The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Big Six]

148 Cherry Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

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

October 8, 1928

Dear Roy,

Thank you for your kind letter of the 4th. The mailman has been kept busy with congratulatory correspondence for me, as you guessed, but your letter has been one of the most welcome of all. I am glad to hear that you, your lovely wife Ella, and your handsome sons are doing well. Thank you very much for the photograph of your family.

I am flattered that you wanted me to relate to you my perceptions of my final game as a major league baseball player; not only because you know from your own experience how emotional that experience can be, but also because it is obvious that your request comes out of respect and friendship, which I assure you I return.

The day of the game was very overcast, and while Joe Wood, who started the game for us, was warming up, a soft rain began to fall. Nevertheless, the crowd was the largest I have ever seen at Fenway Park; there seemed to be a man, woman, or child in every possible place a person could sit or stand. When I walked out onto the field to warm up, I was greeted with the warmest ovation I have ever heard, and I felt my eyes fill with tears as I waved my cap to the crowd. At that point I was unsure of my ability to play a game of ball, such was the depth of my emotion. I knew when it finally dawned on me that today was my final day as a player, it would hit me hard, but I was still unprepared for my own reaction.

The first three innings were played in an increasingly heavy shower, and eventually the umpires were forced to halt play for about an hour. I was surprised that both Joe and the Pittsburgh pitcher, Carmen Hill, were able to return to the mound after the lengthy delay.

By then, the score was 2-2, both teams scoring in the first inning. Paul Waner, who is one of the finest young hitters I have ever seen, drove in one of their runs, and Maranville had the other. Ours scored on a pretty home run by Frisch, after Moose Haas made a dandy throw to get Judy Johnson as he tried to score on a double by Gehrig.

When the rain finally started, Bill Carrigan told us to jump on Hill quickly, since he might be a bit less sharp after the delay. As usual, Bill was right; Carmen made a few pitches he would probably like to take back, especially one to Frisch that Frankie knocked off the center field wall for a two-run triple. Frankie scored on a fly ball by O’Doul and we had a 5-2 lead.

Meanwhile, Joe had been keeping his arm loose, and when he came back out to the mound, he told me, “Thank you…that’s all you boys needed to give me.” He winked and grinned, as I have seen him do so many times, and that was when I figured we would win the game, and the Series. Joe was absolutely right; the Pirates did not score another run!

We did a bit more hitting ourselves, and scored twice in the fifth inning and twice again in the seventh. Frisch certainly had the hoodoo on Hill today, and I am surprised that Carmen pitched to him in the fifth with first base open. He did, however, and Frank hit his second home run of the game to make it 7-2. Frisch drove in one of the runs in the seventh inning as well, on a sacrifice fly. Yes, you are counting correctly; Frank knocked in seven runs, which I believe is the most one man has ever driven in during a World Series game.

I had walked in the second inning, but had nothing else to show for my day at the plate other than a long fly ball to right field that had a few of the kids screaming for a homer. When I came up to bat in the eighth inning, we had runners at first and second with nobody out. I believe everyone knew it would be my final plate appearance in the major leagues. From the moment I stepped toward the plate from the on-deck circle, the fans began to cheer, and by the time I reached the box, they were all on their feet. I stepped out and looked around at the grandstand, tipping my cap to the crowd and smiling, but they kept on cheering.

Finally I stepped into the box and looked out at Hill, but he simply touched the bill of his cap and held the ball in his hand. I almost wish the game had been close at that point, so Carmen would have felt like he needed to get down to business. I stepped back out and waved to the crowd again, which only made them cheer louder.

I later learned that the ovation lasted nearly five minutes, and again it brought tears to my eyes. When play finally began, I took a fastball outside from Hill and then swung at the next pitch. I hit a routine ground ball to third base; Joe Leonard gloved it, and stepped on the bag to force Johnny Bassler. A reporter told me later that I had grounded out in my first at-bat in the major leagues, too, so I suppose I have now come full circle! Joe was up next, and he hit the ball right back to Hill, who forced me at second. Joe beat the relay to first, and as I jogged off the field, the fans cheered again.

As I returned to the field for the top of the ninth inning, I remembered something Tris Speaker said to me: “Pat, when you know it’s your last inning as a player, don’t forget to look around and take it all in. You might have seen all those things a million times, but you’re never gonna see ‘em again, so make sure you appreciate them.” Like Tris, I was fortunate enough that my final inning came in Boston, in a World Series game. My wife, children, parents, and sister were in the grandstand, along with many of my friends; my brother-in-law was pitching; my best friend in baseball was managing from the dugout, and we were seven runs ahead. I could not compose a better script than that.

Joe got the Pirates out on two fly balls and a strikeout, and when that final pitch popped John Bassler’s mitt, the grandstand seemed to explode in cheers. I joined Joe and my teammates on the mound, celebrating our ninth World Series victory, and I must confess that the next several hours are a blur, with occasional, indistinct pictures that flash into my brain through the rest of the happy clutter. That evening, I enjoyed a quiet dinner at home with my family, and the next day we all participated in a parade through the heart of the city and a ceremony at Faneuil Hall.

I have been repeatedly asked two questions since the Series ended. First: is there any chance I will reconsider my decision to retire? I have told everyone the same thing. I am all through as an active player. By the end of the season, I could tell it was time to say goodbye. My legs and back ached after every game to the point that I could barely walk. I might have played fairly well in the first couple games of the Series, but by Games Four and Five I was hurting worse than ever. To put it simply, I can no longer help the Red Sox win the World Series, and that means I should retire.

Second: am I going to remain in the game in some capacity? Again, I have been giving everyone the same answer. I am going to spend this coming year at home with my family in Stockbridge. I have made plenty of money in the game, and I have saved and invested it wisely, I believe. I will have opportunities to earn a bit more giving speeches and that sort of thing, but I do not plan to travel outside New England to do that, at least not at first. I do not rule out a return to baseball at some point; I have been told I would make a fine coach or manager, and I do admit I have some interest in coaching. For now, however, I will be a family man, and I look forward to that more than anyone who hasn’t spent as much time in baseball as we have could ever know.

I fear I have gone on far too long, and if you are still reading this, Roy, I assure you this is the end of the letter. Again, I hope it finds you and your family in the best of health, and it comes to you with my best wishes for your continued success and happiness.

All the best, your barnstorming pal,
Pat

[Level]

a great story is one that makes the reader truly "feel" something and it certainly did that for me. i nearly teared up reading about pat's final game sitting at my desk avoiding work. its like the end of an era or like finishing a great book that you wish wasnt ending.

congratulations big six on what is, in my opinion, an awesome accomplishment.

now on with the rest of the story

[John P. Yuda]

Originally Posted by Level

a great story is one that makes the reader truly "feel" something and it certainly did that for me. i nearly teared up reading about pat's final game sitting at my desk avoiding work. its like the end of an era or like finishing a great book that you wish wasnt ending.

I can neither confirm nor deny that I had a similar reaction.

[DTF955]

That was awesme!

BigSix, glad you liked the link - I've done a few I really enjoyed, including if Bonds stays w/Pittsbhurgh & Cobb killing a fan in a brawl. I'm glad you like all of them.

I forgot to mention - though I did on the non OOTP board - about my being aactive and inventing baseball in the yahoo group SHWI-ISOT, a game where a group from a usetnet newsgrou devoted to alternate history go back to 1800 - we're at 1821 right now. It's lots of fun, so come check us out,a nds ee what I've done with the gaame so far :-)

[Tyke]

Absolutely phenomenal! Thanks, Big six.

[Big Six]

Thanks, guys. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story, because I certainly have enjoyed playing each season and writing for the forum. This year was a very stressful one for me at school--lots of tension--and three things helped me retain my sanity. I have a wonderful, supportive wife; I have incredible students; and I have enjoyable, relaxing hobbies like this one.

Pat's world can be a nice place to come hang out for a while when the real world starts to get to me. Thanks for hanging out here, too.

[Big Six]

Now that Pat has retired, we can take a look at his career totals in a number of ways. I thought I'd begin by updating his Black Ink and Grey Ink totals.

Here's the link to an explanation of how the metrics I'll be using here to evaluate Pat's career work: Hall of Fame Metrics

For each of the categories listed below, the years in which Pat finished in the American League's top ten hitters have been listed. If Pat led the league, the year is listed in bold face.

Home Runs: 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
RBI: 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26
Batting Average: 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26

Pat receives four points on the Black Ink scale for his two home run titles and his batting crown, and four points are added to his Grey Ink score for the other top-ten finishes in the Triple Crown categories.

Black Ink Total: 12 points
Grey Ink Total: 168 points


Runs Scored: 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
Hits: 09, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26
Slugging Average: 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27

Pat led the league in these three categories a total of fifteen times. He placed in the top ten on 47 occasions. These achievements are worth three points each, so his totals now look like this:

Black Ink Total: 12 +45 = 57 points
Grey Ink Total: 168 + 141 = 309 points

Doubles: 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26
Walks: 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27
Stolen Bases: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

These categories are worth two points, and Pat led the league in them a total of 19 times; he finished among the top ten 51 times. The totals, please:

Black Ink Total: 57 + 38 = 95 points
Grey Ink Total: 309 + 102 = 411 points

Games Played: Pat never played more than 151 games in a season, so I'll be very conservative here and assume he never led the league or placed in the top ten in this category.
At Bats: O'Farrell drew so many bases on balls that he never ranked high in this category. He was often among the leaders in plate apperances, however.
Triples: 08, 09, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27

Pat receives one point for each of his triples-hitting achievements.

Now it's time to add up the final totals:

Black Ink Total: 95 + 3 = 98 points
Grey Ink Total: 411 + 15 = 426 Points

Pat's score on the Black Ink test would place him seventh among "real" major league hitters, behind immortals like Ruth (161), Cobb (150), Hornsby (125), T. Williams (122), Musial (116), and Wagner (109).

According to the Grey Ink Test, a "real" Pat O'Farrell would be the most productive hitter of all time. Ty Cobb would be right behind him with 417 points, while Cy Young's total of 472 is the highest among pitchers.

Next, we'll see how Pat fares on the Hall of Fame Monitor.

[Big Six]

Bill James developed the Hall of Fame Monitor as a tool to evaluate an active player's chances of making the Hall of Fame would be.

Here are each of the checkpoints James identifies, and Pat's status with regard to each of them:


For Batting Average, 2.5 points for each season over .300, 5.0 for over .350, 15 for over .400. Seasons are not double-counted. I require 100 games in a season to qualify for this bonus.
Pat hit over .350 six times, and had 11 other seasons in which he topped .300. He scores 57.5 points for Batting Average.

For hits, 5 points for each season of 200 or more hits.
Pat had four seasons with at least 200 hits, so he scores 20 points for Hits.

3 points for each season of 100 RBI's and 3 points for each season of 100 runs.
Pat knocked in 100 or more runs six times. He also scored at least 100 runs in every season from 1910 until the end of his career. If you're keeping score at home, that's nineteen seasons in a row. Pat racks up 75 points in this category.

10 points for 50 home runs, 4 points for 40 HR, and 2 points for 30 HR.
Players like Pat who spent most of their careers in the dead ball era often get shut out here. Pat hit a lot of homers for his day, but his career high was 19.

2 points for 45 doubles and 1 point for 35 doubles.
O'Farrell hammered 53 doubles in 1926 and went over 35 in four other seasons. He scores 10 points for Doubles.

8 points for each MVP award and 3 for each AllStar Game, and 1 point for a Rookie of the Year award.
I will give Pat 8 points each for his two Most Outstanding Batter seasons. He played in eighteen All-Star games, so he scores another 70 points here.

2 points for a gold glove at C, SS, or 2B, and 1 point for any other gold glove.
Pat never won a Slick Fielder award.

6 points if they were the regular SS or C on a WS team, 5 points for 2B or CF, 3 for 3B, 2 for LF or RF, and 1 for 1B. I don't have the OF distribution, so I give 3 points for OF.
The Red Sox won nine World Series with Pat O'Farrell as their starting second baseman. Pat scores 45 points here.

5 points if they were the regular SS or C on a League Championship (but not WS) team, 3 points for 2B or CF, 1 for 3B. I don't have the OF distribution, so I give 1 points for OF.
Twice, Pat's Red Sox won the American League pennant and lost in the Series, so he scores 6 more points here.

2 points if they were the regular SS or C on a Division Championship team (but not WS or LCS), 1 points for 2B, CF, or 3B. I don't have the OF distribution, so I give 1 points for OF.
There weren't any divisions in Pat's day.

6 points for leading the league in BA, 4 for HR or RBI, 3 for runs scored, 2 for hits or SB, and 1 for doubles and triples.
OK, let's see. Pat won a batting title; that's 6. He had two HR titles; that's 8 more. Eight times he led in runs scored; that's 24. Once he led the league in hits; give him 2 more. Twelve stolen base titles are good for another 24. He led the league in doubles twice and triples three times, which give him 4 more. If my math is correct, that's 68 points.

50 points for 3,500 career hits, 40 for 3,000, 15 for 2,500, and 4 for 2,000.Pat finished his career with 3,668 hits, so give him 50 more points here.

30 points for 600 career home runs, 20 for 500, 10 for 400, and 3 for 300.Pat stole over 1400 bases. That ought to be worth another 91 homers, right?

24 points for a lifetime BA over .330, 16 if over .315, and 8 if over .300.With a lifetime average of .327, O'Farrell just misses the elite level here, but he still scores 16 points.

For tough defensive positions, 60 for 1800 games as a catcher, 45 for 1,600 games, 30 for 1,400, and 15 for 1,200 games caught.
30 points for 2100 games at 2B or SS, or 15 for 1,800 games.
15 points for 2,000 games at 3B.
An additional 15 points in the player has more than 2,500 games played at 2B, SS, or 3B.
Pat played over 3000 games at second, so he picks up another 45 points.

Award 15 points if the player's batting average is over .275 and they have 1,500 or more games as a 2B, SS or C.
Pat exceeds both of these standards by a long way. Score 15 more for him.

Pat O'Farrell ended his 21-year career with 477.5 on the Hall of Fame Monitor. According to Bill James, a player with 100 points is a serious Hall of Fame candidate, and if he has 130, he's basically a lock.

By that standard, Pat could divide himself into three Hall of Famers.

And, if Pat were "real," he would be the best-qualified Hall of Fame candidate of all time, with 25.5 points more than the runner-up, Ty Cobb.

Attaboy, Pat.

[Level]

wow, talk about a bada$$.

[William4192]

I feel bad for not voting for Cobb for HOF name (assuming you were talking about Cobb in this world, not the "real" world).

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by William4192

I feel bad for not voting for Cobb for HOF name (assuming you were talking about Cobb in this world, not the "real" world).

I did mean the "real" Ty Cobb. I don't think Cobb would have nearly as many points on the HOF Monitor in Pat's universe, because he didn't hit for as much power.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Level

wow, talk about a bada$$.

That's for damn sure, Level. The real question will be whether or not there will ever be a player who was as good at as many things, for as long a period of time, as Pat was.

[Big Six]

Here are Pat's final career statistics.

Year    G     AB   H   2B  3B  HR  RBI   R    BB HP SF   K    SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS
1907    14    53   10   3   0   0    2    3    3  0  0   12    0   0 .189 .232 .245  .477 BOS 
1908   136   538  151  31  14   2   66   63   44  0  0  111   27   7 .281 .335 .401  .737 BOS,AL 
1909   146   550  167  30  32   2   54   84   69  0  0   63   36   6 .304 .381 .485  .867 BOS,AL 
1910   147   536  171  30  16   7   84  105   94  0  0   93   57  14 .319 .421 .474  .895 BOS,AL 
1911   129   465  171  34  11   7   93  104   97  0  0   74   58  14 .368 .477 .533 1.010 BOS 
1912   130   480  173  33  18   6   85  104   99  0  0   79   70  12 .360 .470 .542 1.011 BOS,AL 
1913   147   529  178  34  15   7  103  122  106  0  0   95   55   9 .336 .447 .497  .944 BOS,AL 
1914   150   549  206  29  10   9  118  121  106  0  0   77   71  17 .375 .476 .514  .990 BOS,AL 
1915   148   532  179  30  20   4   87  123  121  0  0   47   82  25 .336 .459 .491  .950 BOS,AL 
1916   148   564  173  18   5   6   72  110   91  0  0   42   71  13 .307 .403 .388  .791 BOS,AL 
1917   150   539  176  32  11   9   84  123  114  0  0   31   99  20 .327 .444 .477  .921 BOS,AL 
1918   140   495  162  34  12   8   81  102  108  0  0   24   72  23 .327 .448 .493  .941 BOS,AL 
1919   138   506  160  22  13   9   81  121  102  0  0   43   91  14 .316 .431 .464  .895 BOS 
1920   147   556  204  33  23  11  113  146   97  0  0   51   97  20 .367 .461 .568 1.029 BOS,AL 
1921   151   570  216  43  25  15  110  158   91  0  0   37   92  19 .379 .464 .621 1.086 BOS,AL 
1922   151   567  208  33  24  17  120  144   84  2  4   27   86  24 .367 .447 .600 1.047 BOS,AL 
1923   151   525  168  37  16  15   76  125  124  4  5   49   82  20 .320 .450 .537  .987 BOS,AL 
1924   143   525  159  37  11  17   69  111   79  2  7   87   58  26 .303 .392 .512  .904 BOS,AL 
1925   151   544  159  36  10  13   97  130  115  3 16   49   69  20 .292 .409 .467  .875 BOS,AL 
1926   148   532  182  53  10  18  105  133   88  1 11   48   50  13 .342 .429 .581 1.010 BOS,AL 
1927   150   550  164  34  21  19   93  131   98  0  2   65   65   7 .298 .403 .540  .943 BOS,AL 
1928   138   516  131  19   8   8   54  103   72  2  3  122   51  14 .254 .346 .368  .714 BOS 
Total 3053 11221 3668 685 325 209 1847 2466 2002 14 48 1326 1439 337 .327 .428 .502  .930

I'm just about as sure as I can be that Pat's 3053 games played and 11,221 career at bats are also all-time records. I looked at everybody I figured could be anywhere close; Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford were the only other players with as many as 10,000 at bats. Cobb had 10,747, and Crawford 10,099. Cobb (2,783), Crawford (2,596), and Tris Speaker (2,541) were the only other players I noticed with more than 2,500 games played.

[Big Six]

As all of Pat O'Farrell's longtime fans probably know by now, he played in eleven World Series with the Red Sox, nine of which the Sox won. Pat is the only player to participate in every Series game the Red Sox have played.

Here is Pat's all-time record in Series play:

Year   G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R  BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP   SLG    OPS
1909   5  20  5  1  0  1  2   3   5  3  1  0 .250 .400  .450   .850 
1910   7  26  9  1  0  0  3   5   5  5  2  2 .346 .452  .385   .836 
1912   6  20  3  0  0  0  0   1   3  4  0  1 .150 .261  .150   .411 
1913   6  24  8  1  1  0  4   4   5  3  2  0 .308 .419  .423   .842 
1914   6  24 13  1  3  1  5   8   2  2  3  1 .542 .577  .958  1.535 
1915   5  18  8  4  0  0  6   4   2  2  2  0 .444 .500  .667  1.167 
1919   4  16 10  2  3  0  8   6   4  0  1  1 .625 .700 1.125  1.825 
1920   5  21  9  2  0  0  5   5   1  2  3  3 .429 .455  .524   .978
1923   5  19  6  1  1  1  4   4   3  0  0  0 .318 .409  .579   .988
1927   5  18  9  2  2  1  3   6   4  2  1  1 .500 .591 1.000  1.591 
1928   5  15  5  1  0  0  2   1   3  2  1  1 .333 .444  .400   .844 
Total 59 221 85 16 10  4 42  47  37 25 16 10 .385 .473  .601  1.074

As superb a ballplayer as Pat was during regular season competition, during the Series he was even better. Only in 1912 could he be said to have had a poor Series, and that was one of the two the Red Sox lost. Pat's other Series defeat came in 1923, and you certainly can't fault a guy with a .988 OPS for that one.

It's fair to say that Pat has established a standard for excellence in postseason play for which future October stars will strive.

[Big Six]

I also thought you might enjoy seeing the all-time leaders as they stand at the end of Pat's career. Here they are:

Batting Average     AVG
1 O. Charleston*   .358 
2 T. Cobb          .357 
3 W. Keeler        .350 
4 H. Wagner        .343 
5 M. Suttles*      .341 
6 B. Terry*        .338 
7 N. Lajoie        .335 
8 E. Murphy*       .334 
9 J. Jackson*      .333 
10 C. Jamieson*    .332

It will be interesting to see if Oscar, who is 32 now and still going strong, will end his career ahead of Cobb. Charleston hit .387 in 1928. Mule Suttles and Bill Terry have recently accumulated enough at bats to qualify here. Pat's .327 ranks him 16th all time, but several of the guys ahead of him, such as the three I mentioned, haven't seen their decline phases yet. If I remember right, Pat was once a .338 career hitter.

Hits                H
1 T. Cobb          3840 
2 P. O'Farrell     3668 
3 J. Jackson*      3142 
4 W. Keeler        3115 
5 T. Speaker       3088 
6 S. Crawford      3077 
7 E. Murphy*       2999
8 J. Beckley       2912 
9 H. Wagner        2877 
10 G. Beaumont     2849

I didn't realize how fine a career Eddie Murphy has had until the simulation stopped to take me to Philadelphia, where Murph was going for hit #3000. You'll see Eddie on a few other lists, too.

Home Runs	       HR
1 B. Ruth*          436 
2 O. Charleston*    229 
3 P. O'Farrell      209 
4 R. Hornsby*       176 
5 R. Maranville*    155 
6 J. Nealon         150 
7 B. Cunningham     140 
8 W. Mattick        139 
9 R. McKee          138 
10 K. Williams*     128

At some point during 1928, Oscar passed Pat for second on this list. Ruth hit another 60 homers in '28, so within a couple of years he'll have 500. Charleston might join him, but nobody else on this list will pass either of them.

Lou Gehrig is working his way up the charts, however. He hit 45 homers in 1928, the most ever hit by a player not named Ruth. His career total is 114, and he won't turn 26 until June 1929.

Runs Batted In      RBI
1 P. O'Farrell     1847
2 J. Jackson*      1613 
3 J. Beckley       1568 
4 S. Crawford      1551 
5 T. Speaker       1538 
6 T. Cobb          1501 
7 G. Davis         1461 
8 J. Nealon        1460 
9 B. Ruth*         1436 
10 N. Lajoie       1430

Of the several all-time records Pat O'Farrell holds, this one is probably the one he will lose first. It's still a list of the greatest Dead Ball sluggers right now, with the exception of the dude at #9. Babe is just about a lock to push Pat out of the top spot in this category.

Doubles             2B
1 P. O'Farrell     685 
2 T. Speaker       639 
3 N. Lajoie        566 
4 H. Wagner        529 
5 J. Jackson*      515 
6 S. Crawford      481 
7 J. Beckley       471 
8 R. Hornsby*      463 
9 G. Davis         452 
10 T. Cobb         445

On the other hand, Pat might hold on to this record for a while. Hornsby is 32 now, and while he's a fine ballplayer in this universe (.320 lifetime), he's not the monster he was in real life. In fact, Rogers hit only .271 last season.

In all fairness, Pat doesn't have this record because he was especially terrific at hitting doubles. He only led the league in doubles once. The biggest reason why he has this one is because he played a long, long time.

Triples             3B
1 P. O'Farrell     325 
2 T. Cobb          253 
3 S. Crawford      252 
4 T. Speaker       246 
5 J. Beckley       243 
6 F. Clarke        206 
7 G. Moriarty      203 
8 E. Flick         201 
9 H. Wagner        195 
10 H. Hooper       191

The fact that the active leader, 36-year-old Eddie Murphy, doesn't have half as many triples as Pat does should tell you something about how safe this record is. O'Farrell hit at least ten three-baggers in all but two of his full seasons in the Show.

Bases on Balls      BB
1 P. O'Farrell    2002 
2 T. Shafer*      1511 
3 B. Ruth*        1314 
4 T. Cobb         1209 
5 N. Leibold*     1162 
6 A. Bridwell     1154
 7 R. Thomas      1132 
8 S. Strang       1131 
9 D. Bush         1124 
10 M. Konnick*    1107

The Babe has a good shot at this record, too. He drew 174 walks in 1928. Gehrig takes his base a lot too, but he isn't on the all-time list yet because he is still so young.

Runs Scored         R
1 P. O'Farrell   2466 
2 T. Cobb        2103 
3 T. Shafer*     1784 
4 W. Keeler      1764 
5 E. Murphy*     1651 
6 T. Speaker     1617 
7 J. Beckley     1597 
8 H. Hooper      1586 
9 S. Crawford    1568 
10 B. Herzog     1567

That's right, almost 2500 runs scored. The Babe will catch him if he scores an average of 108 runs a season every year until he's 42. The only guy who's come close to that pace was, well...Pat O'Farrell.

Stolen Bases      SB
1 P. O'Farrell   1439 
2 T. Cobb        1180 
3 T. Shafer*     1107 
4 E. Murphy*     1006 
5 S. Piez*        952 
6 B. Herzog       834 
7 G. Moriarty     814 
8 T. Speaker      675 
9 J. Lelivelt     670 
10 H. Wagner      658

Who is this O'Farrell guy, and what is he doing at the top of all these lists?

Nobody is stealing bases like they used to anymore. In the season when he turned 41 years old, Pat was second in the American League in steals, behind another oldtimer, Murphy. Unless there's a resurgence of speed sometime in the future, and somebody catches the wave and rides it for a couple of decades, nobody will touch Pat's record here.

Earned Run Avg.   ERA
1 R. Waddell     2.33 
2 M. Brown       2.43 
3 C. Mathewson   2.64 
4 J. McGinnity   2.68 
5 D. Phillippe   2.70 
6 J. Tannehill   2.70 
7 C. Young       2.73 
8 S. Leever      2.78 
9 D. White       2.82 
10 B. Burns      2.82

None of the 25 pitchers on the all-time list were active in 1928. A pitcher had to have an ERA better than 3.02 to make it.

Wins               W
1 C. Young        441 
2 C. Mathewson    340 
3 R. Hitt         337 
4 P. Perritt*     331 
5 A. Joss         325 
6 W. Johnson      313 
7 J. Wood*        309 
8 R. Marquard     306 
9 D. Mason        305 
10 C. Rose        295

Pol Perritt won 27 games in 1928, and turned 36 in August. It's not inconceivable that he could win over 400, and even challenge Young's all time mark.

Strikeouts         K
1 W. Johnson     4179 
2 J. Wood*       3555 
3 R. Hitt        3312 
4 P. Perritt*    3245 
5 G. Alexander   2996 
6 C. Mathewson   2769 
7 D. Mason       2757 
8 H. Moran       2622 
9 B. Otey        2421 
10 C. Young      2335

I've always wondered what kind of career Smoky Joe Wood might have had if he hadn't hurt his arm. Now, thanks to Pat's universe, I have a pretty good idea.

Saves              SV
B. Sincock        106 
2 D. McArthur*     96 
3 H. Benn*         95 
4 F. Scanlan       85 
5 H. Ritter*       67 
5 A. Huenke*       67 
7 H. Suter         57 
8 R. Ledbetter*    53 
9 B. Wright*       50 
10 R. Works        48

Who are THESE guys? The only ones who made any kind of impression on me during the simulation are Bert Sincock and Ralph Works. Sincock pitched for the Reds while they were playing against Boston in the World Series all those years, and Works was with the Tigers while they were battling Pat and the boys for the American League pennant.

One day, things will change, and there will be a type of pitcher called a Closer...

Complete Games     CG
1 C. Young        641 
2 A. Joss         558 
3 C. Mathewson    473 
4 G. Mullin       457 
4 C. Rose         457 
6 R. Hitt         453 
7 J. Powell       446 
8 W. Johnson      421 
9 D. Mason        420 
10 E. Walsh       406

Joe Wood, Pol Perritt and Hal Schwenk (!) are the only active pitchers on this list as 1928 comes to a close.

Shutouts          ShO
1 C. Young         62 
2 P. Perritt*      61 
3 C. Mathewson     58 
4 A. Joss          56 
5 B. Burns         49 
6 D. Mason         48 
6 M. Brown         48 
8 R. Waddell       42 
9 J. Chesbro       41 
9 J. Tannehill     41

You know, the idea that Pol Perritt might end his career as the greatest pitcher of all time isn't quite as crazy as it sounds. At the very least, he'll be on the short list.

[DTF955]

Fromt he discussion on Cobb on www.baseball-fever.com, his attitude toward blacks isn't as clear cut as it sounds. It is possible if the price was right he'd have kept playing, and even played with one, though he wouldn't have been all that respectful he would have accepted thigns as they came at least.

However, he would have needed a great reason to stay with St. Louis. I assume money was aa larrge part, but I suspect somewhere, there was a desire to keep that career average as high as he could, and also his hit record. I think there should be a quote somewhere about how if O'Farrell had come close to the hit record, Cobb would have come out retirement to make sure he still had it. In fact, he'll likely make some bluster about thaat with his lifetime averge :-)

ONe other thought I just had after running an errand - will Pat join Cobb in helping plaers w/pensions? Pat might just joint he Sporting New in pushing for a pension system for players just becasue it'll still be harder for the Negro Leaguers without one. (In OTL Cobb himself was supporting several ex-players.)

If the pension situation was resolved favorably, that would make things easier come the 1970s,a nd you wouldnt' have the economic problems - suddenly no no strikes. (Well, you can do 1994s in a way, just as long as we get a World Series; '94s could be like '85s of OTL.)

[Big Six]

Berkshire Eagle, December 9, 1928

O'FARRELL HAPPY IN RETIREMENT
Red Sox Legend Has No Plans To Return To Baseball

STOCKBRIDGE--The home is a fairly new one, spacious enough for a family of seven people, but not ostentatiously so. Tastefully decorated with greenery for the holiday season', it could be the home of a well-to-do professional man, a doctor or attorney, perhaps.

In fact, the "man of the house" might well have been an attorney like his father and grandfather before him, had he not had a remarkable talent for baseball. Today, however, his primary occupation was shoveling snow, a task he and his three handsome sons were just finishing when this reporter arrived at his home.

He is, of course, Pat O'Farrell, recently retired after a sterling 22-year career with the Boston Red Sox. At age forty-one, O'Farrell is almost certainly among the area's most famous residents, and he is now content to enjoy a relaxing life in the town which he has always called home.

"I have always considered myself to be a Stockbridge man," O'Farrell beamed as he sat in a comfortable leather armchair by a roaring fire. "I was born and raised here, and so was Sarah (O'Farrell's wife, the former Sarah Malloy). We built a home here as soon as we could afford to, and ever since I've come back as soon as my season ended."

When asked if he planned to return to baseball in some other capacity, O'Farrell replied quickly. "I have spent enough nights on trains and in hotels for one lifetime, thank you," he politely said. "For now, I am going to remain here in Stockbridge. I have been offered a business opportunity or two, here and over in Pittsfield, and I am considering them seriously. If I return to baseball at some time, it will be in some capacity that does not require me to travel. I want to see my children grow up like most fathers can do."

The O'Farrells' oldest child, Elizabeth, just turned sixteen, and is a sophomore at the Chaffee School in Connecticut. Their oldest son, Michael, is thirteen and in eighth grade here in Stockbridge. He is quite a talented athlete, who plays football, basketball, and baseball; in fact, it is said that he is the most promising ballplayer in this area since his father. The younger O'Farrells, Mary Catherine, John and William, are eleven, eight, and seven years of age, respectively.

It was obvious that Pat greatly enjoys his role as a father, as he mentioned each of them by name during the course of our conversation, as naturally as any proud father would do...

[Big Six]

Sinton Hotel
Cincinnati, Ohio

Mr. Pat O'Farrell
148 Cherry Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

June 2, 1929

Dear Pat,

Thank you very much for your kind letter, which I unfortunately haven't had a chance to answer until now. As you well know, we ballplayers can be a superstitious lot, and since I have been on a hot streak, I was hesitant to change my routine. I have been reading one story from Sherwood Anderson's book, Winesburg, Ohio each of the last six nights, and I have nine hits in the five games I've played since then.

I also confess I've been writing a few letters to a wonderful girl from back home, whose name is Alicia. If things progress with her I would love for you to stand up for me at my wedding, as you have been a true friend to me since I was a kid, tagging along with Roy Hitt's All-Americans.

I also wanted to thank you for the tip you gave me about remembering not to try to pull that low, outside fastball, and to simply go with the pitch to left field. The other day in Pittsburgh, Burleigh Grimes threw me a good hard one on the outside corner, and I slapped it over the shortstop's head to drive in a run. I could hear the words from your letter as clearly as if you'd been standing behind me at the plate.

You asked me how I liked playing for the Cubs, and I have to say I like it just fine. We are in the thick of a pennant race-if we beat the Reds today we will break our second place tie with them. Meanwhile, the White Sox are the worst team in baseball. I saw in today's paper that they have only fourteen wins! Why, Art Nehf had nearly that many himself before he hurt his arm. I know you hated to see that happen to your former teammate, and I hope he can recover completely. Do you know if it is true that he will be out for the entire year?

The White Sox honestly don't seem to know which direction they are heading in. I would think they would be trying to pile up good young players so their future will be secure; instead, I read today that they traded that good young catcher they had in their system, Kinsella, to the Senators. Kinsella is the fellow they got in the trade when I went to the Cubs, and everyone says he is going to be a good one. Why they would swap him for Showboat Fisher, who is about ten years older and has really only been a regular player for two seasons, is beyond me. I don't think they are even playing Charlie Hollocher at short every day anymore. Between you and me, I'm glad to be up on the North Side now!

I hope we can get together and catch up sometime when I'm in Boston. I would love to see you, Sarah, and your kids. I'm sure I would hardly recognize them, since they've grown up so much. I bet your Mike is turning into quite a ballplayer, isn't he? Hopefully the Cubs and Red Sox will meet in the Series, and we can place a friendly wager. No money, of course; I am not in the mood to see how aggressively the powers that be would deal with gambling, even though I would certainly be betting on my own team to win.

I'll close my letter now so I can post it before I head to the ballpark. Hopefully Sherwood Anderson put a couple more hits into my bat today. If not, I'll try reading two stories tonight.

As always, your pal,
Archie

*****************
"Moonlight" Graham is off to a terrific start for the Cubs, batting .340 and getting on base regularly ahead of the amazing Oscar Charleston. Oscar is crushing the ball, with a .396-22-67 line through the Cubs' first 59 games.

Frank Frisch's AL-best .391 average and Lou Gehrig's .346 with 13 homers are leading the way for the first-place Red Sox...who will, as Archie mentioned, have to deal with the loss of Art Nehf for the remainder of the season.

[StorminZ]

Originally Posted by Big Six

148 Cherry Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

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

October 8, 1928

Dear Roy,

Thank you for your kind letter of the 4th.

...

All the best, your barnstorming pal,
Pat

And thus ends an era and a new one will soon begin.

A fabulous way to capture Pat's final game as a player ... as opposed to a sports report ... the letter is another wonderful depiction within a this very entertaining storyline.

TY!

[Big Six]

Thanks, StorminZ. I figured such a momentous occasion required a little more personal touch. After all, Pat only gets to play the last game of his career once.

However, I noticed that Grover Cleveland Alexander was brought out of retirement to pitch for the Philadelphia Athletics this year. When I looked at the list of retired players in order to prepare the Hall of Fame ballot, there he was. Then, as the game was simming, I saw him picking up a win for the A's. I thought, "What th...?"

So far, Pat has remained retired, however.