[Big Six]

Boston Globe, August 1, 1934

RED SOX STAND “PAT” WHILE TIGERS ADD WELLS
Tigers Acquire Chicago Shortstop

BOSTON—Red Sox general manager Pat O’Farrell has never been afraid to pull the trigger on a deal, if he thinks it can give his club a push toward the top of the standings. This season, however, O’Farrell decided to go into the final months of the season with the cast of characters he currently has.

“Bill Carrigan thinks we can win with the team we have right now, and so do I,” O’Farrell said, confidence displayed on his smiling face. With the Red Sox tied with the Detroit Tigers for first place, Carrigan’s charges have proven they can win; can they win enough to keep pace with a Tigers club that was more active during the final week of trading?

The Tigers parted with two key elements of their bench corps, outfielder John Stone and catcher Earl Reibel, to acquire shortstop Willie Wells from the Chicago White Sox. Wells, who is batting .302 with 61 RBI, shores up the only weak spot in a Tigers infield that includes first sacker Hank Greenberg, second baseman Charlie Gehringer, and third baseman Lyn Lary.

The Sox, seeking their third consecutive World Series title, have a solid veteran club that some believe might be nearing their last hurrah. None of the team’s brightest stars—Gehrig, Hafey, Frisch, Brady, Hoyt—are younger than thirty, while only two regulars—Josh Gibson and Ray Brown—could be considered youngsters.

O’Farrell is more fully aware of this than anyone, of course. He faces the delicate task of ensuring the long-term success of the Red Sox by introducing talented young players into the lineup as veteran stars begin to fade.

“We’re always evaluating young players,” O’Farrell said. “It’s a lot harder to get teams to part with them than most fans think, however. It’s been more common lately for other teams to offer us veterans in exchange for our young guys, and I’m not making those kinds of deals right now.”

The formula that O’Farrell and Carrigan have concocted has worked consistently well since Pat assumed the GM post several years ago. Their track record has earned them the right to be free from second-guessing, at least until October brings with it the conclusion of this year’s pennant fight.

[Big Six]

1105 St. Gregory Street
Cincinnati, Ohio

Mr. Patrick O’Farrell
Boston American League Baseball Club
Fenway Park
Boston, Massachusetts

August 3, 1934

Dear Pat,

I’m sorry I couldn’t speak with you longer on the telephone the other afternoon. My middle daughter, Mary, was attending a picnic as the guest of a young man I’ve only met a time or two before, and I wanted to make sure I saw them off properly. You’re the father of daughters too; you know how important these things are!

The fine play of your Red Sox surely has you in fine spirits. I only wish “my” Reds were doing as well! Their lack of power hitting is, in my opinion, their greatest flaw. Goodness sakes, these are the Thirties, and in order to win in today’s game, a team needs men who can hit the ball over the fence! Ernie Lombardi and Tony Cuccinello and Earle Combs are fine hitters, but they don’t have much power.

Perhaps it’s not my place, but I have to let you know what I think of the decision to rush Victor Starffin to the major leagues. I think his acquisition was a fine move, the kind a struggling team like the Reds needs to make in order to build a better future. Then, in order to sell a few more tickets, they go and promote Starffin to the major leagues! Starffin is a wonderful prospect, but he is still barely eighteen years old. Furthermore, he is living halfway across the world from anything he knows!

Starffin has pitched two good games out of the six he has started, but the team has yet to win for him, and his ERA is close to nine runs a game. I have met Starffin, and he seems to be a fine young man. I hope his confidence won’t be damaged for the sake of higher ticket revenues!

I was sorry to see that a couple of the fellows we played with and against were passed up for election to the Hall of Fame again. I’m afraid that as time goes by, the voters will forget what fine players fellows like Sandy Piez and Simon Nicholls truly were. I know his career statistics don’t jump off the page at you, but was there ever a tougher “big game” pitcher than Tex Pruiett? I hope the voters don’t overlook these great players as more and more of the stars of the last few years retire and become eligible.

Well, Pat, I fear I’ve taken up too much of your valuable time. You’ve got a team in the thick of the race, and you don’t need to spend an hour reading a letter from me! I will see you in Cooperstown for the induction, certainly, and I will check my schedule to see if I will be available to accept your offer of tickets to one of Mike’s Notre Dame football games.

Wish Sarah my very best, and say hello to the rest of your beautiful family for me.

Regards, your pal,
Roy

[DTF955]

Glad you liked my idea; I figured you would be busy, it's near the end othe school year all over. :-) I PM'd you about my own idea regarding a what-if book that I'm pondering, anyway, a week or so before that. Basically asking what would be the best POD for baseball to stay integrated (already have a superstar not die at 19 or so in a Civil War battle, thus going on to support it in the way Cap Anson opposed integration in OTL. But, I didn'tknow if you thought something else might help, too.) Also, asking if you thought the nation might integrate early becasue of seeing ballplayers playing together for so long, or if would just go smoother in the 1950s.. I won't cover lots of political history, but might some.

[Big Six]

Hey, dtf. I did read your pm, and I've given some thoughts to your idea. I'll put them together and email them to you sometime this week. I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten. Your idea sounds really cool, and I'm happy to assist you if I can.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, editorial, August 8, 1934

Just over eleven years ago, the Boston Red Sox did the unthinkable. They traded away Babe Ruth, the greatest home run hitter the game had ever known.

The Babe had just completed a run of three consecutive seasons in which he had hit at least thirty home runs; no other player in the history of the game had hit that many even once. In exchange for this slugger nonpareil, the Red Sox obtained a callow first baseman, still a teenager, and a journeyman pitcher with a losing career record. Most baseball men believed Lou Gehrig, the young first baseman, might one day be a useful player, even a star. But he was being traded for Babe Ruth, for Pete’s sake…for the most powerful hitter the game had ever seen! The pitcher the Yankees threw in, a chap named Neal Brady, was almost universally regarded as a spare part, the sort of pitcher who could be plucked from the free agent pool whenever a team saw fit.

The Red Sox had last participated in a World Series three years ago, in 1920; for the fans of Boston, this represented a drought that was without parallel since the team began to win consistently a dozen or so years earlier. This was a team that was watching its era of dominance come to an end, a team for which the pendulum of fate was beginning to swing back toward mediocrity. Why would such a team trade its most valuable asset for a “might be” and a “hasn’t been?”

This writer was among the voices who had nothing positive to say about trading away the Babe. Eleven years later, this writer has changed his mind.

Trading away Babe Ruth just might have been the best move the Red Sox could have made.

There is absolutely no denying that Mr. Ruth is the greatest power hitter in the history of baseball. Ruth has hit 55, 60, even 70 home runs in a single season. As of today, he has hit 616 home runs in his career, which at age 39 might be on its very last legs. For ten consecutive years beginning in 1920, the Babe led the American League in home runs. For each of the first five years after his trade to New York, he was named the league’s Most Outstanding Batter. He has driven in more runs than any player in history. These feats will be remembered as long as baseball exists.

However, the fact remains that while the Babe was becoming the stuff of legend, the Red Sox team for whom he played was not winning pennants. Ruth participated in the World Series for the Red Sox twice, in 1919 and 1920. The New York Yankees have not taken part in postseason baseball since they acquired Ruth. In the meantime, the Boston Red Sox have played in five World Series. Perhaps it is too harsh to draw many conclusions from this fact, but the fact remains nonetheless.

Setting that bit of evidence aside, there is still ample reason to believe the Red Sox were the “winners” in this particular swap. Lou Gehrig, the teenaged first sacker they obtained for Ruth, is now a man of thirty-one, in his ballplaying prime. He blossomed into an All-Star performer in 1925, and has now earned a spot in the Midsummer Classic ten consecutive times. Gehrig has become a formidable slugger in his own right; he has hit over forty home runs three times, and with thirty to his credit already, should do so again this year. He has succeeded Ruth as the annual recipient of the Most Outstanding Batter award, winning it in each of the last three years.

Lou has hit 329 home runs in his career, and it is conceivable that he will join Ruth (and perhaps Oscar Charleston) as the only players to clout five hundred four-baggers in a major league career. If the Babe is the greatest slugger in the history of the junior circuit, Gehrig is the clear choice for runner-up.

And what of the pitcher whom the Yankees seemed all too ready to discard?

Until 1926, Neal Brady seemed destined to be a useful bullpen pitcher, who could occasionally spell a tired member of the Red Sox rotation. Late that season, Sox manager Bill Carrigan decided to give Brady one more chance to prove himself, and informed him that he would receive the ball every fourth day until season’s end. Brady won seven games, striking out nearly ten times as many men as he walked, and a star was born.

Since then, Neal Brady has won at least twenty games six straight times. With sixteen wins right now, he is almost a sure bet to extend that streak to seven. At age thirty-seven, Brady still has enough stuff on the ball to lead the American League in strikeouts. Despite the fact that he was thirty before he nailed down a regular spot in the rotation, he has won 260 games and might have a shot at three hundred wins. Even if he falls short of that milestone, Neal Brady should one day be enshrined at Cooperstown. Not bad for a “throw-in,” is it not?

There is one more consideration, too; the fact that Gehrig and Brady fit the Red Sox “style” far better than the Babe. Ruth is a flamboyant man who has always seemed perfectly suited for the bright lights of the Big Apple. It is no insult to Ruth, as a player or as a man, to say that his personality is much more in tune with the hustle and bustle of the nation's largest city than it ever was in Boston.

Gehrig and Brady are far less colorful; they are personable men who play excellent baseball and represent their team and city with distinction. In Boston, where a Puritan heritage of simplicity and hard work has never completely faded away, the understated style of players like Gehrig and Brady is appreciated in a fashion that New Yorkers might never have come to love so well.

We Bostonians have always preferred our heroes to be life-size. Take, for example, Patrick O’Farrell. Pat is without doubt the most beloved baseballist ever to ply his trade in our city, perhaps among its four or five most notable living citizens. For all his success and fame, he remains humble, genuine, and as approachable as the fellow next door.

Eleven years later, it’s now clear to me that Pat O’Farrell’s team has been far better off with stars on a more human scale—stars like Lou Gehrig and Neal Brady—then it would have been with Babe Ruth. And so has the city we call our home.

[Big Six]

12 Lowell Road
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

Mr. Charles Prentice
442 Park Street
Stockbridge, Massachusetts

October 21, 1934

Dear Charlie,

Thank you for your letter of the 8th, and I am sorry I'm taking so long to answer you. It brightened up what was otherwise a rather dreary day in the O'Farrell household. We had just returned home from South Bend, where Mike played his first varsity football game for Notre Dame. Their opponent was the University of Texas, and the Irish lost a nail-biter, 7-6. Mike didn't play badly; he substituted for Wally Fromhart at quarterback in the third quarter, made two nice runs from scrimmage, and had a good clean tackle on defense.

Mike's normal disappointment at losing the game was worsened by the fact that he really likes the team's new coach, Elmer Layden. Mike hopes the more rabid boosters that flock around the Irish will be patient while Coach Layden rights the ship. The fact that Layden was, of course, one of the fabled Four Horsemen will doubtless make things easier for him, and so will the two wins the team has managed since then.

Thank you for your kind words regarding the end of the season, too. Honestly, I believe the pundits picked us to win the pennant over the Tigers only because we won the World Series in '32 and '33. The Tigers are every bit as talented a team as we are, and they are a bit younger. Players like Greenberg and Rowe are only going to get better, while men like Bell and Gehringer are still able to play at a very high level.

I'm a bit surprised by the way the Pirates thrashed them in the Series, though. I knew Pittsburgh was talented, but I was not expecting them to beat the Tigers four straight times! Lefty Grove and Red Lucas pitched as well as they ever have, and the Waners, Arky Vaughan, Gus Suhr, and Joe Cronin all chose exactly the right week for their bats to get hot.

Now that the season is over, I find myself on the receving end of quite a bit of criticism about my decision not to make a trade before the deadline in July. I honestly believed we could win the pennant with the team we had in place, and the record shows we were only one game away from doing just that very thing! I talked with several teams about the possibility of a trade, but in each case they wanted more than I was willing to give for what they were willing to part with. I have never believed in making a trade simply to "shake up" a team; those are often the trades that come back to haunt you most horridly.

Besides, by promoting Moose Solters from Providence and giving him an everyday job in left field, we achieved the same purpose as a trade, without sacrificing any of our own talent in return. Solters hit the ball well, and he will be the man to beat in left field come spring.

Sarah, the kids, and I will be making at least two or three trips back to Stockbridge before Christmas, and of course we'll be spending the holidays there as usual. I will give you a call as soon as our plans are firmed up, so we can arrange for a good, long visit.

Give our best to your family, old pal!

Your buddy,
Pat

[Big Six]

Here are a few statistical highlights from the recently completed 1934 season:

American League Standings :
                   W  L  PCT GB    BA  ERA
Detroit           93 61 .604  --  .287 4.43 
Boston (A)        91 63 .591   2  .278 3.70 
Chicago (A)       77 77 .500  16  .278 4.75 
New York (A)      77 77 .500  16  .270 4.38 
St. Louis (A)     72 82 .468  21  .281 5.14 
Washington        70 84 .455  23  .269 4.50 
Philadelphia (A)  69 85 .448  24  .271 4.65 
Cleveland         67 87 .435  26  .272 4.87

National League Standings:
                   W  L  PCT  GB   BA  ERA
Pittsburgh       104 50 .675  -- .295 3.37 
Chicago (N)       84 70 .545  20 .274 4.36 
New York (N)      82 72 .532  22 .290 4.56 
Philadelphia (N)  75 79 .487  29 .283 4.84 
St. Louis (N)     75 79 .487  29 .277 4.16 
Boston (N)        67 87 .435  37 .263 5.11 
Cincinnati        67 87 .435  37 .269 4.57 
Brooklyn          62 92 .403  42 .267 4.76

The American League had another exciting pennant race between the Tigers and Red Sox, who have been regular competitors for the pennant for two decades. Meanwhile, the Pirates ran away with the National League.

American League Rookie of the Year Award:
Bobo Newsom (SLA)!
He had a record of 21-17 with an ERA of 5.38.
In 41 games started, he pitched 326 innings, fanning 153 and walking 165 batters.

National League Rookie of the Year Award:
Bill Lee (CHN)!
He had a record of 17-15 with an ERA of 5.35 and 1 shutouts.
In 35 games started, he pitched 272.1 innings, fanning 70 and walking 111 batters.

Neither ROY had an exceptional year, but they overshadowed the rest of a very mediocre crop of freshmen.

American League Outstanding Pitcher Award:
Waite Hoyt (BOS)!
He had a record of 25-13 with an ERA of 2.93 and 2 shutouts.
In 43 games started, he pitched 366 innings, fanning 201 and walking 43 batters.

Hoyt didn't win the MOP in 1931 or 1932, although he won 59 games over that two-year period. It's nice to see him finally add this award to his resume.

American League Outstanding Batter Award:
Jimmie Foxx (CHA)!
He batted .330 in 531 AB, with 46 homers and 131 RBI.

The Beast hit more home runs than any player in the history of the American League not named Ruth. How on earth did he not make the American League All-Star team?

National League Outstanding Pitcher Award:
Red Lucas (PIT)!
He had a record of 25-11 with an ERA of 2.47 and 7 shutouts.
In 42 games started, he pitched 356.2 innings, fanning 209 and walking 40 batters.

This was Lucas' fifth NL MOP award. Two more victories will give him an even 200 for his career, and he'll be 32 when the 1935 season begins.

National League Outstanding Batter Award:
Buck Leonard (NY1)!
He batted .372 in 545 AB, with 38 homers and 126 RBI.

In 1930, Buck was traded from the Pirates to the Giants for Red Lucas. He's now the heart and soul of the New York club, and he's won four consecutive MOB awards.

American League Slick Fielder Award Winners:
Pitcher: Don Hankins (NYA)
Catcher: Josh Gibson (BOS)
First Base: Jimmie Foxx (CHA)
Second Base: Charlie English (CHA)
Third Base: Luke Appling (CHA)
Shortstop: Dick Bartell (CLE)
Leftfield: Carl Sumner (WS1)
Centerfield: Cool Papa Bell (DET)
Rightfield: Gee Walker (DET)

National League Slick Fielder Award Winners:
Pitcher: Bill Swift (PIT)
Catcher: Gabby Hartnett (CHN)
First Base: Buck Leonard (NY1)
Second Base: Jimmie Reese (CHN)
Third Base: Arky Vaughan (PIT)
Shortstop: Jackie Tavener (BSN)
Leftfield: Earle Combs (CIN)
Centerfield: Wally Berger (BSN)
Rightfield: Mel Ott (BSN)

TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.376 Chuck Klein(PHI,NL)
.372 Buck Leonard(NY1,NL)
.355 Jo-Jo Moore(NY1)
.353 Archie Graham(CHN,NL)
.348 Chick Hafey(BOS,AL)

TOP 5 in HOME RUNS :
46 Jimmie Foxx(CHA)
41 Lou Gehrig(BOS,AL)
38 Buck Leonard(NY1,NL)
35 Hank Greenberg(DET,AL)
31 Mel Ott(BSN)

TOP 5 in RBI :
131 Jimmie Foxx(CHA)
127 Babe Herman(CLE,AL)
126 Buck Leonard(NY1,NL)
119 Chick Hafey(BOS,AL)
116 Mule Suttles(SLA,AL)

TOP 5 in ERA :
2.47 Red Lucas(PIT,NL)
2.77 Larry French(PIT)
2.82 Kent Greenfield(DET NYA,AL)
2.89 Satchel Paige(CHN,NL)
2.93 Waite Hoyt(BOS,AL)

TOP 5 in WINS :
27 Schoolboy Rowe(DET)
25 Red Lucas(PIT,NL)
25 Paul Derringer(SLN,NL CIN)
25 Waite Hoyt(BOS,AL)
25 Marv Gudat(DET,AL)

TOP 5 in SAVES :
12 Uel Eubanks(DET)
12 Harry Biemiller(NYA,AL)
12 Fred Schemanske(NY1,NL)
10 Ralph Miller(CHN)
9 Dan Dugan(CHA)

[Big Six]

112 Meade Hall
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
12 Lowell Road
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

November 14, 1934

Dear Daddy,

Greetings from snowy Mount Holyoke! We awoke to three inches of snow, and your daughter who is (as I'm sure you remember) about to celebrate her twenty-second birthday threw snowballs with several other young ladies of her dormitory on our way to our first class. You will be pleased to know that said daughter inherited something of your talent for throwing balls; I clearly possess the best throwing arm of the group. Several of the other gals can testify to that fact!

On a more serious note, I'm even more glad to report that my classes are going very well. I received an A for the paper I wrote for Miss D'Evelyn's English literature class. The warm feeling I gained from that news helped take the chill of Miss D'Evelyn's classroom; as is her custom, she left the window open despite the wintry chill.

Thank you, Daddy, for agreeing to let me bring my Mr. Parker to visit at Christmas! I am sure you will like him just fine, as I can't think of anyone with whom he doesn't get along well. And, in answer to your question, he and I are very much in love. Don't be surprised, therefore, if he wishes to speak to you concerning matters of a serious nature!

John's prospects after his graduation from Amherst are quite good, I'll assure you in advance. He has worked during the past two summers at a brokerage in Philadelphia, where his family resides, and he has been offered a position there after he completes his degree.

I have been following Mike's gridiron exploits too, and I only hope he has been performing as well in the classroom! I can't help worry that he is enjoying too much the notoriety that comes with being a member of the varsity on a football-crazy campus like Notre Dame's. At the very least, I hope and pray he is making better decisions concerning his actions at parties and mixers, that sort of thing.

To close on a more positive note, I believe Mary Kate is more and more interested in following in the footsteps of her mother and older sister here at Mount Holyoke! When we talked on the telephone the other night, she couldn't stop asking me questions about good old MHC, and she seemed very excited about making a trip to visit me as soon as she could! Mom might get another MHC woman yet!

I should close my letter now, as I have more reading to do for Miss D'Evelyn's class. I love you, Mom, and my darling sibs more than you'll know, and I can't wait to see all of you next weekend!

Love, always,
Beth

P.S. If you want to trade someone this winter, trade Buster Ross. I know he pitches lefthanded, but you can find another lefty somewhere. Please don't trade Moose Solters, and please give Tom Oliver another chance to make the squad! I would be ever so grateful.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, January 3, 1935

Miss O’Farrell to Wed Mr. Parker

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. O’Farrell of Wellesley Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Elizabeth Malloy O’Farrell, to Mr. John Henry Parker, Jr. Mr. Parker is the son of Dr. and Mrs. John Henry Parker of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Miss O’Farrell is a member of the Class of 1935 at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. Mr. Parker, who attends Amherst College, will also graduate in May. Upon graduation, Mr. Parker will be employed at the brokerage house of Hill Prentice in Philadelphia.

Miss O’Farrell and Mr. Parker will wed in June, at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Pittsfield.

[William4192]

Great work Big Six!

[Jamee999]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Boston Globe, January 3, 1935

Miss O’Farrell to Wed Mr. Parker

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. O’Farrell of Wellesley Hills announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Elizabeth Malloy O’Farrell, to Mr. John Henry Parker, Jr. Mr. Parker is the son of Dr. and Mrs. John Henry Parker of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Miss O’Farrell is a member of the Class of 1935 at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. Mr. Parker, who attends Amherst College, will also graduate in May. Upon graduation, Mr. Parker will be employed at the brokerage house of Hill Prentice in Philadelphia.

Miss O’Farrell and Mr. Parker will wed in June, at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Pittsfield.

The kids are growing up!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

The kids are growing up!

Yes, they do...and they're each going to figure into the story in some way as they become adults. I have ideas for the plot that will carry the tale into the 21st century.

Thanks for reading, Jamee. There's a new HoF ballot up, by the way...

[Big Six]

Just in case you didn't read my reply to Jamee, there is a new Hall of Fame election in process now.

You have a week to submit your ballots, so please join in the fun! Thanks in advance.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, January 7, 1935

O'FARRELLS INJURED IN AUTO ACCIDENT
Intoxicated Driver Strikes O'Farrell Vehicle
Sarah O'Farrell's Condition Critical

BOSTON--An automobile accident last night near the Boston College campus has injured three members of the family of Red Sox general manager Pat O'Farrell, and has threatened the life of O'Farrell's wife Sarah.

At approximately 8:25 p.m. last night, a car driven by William Turner, 21, a student at Boston College, ran through the stop sign at the corner of College and Beacon Streets in Chestnut Hill. Turner's car struck the car driven by Pat O'Farrell, which was traveling west on Beacon Street, on the passenger side.

When police arrived on the scene, they found Turner visibly intoxicated, stunned by the impact of the crash and slumped at the wheel of his car. Turner was arrested and charged with several offenses, was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital for observation and was discharged to the Newton jail.

Patrick Joseph O'Farrell, 47, was treated at St. Elizabeth's hospital and released. O'Farrell suffered bruises and a sprained left wrist.

William Malloy O'Farrell, 13, suffered cuts and bruises. He was treated at St. Elizabeth's and released.

Sarah Malloy O'Farrell, 45, was riding in the front seat beside her husband. Turner's car, which according to police was traveling approximately 30 miles per hour at the time of the crash, hit the O'Farrell vehicle squarely on the door beside Mrs. O'Farrell.

Mrs. O'Farrell was unconscious when the police and ambulance arrived, and she was quickly transported to St. Elizabeth's. According to a representative of the hospital staff, Mrs. O'Farrell suffered multiple injuries, including head injuries that were described as "very serious." Mrs. O'Farrell's condition is critical, and she has not regained consciousness. At 4:45 this morning, a priest administered to Mrs. O'Farrell the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

[NCBeachBum]

[Big Six]

202 St. Edward's Hall
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana

Mr. Patrick O'Farrell
12 Lowell Road
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

February 9, 1935

Dear Dad,

I suppose I'm glad I took your advice and returned to school for the spring semester. I guess there really wasn't anything I could do to help Mom get better, and here at Notre Dame there is much more to occupy my mind than there would be back home.

Thank you for calling me last night and letting me know Mom had one of her "good days." It sounds like her doctors are much more positive about her chances for recovery than they were only a week ago. I suppose it's too early to know exactly what they mean by "recovery," isn't it?

I'm trying my best to get over the anger I feel at the idiot who caused the accident. I still wish, deep down, that I could get my hands on him and teach him what pain is all about. I know that isn't the right thing to think, but I still can't help it. Confession helps, but only for a while, and then I'm thinking about ripping the guy's head off again.

We've started throwing in the gym now, and my arm is feeling good and strong. Coach Kline told me that there's a good chance I could make the starting rotation this year, and the new curve ball grip Uncle Joe told me about has really started to work well for me.

I guess there will always be a part of me that wonders how I'd be doing in professional baseball. But at the same time, I enjoy playing football, and playing for Coach Layden here at Notre Dame is unbelievably exciting. When I'm finished here, I will have my college degree, and it won't be too late for me for a professional career--in baseball or in football--if I'm good enough for it.

I've kept the promise I made to you about drinking, Dad. I can't say it's been easy, but I haven't touched any alcohol since I've been back at Notre Dame. I know I was drinking too much, and I was lucky that it didn't cause any more trouble for me than it did. I'm only sorry that I had to learn my lesson the way I did.

Give Mom a big hug and a kiss for me, and tell Mary Kate, John, and Bill that I am looking forward to seeing all of them in the stands here at Notre Dame this spring!

Love, your son,
Mike

[Big Six]

12 Lowell Road
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts

Mr. Frank Owens
Brown’s Hotel
London, England

November 15, 1935

Dear Frank,

It was wonderful to receive your letter the other day. Your stories of your experiences in England brought smiles to my face several times, and I am glad to hear that it has been a productive trip for you in a business sense as well.

Thank you for your concern and prayers for Sarah. She has recovered almost completely; her bouts of dizziness are coming much less frequently, and she feels better with every passing week. Bill’s arm has recovered completely, and he was even able to play football this fall. Next year, he and John will be high school teammates, a prospect that delights both brothers very much.

The only remaining Miss O’Farrell has followed in the footsteps of her mother and older sister to Mount Holyoke. Mary Kate enjoys college life immensely, nearly as much as Beth enjoys being Mrs. John Parker. The newlyweds have settled nicely in Philadelphia, and as John is a Phillies fan, he can easily root for the Red Sox without compromising his loyalties too much. He has simply been persuaded by his lovely wife to adopt the Red Sox as his favorite American League team.

I was sorry to hear, however, that while you have been discovering the joys of cricket and “footy,” you haven’t been able to receive as much news about the recently completed baseball season as you would have liked. I will be glad to fill in a few of the details for you, although I wish I had more pleasant information to relate.

We won 91 games, which isn’t a bad total at all; unfortunately, the Detroit club won 102. We struggled with injuries throughout the season, particularly among our pitchers. Waite Hoyt missed five weeks in July and August, and Danny MacFayden hurt his arm in May and wasn’t able to return until September. Hoyt’s loss was felt particularly hard, as he was enjoying another tremendous year. He won twenty games anyway, and his earned run average was just under three a game. In fact, we had three pitchers reach the 20-win standard. Neal Brady won 22 games, and Ray Brown won 23. For Brady, it was the eighth consecutive season he has won at least twenty games. Hoyt has now accomplished that feat six straight years, and Brown has started a streak of his own over the last two years. Our “Big Three” is as good as any in the game. I would love to find a steady fourth man to complement them. Perhaps if MacFayden is healthy this year, he can fill that role.

The most positive development of the season, offensively, was the continued improvement of our young catcher, Josh Gibson. He won the American League batting title with an average of .351, and he is starting to develop some of the power our scouts believe will one day become his calling card. Lou Gehrig had the kind of outstanding year we always see from him. He hit .332 with 30 home runs, and he walked 150 times. I don’t think enough attention is paid to the ability of hitters like Gehrig to draw bases on balls. A walk puts a man on base; a man on base can score runs; scoring runs wins ballgames. Of course, since I drew a few walks in my day, I’ll value that skill, won’t I?

We got very good performances from two of our rookie outfielders, Mel Almada and Moose Solters. Almada hit .287 and played very good defense, and Solters hit 13 home runs. Almada, Solters, and Chick Hafey give us a very solid outfield, although Hafey didn’t hit for as much power as he usually does. Chick only hit nine homers, but that was partially the result of a torn abdominal muscle that sidelined him for a month. We believe Chick will bounce back to his usual form next year.

Frank Frisch turned 37 in September, but he continues to play well. He hit nearly .300, drove in 89 runs, and stole another 30 bases. He has taken good care of himself, and it has paid off in a long, productive career. Judy Johnson and Marty Dihigo did the job at short and second, too.

In summary, we had a good, solid ballclub without a real weakness, which is why we won those 91 games. The Tigers, however, have built a real powerhouse. Their lineup is full of hitters like Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer, “Cool Papa” Bell, and Heinie Manush, and their pitching is solid with guys like Marv Gudat and “Schoolboy” Rowe. Gudat was injured much of the year, but the Tigers still won over 100 games. That says a lot about their talent, doesn’t it?

The Giants club they beat in the World Series was led, as usual, by Buck Leonard. Buck was out of the lineup with injuries and didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title, which he would have won easily with a .374 mark. The Giants also made a wonderful trade with the Reds in which they obtained a very intriguing player, a young pitcher from Russia named Victor Starffin. Starffin learned baseball while living in Japan, and he is talented enough to make the major leagues at age 19. The Giants swapped Mule Haas for him; Haas is a good hitter, but Starffin looks like he’ll be a star for years to come.

Now that the influence of the military over the Japanese government appears to have been minimized, I think it is very likely that Japanese players might be coming to the United States to try their hands at major league baseball. The Japanese people love the game, and I have heard that the best players in their league would be able to play successfully in the major leagues.

Before I bore you to tears, I want to mention one more item you might have missed. I believe we have seen the last of Babe Ruth and Oscar Charleston in major league uniforms. Neither man enjoyed much success this season; Charleston hit .238 with only eight home runs, and Ruth batted only about 50 times and failed to hit a homer. They’re both forty years old, or close to it, and both are proud men who don’t want to stick around if they can’t perform at a reasonably high level.

I fear I might have given you much more information about the baseball season than you wanted, and if I have, I apologize for taking so much of your time. Please feel free to explain to me the intricacies of the sports you’ve discovered during your year in jolly old England. I hope to hear from you soon, and to see you and your family when you return to the States.

Your pal,
Pat

[Big Six]

I thought it was time for another look at the career leader boards. Here are the all-time leaders in a number of hitting and pitching categories.

BATTING AVERAGE 
 1  T. Cobb        .357 
 2  W. Keeler      .350 
 3  B. Leonard*    .346 
 4  H. Wagner      .343 
 5  D. Alexander*  .341 
 6  C. Klein*      .340 
 7  L. Waner*      .340 
 8  C. Bell*       .339 
 9  O. Charleston  .336 
10  G. Goslin*     .336 
11  N. Lajoie      .335 
12  M. Haas*       .334 
13  J. Jackson     .333 
14  P. Waner*      .332 
15  C. Jamieson    .332 
16  E. Averill*    .332 
17  E. Murphy      .331 
18  C. Hafey*      .331 
19  L. Gehrig*     .330 
20  F. Luderus     .329 
21  H. Manush*     .329 
22  M. Suttles*    .329 
23  B. Chapman*    .328 
24  T. Shafer      .327 
25  P. O'Farrell   .327

A few of these active players may move off this list as they decline. If a player is still fairly close to the top as he reaches his mid-thirties, he’s a decent bet to stay on the chart. Among these players are Goslin (age 35), Alexander, Haas, Bell, and Paul Waner (all 32).

HOME RUNS
 1  B. Ruth         617 
 2  O. Charleston   422 
 3  L. Gehrig*      370 
 4  B. Leonard*     256 
 4  J. Bottomley*   256 
 6  J. Foxx*        239 
 7  M. Ott*         232 
 8  J. Hauser*      225 
 9  R. Hornsby      216 
10  P. O'Farrell    209

The two leading home run sluggers in history have now put away their booming bats for good. Oscar would have been a cinch to join the Babe in the 500 club had he been able to begin his career at 22, say, instead of 26. Gehrig (age 32) has a great chance at 500, and I’ll predict that Leonard and Foxx, who are both 28, will join him.

Take your last look at the name of Pat O'Farrell among the top ten home run hitters of all time.

[Big Six]

I thought it was time for another look at the career leader boards. Here are the all-time leaders in a number of hitting and pitching categories.

BATTING AVERAGE 
 1  T. Cobb        .357 
 2  W. Keeler      .350 
 3  B. Leonard*    .346 
 4  H. Wagner      .343 
 5  D. Alexander*  .341 
 6  C. Klein*      .340 
 7  L. Waner*      .340 
 8  C. Bell*       .339 
 9  O. Charleston  .336 
10  G. Goslin*     .336 
11  N. Lajoie      .335 
12  M. Haas*       .334 
13  J. Jackson     .333 
14  P. Waner*      .332 
15  C. Jamieson    .332 
16  E. Averill*    .332 
17  E. Murphy      .331 
18  C. Hafey*      .331 
19  L. Gehrig*     .330 
20  F. Luderus     .329 
21  H. Manush*     .329 
22  M. Suttles*    .329 
23  B. Chapman*    .328 
24  T. Shafer      .327 
25  P. O'Farrell   .327

A few of these active players may move off this list as they decline. If a player is still fairly close to the top as he reaches his mid-thirties, he’s a decent bet to stay on the chart. Among these players are Goslin (age 35), Alexander, Haas, Bell, and Paul Waner (all 32).

HOME RUNS
 1  B. Ruth         617 
 2  O. Charleston   422 
 3  L. Gehrig*      370 
 4  B. Leonard*     256 
 4  J. Bottomley*   256 
 6  J. Foxx*        239 
 7  M. Ott*         232 
 8  J. Hauser*      225 
 9  R. Hornsby      216 
10  P. O'Farrell    209

The two leading home run sluggers in history have now put away their booming bats for good. Oscar would have been a cinch to join the Babe in the 500 club had he been able to begin his career at 22, say, instead of 26. Gehrig (age 32) has a great chance at 500, and I’ll predict that Leonard and Foxx, who are both 28, will join him.

Take your last look at the name of Pat O'Farrell among the top ten home run hitters of all time.

RUNS BATTED IN
 1  B. Ruth        2038 
 2  P. O'Farrell   1847 
 3  J. Jackson     1613 
 4  O. Charleston  1582 
 5  J. Beckley     1568 
 6  S. Crawford    1551 
 7  T. Speaker     1538 
 8  F. Frisch*     1525 
 9  T. Cobb        1501 
10  G. Davis       1461

Frisch spent much of his career overshadowed by bigger stars like Pat O’Farrell and Lou Gehrig, but he’s quietly put together a Hall of Fame-calibre career. At age 37, the Fordham Flash might find himself third on this list by the time he’s done. Gehrig is the next active player on the list, ranked 14th with 1390. He might push Pat out of second, and could challenge the Babe for the top spot with a few more good years.

HITS
 1  T. Cobb        3840 
 2  P. O'Farrell   3668 
 3  J. Jackson     3142 
 4  E. Murphy      3132 
 5  W. Keeler      3115 
 6  T. Speaker     3088 
 7  S. Crawford    3077 
 8  J. Beckley     2912 
 9  H. Wagner      2877 
10  G. Beaumont    2849

The active hits leader is Frank Frisch, who picked up his 2500th career hit late in the 1935 season and now ranks 24th with 2520.

Oscar Charleston retired with 2470; again, the color line possibly kept him from reaching a milestone. It's not unreasonable to suggest that Oscar was the greatest hitter of all time.

DOUBLES
 1  P. O'Farrell    685 
 2  T. Speaker      639 
 3  N. Lajoie       566 
 4  H. Heilmann     555 
 5  B. Ruth         534 
 5  R. Hornsby      534 
 7  H. Wagner       529 
 8  J. Jackson      515 
 9  M. Suttles*     500 
10  S. Crawford     481

The Mule has kicked at least 50 doubles in a season four times, including 54, 56, and 51 the last three seasons. Suttles is 34, so he might retire as the all-time leader. Heinie Manush (480) and Gehrig (478) will rank among the top ten very soon.

TRIPLES
1  P. O'Farrell     325 
2  T. Cobb          253 
3  S. Crawford      252 
4  O. Charleston    251 
5  T. Speaker       246 
6  J. Beckley       243 
7  F. Frisch*       242 
8  F. Clarke        206 
9  C. Bell*         203 
9  G. Moriarty      203

There’s Frisch again, and there’s Cool Papa. Cool can still motor, but whether or not he has enough left to catch Pat O'Farrell is yet to be seen.

BASES ON BALLS
 1  B. Ruth        2103 
 2  P. O'Farrell   2002 
 3  L. Gehrig*     1552 
 4  T. Shafer      1511 
 5  N. Leibold     1361 
 6  T. Cobb        1209 
 7  A. Bridwell    1154 
 8  M. Konnick     1140 
 9  R. Thomas      1132 
10  S. Strang      1131

Gehrig has walked 150 or more times in a season three times, including an amazing 181 in 1931. He looks like a lock for 2000 walks, and possibly considerably more.

It's going to take a little research, but I'm going to make a list of the top OPS guys in the history of Pat's universe. Off the top of my head, I'd say Ruth, Gehrig, Charleston, and O'Farrell are the top four, probably in that order.

RUNS
 1  P. O'Farrell   2466 
 2  B. Ruth        2140 
 3  T. Cobb        2103 
 4  T. Shafer      1784 
 5  W. Keeler      1764 
 6  E. Murphy      1738 
 7  T. Speaker     1617 
 8  J. Beckley     1597 
 9  H. Hooper      1586 
10  O. Charleston  1574

Gehrig, once again, is the active leader in this category; his total of 1542 is good for 15th place. Lou might catch Cobb and the Babe, but he would need to average over 150 runs scored a game until he's 42 to pass Pat.

STOLEN BASES
 1  P. O'Farrell   1439 
 2  T. Cobb        1180 
 3  T. Shafer      1107 
 4  E. Murphy      1049 
 5  S. Piez         952 
 6  B. Herzog       834 
 7  G. Moriarty     814 
 8  T. Speaker      675 
 9  J. Lelivelt     670 
10  H. Wagner       658

A nice, nostalgic look back a time "when the ball was dead, and the bases alive with the scurrying of feet." I remember reading that phrase in The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball when I was a kid, and for some reason it's stuck with me ever since.

Cool Papa (647) is tied for 11th, and Frisch (604) ranks fifteenth. Archie Graham has 428 career steals, after swiping 76 and 62 over the last two years. Moonlight turned 33 over the off-season, so it’s not too likely he’ll keep up that pace.

WINS
 1  C. Young        441 
 2  P. Perritt      386 
 3  J. Wood         350 
 4  C. Mathewson    340 
 5  R. Hitt         337 
 6  A. Joss         325 
 7  W. Johnson      313 
 8  R. Marquard     306 
 9  D. Mason        305 
10  C. Rose         295 
11  H. Moran        292 
12  G. Alexander    289 
12  N. Brady*       289 
14  G. Mullin       277 
15  J. Powell       261 
16  M. Craft        257 
17  J. Dubuc        255 
18  E. Jacobs       251 
19  R. Castleton    247 
20  B. Burns        245 
21  J. Tesreau      240 
21  J. Chesbro      240 
23  C. Griffith     237 
24  J. Coombs       236 
25  J. McGinnity    230

Neal Brady was the “throw-in” who went to the Red Sox in the Ruth-Gehrig trade. Now, there’s a spot saved for him in Cooperstown. Other active wins leaders: Lucas 219, Hoyt 217, Grove 195, Paige 173, Rufus Smith 156, Hilton Smith 146. Hoyt is the only one of these pitchers who was born in the 1800s, and Paige and Hilton are the youngest.

Rufus Smith is one of the more outrageous "surprise stars" I've uncovered. I don't know about you, but I think I would have let Rufus pitch another game. I have no idea why the hell they called him "Shirt," either.

Among the pitchers who won a significant portion of their games pre-simulation are Young, Powell, Griffith, Chesbro, and McGinnity.

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
 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

This list isn't nearly as interesting as it could be, because only four pitchers on it--Brown, Matty, White, and Burns--compiled a significant portion of their stats during the simulation. The others' records were imported with them when I created Pat's universe, which began in 1904.

To earn a spot on the lifetime ERA leaderboard, you have to beat a 3.06. No active player makes it. Hilton Smith is close, with a 3.09 at age 29, but no other active ace is currently within striking range. Red Lucas stands at 3.32; Satchel Paige has a 3.55; Neal Brady and Waite Hoyt are both at 3.53; Lefty Grove has a 3.59.

STRIKEOUTS
 1  W. Johnson     4179 
 2  J. Wood        4056 
 3  P. Perritt     3993 
 4  R. Hitt        3312 
 5  N. Brady*      3014 
 6  G. Alexander   2996 
 7  C. Mathewson   2769 
 8  M. Craft       2759 
 9  D. Mason       2757 
10  H. Moran       2622

Brady became the fifth member of the 3K-K fraternity late in 1935. Lefty Grove has 2345, which places him twelfth, while Satchel has 2108 before his thirtieth birthday and ranks 15th. Hilton Smith, who is three months or so younger, is 23rd, with 1957.

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, March 30, 1936

QUESTIONS ABOUND AS AL TEAMS BEGIN SEASON
Carrigan’s Red Sox Set Sights on Pennant

RICHMOND—As the Boston Red Sox play their way back to New England after a successful spring training, Bill Carrigan and his team face more questions than a team that finished the previous season in second place ordinarily must answer.

The Red Sox finished eleven games back of the Detroit Tigers last season and have lost an aggregate fourteen games in the standings to the Detroiters since 1933. Has time passed the Sox by? Must Boston rooters now content themselves with second place finishes and memories of the good old days when trips to the World Series were as normal as falling leaves each October?

Carrigan, who put his charges through their paces with his usual gusto this spring, does not think so. “We have some veteran players, especially on our pitching staff,” the Red Sox pilot conceded. “But the veterans we’re talking about are guys like Neal Brady and Waite Hoyt. They haven’t shown signs of slipping yet, and they threw well all spring long.”

Brady and Hoyt, indeed, looked good in preseason action. They might have been born in the nineteenth century, but there isn’t a manager in the American League who wouldn’t want them on their side. While both hurlers should one day find themselves in Cooperstown, both have some good innings left in their arms. Sox general manager Pat O’Farrell will have to search for their replacements soon, but he likely has at least one year before the need becomes immediate.

More alarming is the situation in the everyday lineup, where veteran soldiers like Frank Frisch, Judy Johnson, Lefty O’Doul, and Kiki Cuyler are showing signs of the decline that comes the way of every ballplayer. Carrigan is still able to write the names of productive batsmen like Chick Hafey and Martin Dihigo on his lineup card, and in Lou Gehrig, the Red Sox have the best hitter in baseball on whom to anchor their lineup.

The Bostons have one bright young star in their firmament, catcher Josh Gibson. To challenge clubs like the Tigers, players like Mel Almada and Moose Solters must continue to improve, and at least one from a group of infielders that includes Leo Durocher, Billy Werber, Jack Rothrock, and John Kroner must demonstrate that he can hold down a regular major league job.

O’Farrell did make one interesting signing during the off season, inking a young third baseman from Japan named Fumio Fujimura to a contract. Young Fujimura, who will turn twenty years old during the season’s first week, showed flashes of major league-quality talent during the spring. He will be sent to New Bedford for seasoning, but most “experts” who watched Fujimura believe he will make a big leaguer in time.

O’Farrell was, of course, one of the pioneers in integrating colored players into the major leagues, and one of the reasons for the Red Sox’ continued success has been the outstanding performance of Negro players like Johnson, Dihigo, Gibson, and pitcher Ray Brown. Once again, O’Farrell and the Sox appear willing to tap another possible source of baseball talent, and if Fujimura makes good, look for more men of his nationality on American professional teams in the year to come.

Today in Richmond, the Red Sox will meet a team that appears to be an up-and-comer: the New York Yankees. Gone is Babe Ruth and his once-devastating bat, but the Yanks have built a powerful lineup without him. They’ve accomplished this feat the Red Sox way: trading for a couple of key players while their homegrown youngsters develop their skills.. The Yankees last year acquired Dale Alexander and Luke Appling to man the infield corners, while younger players like Dixie Walker and Ben Chapman emerged as stars.

Now, the Yankees have a centerfielder whose play has elicited superlatives the likes of which haven't been heard in years. He is Joe DiMaggio, whom the Yanks purchased from the San Francisco club in the Pacific Coast League. DiMaggio, 21, has demonstrated the ability to hit for average and power, and his play in the center garden brings to mind a young Tris Speaker…