Red Sox have been the class of the American League, if not all of baseball. Winners of five pennants in the past six years and a trio of World Series championships, the club has been blessed with a cavalcade of star players with names all fans of the sport recognize: Wood and Pruiett, Speaker and Konetchy.

Throughout this long run of success, no player has, however, starred more brightly than the team’s second baseman, Patrick O’Farrell. Pat’s Massachusetts roots and Irish heritage have made him the darling of the Boston rooters, and with good reason. His batting marks have consistently soared high above the .300 level, he slugs for extra bases, and he runs the bases with the speed of a nor’easter. Without his fine work, it is difficult to believe that the Sox would not have won so often.

O’Farrell, however, has had one Achilles heel: he has never seemed to play as well in the pinches, when his teams needed his contributions most. With the exception of the 1910 Series, when he hit .346, his bat has been strangely silent in post-season play. The fact that his best performance came in the one Series that his Red Sox failed to win has also provided ammunition for O’Farrell’s critics.

The recently completed Series, however, should be enough to silence these complaints. This year, the Irishman’s booming bat produced hit after hit and run after run, and powered his club to the World’s Championship.

The first game, which the Reds won 5-2, saw O’Farrell face his long-time nemesis, Roy Hitt. Pat reached base twice, working Hitt for a base on balls in the first inning, and sending a ball screaming over the right field fence in the fourth.

The next day, the Red Sox faced Jean Dubuc. Pat reached on a fielder’s choice in the first inning, while Harry Hooper moved over to third. Not surprisingly, Pat took off for second right away, and when catcher Tommy Clarke’s peg sailed into center field, Hooper raced across the plate. Clarke later said, “I shouldn’t have thrown the ball at all. O’Farrell is a tough man to throw out, and a perfect shot might not have done it.” Pat later ripped a single to left center, and came in to score on a ground ball by Walter Thomas. O’Farrell, with his bat and his legs, played a role in two of the four runs the Bostons scored that day, as they evened the Series with a 4-3 triumph behind Chuck Rose.

The teams moved to Boston for the third game, and the Reds’ masterful twirler, Del Mason, pitched one of the finer games of his career. O’Farrell managed only one hit, and his teammates reached Del for only five more. The Reds won this one, 3-1, to take the lead in the Series. Tex Pruiett, the hero of the playoff against the Tigers, took the loss for the Bostons, although he pitched better than he had in the pennant-clincher.

The fourth game will be remembered, as long as baseball is played, as a classic duel between two pitchers at the tops of their games. Joe Wood and Roy Hitt each demonstrated why they are on every rooter’s list of the finest moundsmen of all, and on this day Wood was just that much better. Smoky Joe allowed the powerful Cincinnatis only five hits, all of the one base variety. Perhaps even more impressively, he failed to walk a single batter, while striking out ten. “I’ve never seen Wood pitch a more commanding game,” his manager, Jimmy Collins, said. Wood’s catcher, Bill Peterson, agreed. “I could have caught Joe in a rocking chair today,” he said with a smile. “I put my mitt out and Joe just breezed the ball right into it.”

Hitt’s only bobble came in the fifth stanza, when with Ray Jansen on third base and Tris Speaker on first, O’Farrell bounced a ground ball to third. Eddie Tiemeyer’s only play was a force on Speaker, as Jansen plated the game’s only run.

Before driving in what amounted to the game-winning tally, O’Farrell had already singled twice, and had stolen another base. “I’ve had my share of success against O’Farrell, more than most pitchers have. Today he evened things up some, for sure, ” Hitt commented after the game.

As the rooters arrived at Fenway Park for the fifth game, the buzz from Wood’s gem still circling about the place, they watched Ralph Glaze warming up to pitch. With about five minutes before the opening gong, however, the buzz became a roar, as the familiar figure of Christy Mathewson strode onto the field. Matty, who had left a game with an aching arm during the heat of the pennant fight against the Tigers and had been believed to be unavailable for the Series, had been warming up with Bill Carrigan in an undisclosed location.

Mathewson, who this season won the three hundredth game of his illustrious career, wasn’t his sharpest that day, allowing a barrage of five runs in the fifth inning. However, the Red Sox, led by O’Farrell, broke out their bats in even finer fashion, and Matty held on for a 7-6 victory.

The Reds suffered an even heavier blow in the second inning. Their young mound star, Jean Dubuc, grabbed his elbow after throwing one pitch. That pitch, to make matters worse, was clubbed by Pat O’Farrell into the right field corner, and Pat slid into third in a cloud of dust to the wild cheers of the Boston faithful. When Ed Konetchy lifted a fly to center field, O’Farrell scored without a throw, tying the score at one run apiece.

Before the day was over, the Reds would hear from Pat again. In the next inning, with Matty on second and Chet Chadbourne on first, O’Farrell hit safely to center field, and Matty, running on the pitch, scored the run that put the Bostons ahead, 2-1.

In the fifth, Pat came to the plate again with one man out and the bases empty. He bounced one through the middle for his third hit of the afternoon, moved up a base when Peterson walked, and then trotted home as Big Ed Konetchy mashed a ball over the right-center field wall.

When the Sox came to bat in the sixth inning, the Reds had pummeled Matty and retaken the lead, 6-5. Chadbourne greeted new pitcher Ted Cantwell with a single, but Cantwell rallied to force Speaker to fly gently to left. That brought O’Farrell to the plate. Pat drilled a breaking ball by Cantwell deep into the right field corner, and when it kicked away from Mike Mitchell, the Sox runners tore around the sacks. An ovation that rocked the foundations of Fenway Park greeted O’Farrell as he stood atop third base, brushing the dirt from his flannels, and doffing his cap. “I have never had a prouder moment in baseball,” Pat said with a grin after the game.

O’Farrell would bat once more, hitting a ground ball that Cincinnati shortstop Tex McDonald misplayed. On the day, Pat made four hits, including two three-baggers, in five trips to the plate, reaching base every time he picked up the lumber. He drove in two runs and scored three more. The press unanimously chose him as the player of the game for his efforts.

Had the sixth game been a mundane affair, the 1914 Series would have gone down as perhaps the most exciting that has ever been played. The drama of the deciding contest removes all doubt from that assertion.

Chuck Rose, well rested after not having pitched since the second game, took the mound for Boston, while Del Mason worked for Cincinnati. The day of travel required for the teams to ride the rails back to the Queen City gave Mason the opportunity to pitch with his normal three days’ respite.

Neither pitcher was sharp in the early going. Harry Hooper led off the game for the American League champions with a single, and Chadbourne forced him at second. After Speaker flied out to center, Chadbourne swiped second, putting him in scoring position for O’Farrell. Pat responded with a solid single, and Chadbourne, running all the way, scored easily.

In the third inning, the Sox silenced the big Cincinnati crowd as they scored four more times. Chadbourne tripled hard to center, and Speaker’s grounder to McDonald at short sent him home. O’Farrell then pounded a double into the left-center field gap, and when Eddie Tiemeyer turned a routine ground ball to third by Peterson into an adventure by throwing the ball into the dugout, O’Farrell trotted down the third base line and gently placed his paw upon the plate. A Konetchy double and a Walter Thomas single produced two more scores before Mason finally retired the side.

Again, the Reds fought back, scoring twice in their half of the inning to make the score 5-3. But the top of the Boston order was due to bat in the fourth; if one man reached, then the Reds would have to contend with O’Farrell again.

By the time Pat took up the willow, the Red Sox had already scored a run, courtesy of a single by Hooper, a lovely bunt by Chadbourne, and a neat single by Speaker, whose powerful bat had largely been silent during the Series. O’Farrell’s single, then—his sixth hit in his last seven times to the plate and his seventh consecutive time aboard the bases—did nothing more than move Speaker up ninety feet. Then Tris and Pat, who between them stole a total of 138 sacks during league play, swiped two more. The next batter, Konetchy, hit a bullet to the left of second that looked like a sure hit…until McDonald leaped and snagged it.

Tex’s fielding gem, as brilliant as it seemed at the time, turned out to be even more of a sparkler as things turned out. The scoreboard operator had no use for any digit besides the zero for quite some time. Even Pat O’Farrell couldn’t change this fact, as Mason finally retired him on a standard issue ground ball to shortstop in the sixth.

The Reds rooters, to their credit, never lost faith in their boys, even as Rose continued to retire the side, inning after inning. The crowd rose to its feet as the Reds trotted back to the dugout for the bottom of the ninth inning, and remained there even as Ed Burns struck out on a fine fastball from Rose.

A lusty cheer rose up as Mason helped his own cause with a single. Pinch hitter Ed Coulson grabbed a bat and came to the plate, and promptly ripped a triple to right that scored Mason. Dick Egan’s single chased across Coulson, and Mitchell’s single brought Egan around to third with the tying run.

At this point, Boston manager Collins faced a difficult decision. Joe Wood, who would start the seventh game of the Series if one was required, was loosening his arm…should Collins call on him to put out the fire and, perhaps, keep the seventh game from ever becoming reality?

Collins visited the hill to talk with Rose, and Chuck assured the manager he had enough left to end the inning. He did induce a ground ball to shortstop from Terry Turner, but Thomas’s only play was to first, and as the ball landed in Konetchy’s big mitt, Egan tied the score. Rose wiped his brow, kicked the dirt with his spikes, and bore down to face Tiemeyer. One more ground ball, and the game went into extra innings.

Mason might not have had to work the tenth inning had Jean Dubuc not been injured, but with the Reds bullpen having resembled nothing more than a sieve thus far, Mason was called upon to face the foe once more. He battled with all he had, but he was now leaving pitches where batters could hit them hard. Walter Thomas, perhaps the lightest hitter in the Boston lineup, tripled with one out, and a long fly ball by Ray Jansen gave the Red Sox the lead and caused a pall of silence to fall over Redland Field.

The rooters then rose to their feet again in an attempt to rally the Reds one more time, but Rose, given new life, retired the side in order. As the Red Sox gathered in celebration on the field, the crowd saluted the hometown Reds, champions of the National League, who had fought a good fight to the end.

This Series provided almost endless excitement to all who followed it. The stalwart twirling of Hitt and Wood, the tenacity of Mason and Rose, and the triumphant return of Mathewson all captured the attention of the baseball world, and all will be remembered long after the fans who saw it are long gone.

This Series will also, however, be remembered as the one in which Pat O’Farrell finally displayed the full measure of his talents on the biggest, brightest stage of all. He hit safely in all six contests, and mashed nine hits in the final three games, all of which the Bostons won. For the Series, he had 13 hits in 24 times at bat, including a double, three triples, and a home run. O’Farrell also stole three bases, drove in five runs, and scored eight times himself. In a Series marked by outstanding performances by several of the game’s most outstanding stars, O’Farrell’s work, more than any other thing, made the difference in the Red Sox’ successful defense of their World’s Championship.

[Big Six]

Here's Pat's career batting record:

Year    G   AB    H  2B  3B HR  RBI    R   BB    K  SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
1907   14   53   10   3   0  0    2    3    3   12   0  0 .189 .232 .245  .477 BOS,AL 
1908  136  538  151  31  14  2   66   63   44  111  27  7 .281 .335 .401  .737 BOS,AL 
1909  146  550  167  30  32  2   54   84   69   63  36  6 .304 .381 .485  .867 BOS,AL 
1910  147  536  171  30  16  7   84  105   94   93  57 14 .319 .421 .474  .895 BOS,AL 
1911  129  465  171  34  11  7   93  104   97   74  58 14 .368 .477 .533 1.010 BOS,AL 
1912  130  480  173  33  18  6   85  104   99   79  70 12 .360 .470 .542 1.011 BOS,AL 
1913  147  529  178  34  15  7  103  122  106   95  55  9 .336 .447 .497  .944 BOS,AL 
1914  150  549  206  29  10  9  118  121  106   77  71 17 .375 .471 .514  .985 BOS,AL 
Total 999 3700 1227 224 116 40  605  706  618  604 374 79 .332 .427 .487  .915

Pat is beginning to establish a presence on the career leader boards...next, a look at how he ranks among the game's legends.

[Big Six]

84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

Miss Emily O'Farrell
227 Elm Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

December 9, 1914


Dear Emily,

I promised you I would write to you as soon as I could, and this is the very first opportunity I have had. The past two months have been a veritable whirlwind of activity, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I find it almost amazing that getting thirteen hits in a World Series would suddenly make me so intriguing to a lot of people who never paid the least bit of attention to me in the past!

I have been receiving many more offers from companies to endorse their products. Some of them I dismiss immediately; some I let Dad take a look at from a legal perspective. I received some good advice from Christy Mathewson about never accepting an offer to help sell a product I wouldn't buy or use myself. I don't use tobacco, so I have told the tobacco companies no, and while I do enjoy a cold mug of beer from time to time, I won't endorse whiskey because I don't drink it. You might see a Cream of Wheat advertisement featuring Elizabeth in the near future, however; the company contacted me this week about using our family in some "ads" that will appear in the Boston papers. I am sure Elizabeth will soon become a more popular character than her father.

Speaking of our family, the doctor says that Sarah is doing very well. The birth should occur around the beginning of February. I know Sarah would prefer it happen sooner. We both hope you will be able to make it to Boston for the delivery this time. And, of course, we will be traveling back to Stockbridge for Christmas. Sarah doesn't think a short train trip like that will be a problem, so you should expect us on the 20th.

To answer your last question, I'm not sure why Joe hasn't written to you lately. I haven't heard from him since he went back to Kansas after the Series celebrations ended, either. I should write to him again, or send him a telegram, and make sure he is doing well. I am sure he has been just as busy as I have, as he is treated like a conquering hero every time he returns home after a season, as he should be after the success he has enjoyed.

I will close this letter now, as Sarah and I are preparing to go to the theater tonight. A few of the boys have signed to do a little vaudeville themselves, but I can't see myself on the stage, can you? The quartet is about as much "performing" as I can handle. Bill Peterson and Chuck Rose, on the other hand, are quite good as a comedy team. In fact, they are on the bill tonight, which is why we are taking in this particular show.

I will write to you again when I have more news to share. Tell Mom and Dad I will write to them as well, and send them my love.

Your loving brother,
Pat

[Big Six]

As the 1914 season comes to a close, Pat has begun to establish a presence on the career leader boards.

Batting Average
(at least 2000 AB)

   PLAYER	   AVG 
1  T. Cobb* 	  .360 
2  J. Jackson* 	  .352 
3  W. Keeler 	  .350 
4  H. Wagner 	  .343 
5  T. Shafer* 	  .342 
6  N. Lajoie 	  .335 
7  T. Easterly*   .335 
8  P. O'Farrell*  .332 
9  G. Beaumont*   .327 
10  D. Miller* 	  .326 
11  G. Stone* 	  .326 
12  F. Clarke 	  .324 
13  T. Speaker*   .323 
14  D. Miller*    .320 
15  D. Gainer*    .319 
16  E. Tiemeyer*  .318 
17  F. Osborn* 	  .317 
18  C. Seymour 	  .315 
19  G. Moriarty*  .314 
20  M. Mitchell*  .314

Besides posting a career average that ranks him among the greatest hitters of all time, Tillie Shafer of the Giants is also stealing bases at an almost frightening pace. Shafer broke the century mark in that category in 1914, finishing the season with 101 steals.

O'Farrell and Speaker should be at their peaks, and both of them might move up the rankings some in the next few years before their almost inevitable declines. Cobb and Jackson, also under 30, should also slip some, which might leave Wee Willie as the all-time average king.

Pat's World Series rival Eddie Tiemeyer slides in at #16, and George Moriarty, who edged Pat for the batting crown by a whisker in '10, appears here, too.

O'Farrell also appears among the all-time leaders in bases on balls (24th all-time) and stolen bases (22nd.)

The all-time leaders in each category follow...

		Career Leader		Active Leader (rank) 
Hits 		W. Keeler 	3115 	G. Beaumont* 	2668 (7)
Home Runs 	S. Crawford* 	 100  	S. Crawford
RBI 		J. Beckley 	1568 	S. Crawford* 	1372 (6)
Doubles  	N. Lajoie 	 566 	S. Crawford* 	 420 (5)
Triples  	J. Beckley 	 243   	S. Crawford* 	 233 (2)
Walks 		R. Thomas 	1132  	S. Strang* 	1126 (2)
Runs  		W. Keeler 	1764 	G. Beaumont* 	1407 (7)
Stolen Bases  	H. Wagner 	 658  	T. Cobb* 	 498 (7)

ERA  		R. Waddell 	2.33 	M. Brown* 	2.43 (2)
Wins  		C. Young 	 441  	C. Mathewson* 	 304 (2)
Strikeouts  	C. Mathewson* 	2552 	C. Mathewson
Saves  		B. Sincock* 	  39 	B. Sincock
Complete Games 	C. Young 	 641 	C. Mathewson* 	 427 (3)
Shutouts  	C. Young 	  62  	C. Mathewson* 	  57 (2)

[Big Six]

1703 Bremen Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri

January 19, 1915


Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
c/o Boston American League Base Ball Club
Boston, Massachusetts

Dear Mr. O'Farrell,

I wanted to write to you to personally congratulate you on your outstanding 1914 season. Your performance in the World Series against Cincinnati was, in my opinion, the finest yet recorded in the annals of the championship, and should be a source of pride to all of us who are connected to the American League.

It seems like only yesterday that we were breaking in to professional ball together, back in the Virginia League. I must admit I consider it to be a true honor to have thrown you out while attempting to steal when I was behind the plate for Petersburg. I was perusing some old newspaper clippings from that '06 season, and I was struck by how few of us have remained in base ball. By my reckoning, it is only Bill Carrigan, you, and I. I often wonder what happened to some of the other fellows. Do you ever hear from any of them?

Again, please accept my congratulations on your outstanding season, and my best wishes for good health and happiness this off-season.

Sincerely,
Branch Rickey


(Note: Branch Rickey never made it to the major leagues as a player, hanging up his catcher's gear after batting .221-2-34 with the Browns' AAA affiliate.)

[Big Six]

FRANCIS O'FARRELL
227 ELM ST
STOCKBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS

YOU HAVE A GRANDSON STOP
MICHAEL JOSEPH O'FARRELL STOP
BORN FEBRUARY 2 3 17 AM STOP
7 LBS 8 OZ STOP
SARAH AND MICHAEL DOING FINE STOP

[Big Six]

The Sporting News, June 1, 1915

(From the Red Sox team report)

The defending World's Champions have thus far shown no indication that they will surrender their title anytime soon.

Jimmy Collins' Red Sox have won 39 contests and lost only fourteen times, and have opened up a lead of ten full games over the Detroit club, which forced a playoff game with them to settle the pennant race last September.

The Boston club has no real weakness. The pitching staff is led by the phenomenal Joe Wood, who has been even more dominant this year than last. "Smoky Joe" has won thirteen of fourteen decisions, and might have a chance to break his own record for batters struck out in a season. Joe was recently named Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive time.

The rest of the Sox' Big Four, who each won over 20 games last year, are agan pitching well. Chuck Rose, Tex Pruiett, and all-time great Christy Mathewson have each won eight games.

The Red Sox have been just as effective at bat. 1914's American League Batter of the Year, Tris Speaker, is pounding the pill to a .416 mark, second only to Moriarty of New York. Tris also ranks among the league's best in runs scored, runs batted in, doubles, and stolen bases.

As usual, pitchers can't afford to work Speaker too finely, because the man hitting behind him, Pat O'Farrell, is also swinging a potent stick. O'Farrell's batting average is down some at .330, but he customarily heats up with the Boston summer. Pat does, however, occupy his customary places high in the rankings of base stealers and run scorers, and has drawn a dozen more bases on balls than anyone else in the American League...


MINOR LEAGUE NOTES:
AAA: Providence's George "Babe" Ruth has been appearing less and less often on the pitcher's mound, and much more often in the outfield of late. Ruth, 20, is batting only .240 with one home run and 12 runs batted in, but he is playing in very fast competition for a boy his age.

One scout remarked, "As a hitter, the only prospect I've seen I would rate higher is Hornsby of the Cardinals. He's a little younger, but then again, he's playing two levels lower than Ruth. As a pitcher, there are probably 40 guys I'd rather have right now than Ruth." It is yet to be seen how the Red Sox will finally decide to utilize this talented player.

(Note: Hornsby ranks #11 on the Top 100 Prospects list, with Ruth at #27 when considered as a hitter. Move Ruth to the mound, and he drops to #50.

The top-ranked prospect is pitcher Red Oldham of the Tigers. Oldham, 21, is 10-0, with an 0.85 ERA and a BB/K ratio of 9/95 in 74 innings at AAA.)

[Big Six]

Standings of the Clubs
June 28, 1915

American League	 W  L  PCT   GB
Boston  	55 22 .714    - 
Detroit 	42 35 .545 13.0 
Philadelphia  	41 36 .532 14.0 
Chicago  	35 42 .455 20.0  
New York  	34 43 .442 21.0  
St. Louis  	34 43 .442 21.0  
Washington 	34 43 .442 21.0  
Cleveland 	33 44 .429 22.0  


National League  W  L  PCT   GB
New York  	48 29 .623   -  
Cincinnati 	47 30 .610  1.0 
Pittsburgh 	46 31 .597  2.0  
Boston  	42 35 .545  6.0  
St. Louis  	39 38 .506  9.0 
Philadelphia 	36 41 .468 12.0 
Brooklyn 	25 52 .325 23.0  
Chicago  	25 52 .325 23.0

If you like pennant races, it looks like you'll have to devote your attention to the National League. The Reds and Giants have been passing the lead back and forth for a month; neither team has been more than two games ahead. The Pirates have won 8 of their last 10, and have made it a three-team race.

Will the Reds' stellar staff (Hitt and Mason have won 25 games between them) be able to deliver another pennant to the rooters of Cincinnati?

The Red Sox have been too much for the American League to handle so far. Detroit got as close as 7 games back two weeks ago, but Boston then reeled off 9 in a row and opened the lead back up again.

[TwinsFan86]

Very cool read. I agree it would make a great movie. Can't wait to hear more about Pat.

Will we be hearing about his son Michael as ballplayer in a few years, or will Michael choose a different career path?

[texranger]

Just found this thread...Simply oustanding!

If you do decide to write a book on baseball history (or fiction), you've got at least one buyer here. Keep up the this GREAT story!!

Roj

[Big Six]

Thanks, TwinsFan and Roj!

I'm not really sure about Michael yet. I flipped "tails" this time, which meant the O'Farrell's baby was a boy.

I'm having so much fun with this, however, that I think it's likely that before long, Pat will be playing catch with his son, and we'll see where it goes from there...

Thanks again for following the story!

[Big Six]

Just a quick update to inform everybody that Pat's story hasn't been forgotten. Real life (read: work) has been getting in the way too much lately!

Thanks again to all of you who have been following the story; I hope you'll pick it back up again now that the latest interruption has ended!

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, June 29, 1915

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER FILLED WITH RED SOX
Five Boston Players to Start Today's Game

ST. LOUIS--The Boston Red Sox have clearly established themselves as the team to beat in the American League thus far this season, winning seven of every ten games they play and opening up a sizeable lead over the other clubs.

Perhaps, then, it is not surprising that the line-up for today's All-Star game, to be played in St. Louis this afternoon, should bear a striking resemblance to Boston manager Jimmy Collins' everyday batting order.

Perennial mid-summer heroes such as outfielder Tris Speaker and second baseman Pat O'Farrell have been joined by first sacker Ed Konetchy and catcher Bob Peterson. The Sox contingent will be, not surprisingly, topped off by starting pitcher Joe Wood. Smoky Joe has unrolled one of the best half-seasons in the history of the game, and has already won eighteen games against only two defeats. Wood has completed each of the twenty games he has started, a feat that has been almost unheard of since the first years of the century. He has also been striking out batsmen at his typical rate, sending 217 of them back to the bench without making fair contact.

Speaker heads the American League batting list at .382, while O'Farrell stands fourth at .349. Pat's 70 walks boost his on-base percentage to a stellar .489, almost sixty points higher than his closest competitor, teammate Speaker. The fleet Irishman has also stolen 52 bases, swiping sacks at a pace that might put him over the century mark by season's end.

Konetchy leads the major leagues in RBI with 67, while Peterson has amassed a .310 batting mark, 44 RBI, and 51 bases on balls. Collins, who will handle the managerial chores for the American League by virtue of the Bostons' 1914 pennant, has announced that he will place Speaker, O'Farrell, Peterson, and Konetchy in the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh spots in the batting order, respectively.

Two other Red Sox moundsmen, Christy Mathewson and Tex Pruiett, are members of the American League squad, and should see action in today's game.


(The AL won the game, 3-2, with Wood pitching three scoreless innings to pick up the win. Del Mason started for the NL, allowing two runs and taking the loss.

O'Farrell scored the game's first run, as he led off the second inning with a double down the right field line. Peterson followed with a sharp single into the leftcenterfield gap. Bob Bescher's throw was too late to nail Pat at the plate.

Mason got the better of Pat in the next inning, striking him out and stranding Speaker at third. In the sixth, Pat drew a base on balls from Jeff Tesreau, and he left the game in the top of the seventh.

Mathewson pitched one scoreless inning, while Pruiett allowed the senior circuit's two runs, on five hits, in his one-inning stint on the mound.)

[Big Six]

227 Elm Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts


Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

July 6, 1915


Dear Pat.

This will be a very quick letter, as I would like very much for it to get to you as rapidly as possible, and the mail carrier should be arriving shortly.

I read in yesterday's paper that Joe Wood was placed on the disabled list with "an inflamed elbow." This sounds serious, and the lack of detailed information seemed particularly ominous. I am aware that an injury to a pitcher's elbow can be severe, and I hope that this is not the case with Joe.

I suppose that, as his teammate and friend, you might have more information concerning his condition than that to which we "fans" are privy. Will you please tell me how he is doing?

As observant as you are, you no doubt notice that I addressed him above as "Joe," rather than as "Mr. Wood." I also suppose that you are aware that he has been writing to me rather regularly this spring. I will confess, then, that my concern for his well-being goes somewhat beyond that of a "fan."

The letter carrier approaches, so that is all I can write for now. All here are fine, and hoping you, Sarah, and the children are the same.

Fondly, your sister,
Emily

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, August 1, 1915

PENNANT RACE NOT OVER YET
Surging Tigers Win Nine Straight Games
Alexander Obtained From Phillies

BOSTON- The American League pennant fight, which a month ago seemed nonexistent, has lately become much more interesting. And, the club whose emergence has made it so will be easy to guess for any rooter who has followed the Red Sox over the past few seasons. It is the very team whose pep and fight have made recent Septembers so exciting as they have battled the Bostons to the wire.

The Detroit Tigers have unsheathed their claws and begun to rip apart the league, snarling their way to nine consecutive victories. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have cooled their once-torrid pace somewhat, playing .500 baseball for the past couple of weeks. Consequently the Tigers have closed the gap between themselves and the Red Sox to six games, the closest it has been since the middle of May.

Today, the Tigers served notice that they are serious about making a run at the Red Sox. Detroit announced that they have acquired star pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander from Philadelphia of the National League. In return, young first baseman "Tioga" George Burns and minor league pitcher Lou North have been shipped to the Phillies.

"Pete" Alexander was leading the National League in earned run average at 1.70, and had a 16-4 record. His acquisition solidifies the one area in which the Tigers seemed to match up poorly with the Red Sox.

Burns, only 22, had been tearing the cover off the ball in limited play in Philadelphia, smacking 22 hits in 51 times up. North, aged 24, was recently promoted to Class AAA for the first time, after having been treated roughly by hitters at lower levels for the better part of three seasons.

"Unless Burns and North both emerge as stars, it looks like the Tigers got the best of this deal," Red Sox manager Jimmy Collins said. "Alexander was one of the best pitchers in the other league, and he will be the same in ours."

[Big Six]

Standings of the Clubs, August 31, 1915

AMERICAN LEAGUE W  L   PCT   GB
Boston        	91 41 .689    -  
Detroit 	81 51 .614 10.0 
Philadelphia  	66 66 .500 25.0 
Cleveland 	62 70 .470 29.0 
Washington 	61 71 .462 30.0 
New York  	60 72 .455 31.0  
Chicago  	57 75 .432 34.0 
St. Louis  	50 82 .379 41.0 

NATIONAL LEAGUE	W  L   PCT   GB
New York  	85 47 .644   -  
Cincinnati 	82 50 .621  3.0  
Pittsburgh 	73 59 .553 12.0 
Boston  	69 63 .523 16.0 
St. Louis  	66 66 .500 19.0  
Philadelphia  	58 74 .439 27.0  
Chicago  	49 83 .371 36.0  
Brooklyn 	46 86 .348 39.0

The Alexander trade, thus far, doesn't seem to have helped the Tigers as much as a trade for another dude named Alexander helped the "real" Detroiters 72 years later.

Then again, the "real" Tigers gave up this fella named Smoltz, who turned out to be a pretty good pitcher...

And look who's right on the Giants' heels in the National League? The "Big Three" of Mason, Hitt and Dubuc have the Reds right back in the race, with 57 wins between them.

The Red Sox will likely have FOUR pitchers with over 20 wins. Wood (26) and Pruiett (20) are already there, and Mathewson and Rose have 19 each.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 16, 1915

RED SOX CLINCH PENNANT!
Boston Wins, While Tigers Lose


CLEVELAND--The game was a sloppy one, a wild affair that hardly befit the Red Sox' status as a champion, but when the dust cleared, the Boston club had put a dozen runs on the board, while allowing the Cleveland Naps only ten. Thus did the Red Sox clinch the 1915 pennant. Collins' Speed Boys now wait to see whether their opponents will be the current National League pacesetters, the New York Giants, or their perennial World Series foe, the Cincinnati Reds.

Chuck Rose was not at his best, allowing the Naps to score four times in the final half-inning of the game. Fortunately, his teammates had scored five times in their previous time at bat. A prior five-run outburst from the Clevelanders' clubs had already been answered by a similar Boston barrage, and the Sox added a less impressive two-run output for good measure.

The hitting star for Boston was shortstop Walter Thomas, who knocked in four runs, giving him a seasons' total of 92. "Tiny" hit higher in the order than is customarily the case, as Collins rested a few of his regulars and gave men such as George Whiteman and Bill Carrigan a day's work...

Carrigan has responded whenever Collins has called upon him this year. Rough Bill has spelled both catcher Bob Peterson and first baseman Ed Konetchy, and has pelted the pill at a .317 pace. This makes the third consecutive season in which Carrigan has nosed his batting average above the .300 level, and his total of 17 runs batted in, accumulated in only 133 at bats, speaks loudly of his productivity.

Collins knows that Carrigan, who broke in with the Sox in '08, can be relied upon in any situation. "Bill would be the starter on almost any club in the major leagues," he stated.

"I would rather be here in Boston, close to home," the Holy Cross-educated backstop added. "I wouldn't trade the pennants and World Series I have had a chance to help win here for a regular job on any other club."

[boblight24]

601 Delancey Street
Boston, Massachusetts


Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
c/o Boston Red Sox
American League Baseball Club

Dear Mr. O'Farrell,

I feel somewhat awkward for writing you this note, but I feel it is something that must be done. I have long since been an admirer of yours since your days in Richmond. I have followed your career closely and try to make it to a game here in Boston when I can. You have truly been an inspiration to all of New England and I'm sure the enitre country. You are an amazing and gifted young man as well as a true gentleman, both on and off the field. My son, Jacob, has just turned seven this past fall and wants to emulate his idol, you. I can think of no one else I would rather him look up to than a man such as yourself. Thank you again for taking time out of your schedule to read this note and best of luck to you and the rest of the team in the upcoming season.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Nance

[Big Six]

84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

Mr. Robert C. Nance
601 Delancey Street
Boston, Massachusetts

September 19, 1915

Dear Mr. Nance,

First, I would like very much to thank you for your kind letter of the 16th, which I received when I returned from our trip to Cleveland. The support the fans of Boston have given us, both this season and throughout my years with the Red Sox, has truly been an inspiration, and it is gratifying to read that my teammates and I have provided you and your son with some measure of enjoyment in return.

I would like to extend an invitation to you and Jacob to meet me at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. If you would like to do so, simply inform me concerning the date of your visit, and I shall pass the word along to the clubhouse attendant, Mr. Thomas Cullen. Mr. Cullen will then allow you to visit the clubhouse as an invited guest of the Red Sox.

I will also see to it that tickets to the game are made available for the two of you, again, as guests of the club.

If this would be agreeable with you, please reply and I shall make the arrangements.

Like Jacob, as a boy I dreamed of one day playing ball like my idols; in my case, Bobby Lowe and Hugh Duffy of the old Red Stockings. Your letter has brought back many fond memories, and for that I thank you once again.

Sincerely,

Patrick J. O'Farrell
Boston Red Sox American League Base Ball Club

[boblight24]

601 Delancey Street
Boston, Massachusetts


Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
84 Westland Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

September 24, 1915


Mr O'Farrell,

I cannot begin to express my gratitude about receiving your letter. I am somewhat aware of the hectic schedules that professional ballplayers must follow and for you to take the time to respond to my note speaks volumes about your character as a gentleman. I was fully prepared to decline your more than generous offer to attend a game here in Boston as your guest as I feared our attendance may be an unneeded distraction. That was until I read your letter to Jacob. The look in his eyes when he heard that we could attend a Red Sox game and meet you would not permit me to decline. So we graciously accept your offer. The next time the ball club plays here in Boston we would be honored to sit in the stands and root for our favorite team. Thank you again for your kind offer and for your response to my note. Best of luck to you and the team in your upcoming contests and I look forward to shaking the hand of my son's hero.

Sincerely,

Robert C Nance
and Jacob