The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by jdw

Nice letter, Big Six.


John

Thanks, John. Good to see you here again!

I find that the letters are either very easy to write, or very difficult. I think I have to be in a particular mood to write one well, and if I've decided a letter is the next post I'll make, I often find myself stuck for a while, waiting for the writing mood to strike me.

I hope you'll keep following the story.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, July 22, 1938

SOX TRADE FOR PHILLIES' WEAVER
Pitching Staff Receives Boost

BOSTON--With the Detroit Tigers breathing down their necks, the Boston Red Sox today acquired one of the better pitchers in the game in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Big Jim Weaver, a six-time National League All-Star, returns to the junior circuit, where he was named Rookie of the Year in 1928 as a member of the Washington Senators. Weaver, aged 34, brings with him a 15-7 record and a fine 3.46 ERA, and will immediately step into a Red Sox rotation that has tormented manager Bill Carrigan with its inconsistency.

In exchange for the six foot, six inch righthander from Tennessee, the Red Sox sent young outfielder Dom Dallessandro and catcher Ed Connolly to the Phils. Dallessandro, one of the more promising young hitters in baseball, was deemed expendable because of the phenomenal success of Ted Williams, whose .407 batting average and 34 home runs for Minneapolis have created speculation that he will soon be wearing Red Sox togs.

The acquisition of Weaver might mean more time in Minneapolis for another young Red Sox farmhand. Righthander Mike O'Farrell, who has pitched very effectively for the Millers, was rumored to be on his way to Boston, but for now, he will continue to hone his skills in the American Association.

O'Farrell strained a ligament in his money elbow two weeks ago, but the injury appears to have healed completely. It did, however, cause the Sox to postpone their plans to promote him to the big leagues until his bill of health is certifiably clean...

[Ric915]

Hey BigSix

I just found this thread a few weeks ago and have now read all the way through

Being a die hard Yankee fan and a person who truely hates the RedSox It is amazing that I found myself rooting for the Red Sox and Pat and now Mike. This dynasty is absolutely amazing. I know it can't be easy doing all the simming and writing it all up so I just wan't to say thanks for all the Hard work put into this thread it's appreciated

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Ric915

Hey BigSix

I just found this thread a few weeks ago and have now read all the way through

Being a die hard Yankee fan and a person who truely hates the RedSox It is amazing that I found myself rooting for the Red Sox and Pat and now Mike. This dynasty is absolutely amazing. I know it can't be easy doing all the simming and writing it all up so I just wan't to say thanks for all the Hard work put into this thread it's appreciated

Thanks, Ric. I hoped the O'Farrells would be characters people would like and root for, no matter which teams they support in "real life." It might be easier for you to root for the Sox in Pat's universe, because the rivalry between the Sox and the Yankees really hasn't developed there. The two best teams in the American League in the O'Farrell world have been Boston and Detroit, with the Athletics poking their heads in every once in a while.

The Yankees are seeming to make a move now, however, as the stars of the 1930s and 1940s are coming aboard. I find myself hoping the next decade or so brings about a classic Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. If it does, you might decide you're not quite as much of a Mike O'Farrell fan.

That is, unless his Dad trades him to New York.

[lewis31lewis52]

I'm gonna laugh if he gets traded by his dad, especially to NY, because then I'd have to hate him.

This is a great thread, BigSix, and I can't wait until the next update.

If you don't mind me asking, how are my Tigers doing in this fictional universe?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

I'm gonna laugh if he gets traded by his dad, especially to NY, because then I'd have to hate him.

This is a great thread, BigSix, and I can't wait until the next update.

If you don't mind me asking, how are my Tigers doing in this fictional universe?

Thanks for your comments, lewis. Glad you're enjoying the story.

With Mike, I'm using the same house rule for trades that I used for Pat. I won't shop him around, but if a computer-managed team makes a trade offer to me involving Mike, I'll consider it.

I remember being approached twice by AI teams who wanted to acquire Pat when he was in the minor leagues. In both cases, the team offered a good pitcher, but both were in their mid-thirties. Needless to say, I turned both offers down.

Your Tigers are, as you'll read in the next update, one of three teams battling for the 1938 American League pennant. Since the days of Ty Cobb and Pat O'Farrell, the Tigers and the Red Sox have been the most consistent winners in the American League.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, July 25, 1938

SOX SUMMON WILLIAMS FROM MINNEAPOLIS
Phil Todt's Injury Creates Opportunity For Young Slugger

BOSTON--It was going to happen sooner or later, and when Phil Todt pulled up lame after singling in the fifth inning of yesterday's 14-4 loss to the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox decided the time was right.

Immediately after the game, the club recalled slugging phenom Ted Williams from Minneapolis of the American Association. Williams, a 20-year-old outfielder, was hitting .404 with 35 home runs for the Millers.

General manager Pat O'Farrell made it clear that Williams is not coming to Boston to ride the bench. "Ted Williams is going to play every day," O'Farrell stated emphatically. "A young player like Ted needs regular action in order to improve. He would be better off continuing to play in Minneapolis than he would be sitting on the bench in Boston."

The struggles of Todt, who will celebrate his 37th birthday in two weeks, had the Bosox brain trust contemplating the call to Williams for some time now. The veteran, who hit a lusty .314 last season, has been unable to lift his average above .250 this year, and in 343 at-bats, he has hit only one home run.

Todt has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, which will allow the team to give Williams a good, long audition. "By then, we'll have a good idea of whether or not Williams is ready to help us," said manager Bill Carrigan.

The Red Sox, who are battling tooth-and-claw with the formidable Detroit Tigers for the American League pennant, are counting on Ted to make good, and quickly.

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, August 18, 1938

YANKEES, TIGERS WIN WHILE SOX FALL TO NATS
Two Games Separate Top Three Teams In AL Race

BOSTON--The Red Sox had lots to think about on their long train ride to Detroit last night. They could contemplate the pasting they took from the Washington Senators, who chased Bucky Walters from the hill with a four-run second inning and punished three relievers for five runs in the eighth en route to a 9-4 victory.

They could consider the implications of the three-game series they are about to play with the Tigers, whose 8-4 triumph over Cleveland brought them to within a game of the first-place Red Sox.

Or, they could ponder the recent charge of the New York Yankees, who have won 15 of their last 17 contests, and have lined up immediately behind the Tigers in the American League standings.

With outstanding young players like Joe DiMaggio and Joe Gordon joining vets like Dixie Walker, Larry Bettencourt, and Dale Alexander in their lineup, the Yankees have established themselves as a formidable challenger to the Tigers and Red Sox, long considered the junior circuit's elite.

Freshman pitcher Spud Chandler might not be a youngster; at age 31, he is considerably older than most rookies. Nevertheless, Chandler has teamed with holdovers Mace Brown, Rufus Smith, and Lon Warneke to give the Yanks a potent quartet of starting pitchers.

As usual, the Tigers' batting order features a dangerous hitter in every slot. Hank Greenberg, Rudy York, and Willie Wells have each clubbed at least seventeen homers. Charlie Gehringer has driven in 84 runs. And, Jo-Jo Moore leads the league in hitting with a .355 mark.

The Red Sox will, therefore, depend heavily on their pitching staff to keep the potent offenses of the Yankees and Tigers in check. Jim Weaver has pitched extremely well since his acquisition last month, while Walters--his poor outing yesterday notwithstanding--has been solid all year long. Carl Hubbell and Ray Brown, on the other hand, have been little better than .500 pitchers this season, and their struggles give manager Bill Carrigan cause for concern.

Help might come from the Minneapolis farm, where righthander Mike O'Farrell has posted a 12-7 mark with an earned run average below three runs a game. O'Farrell, who struggled with his control during a brief stay in Boston last September, has thrown strikes much more efficiently this year and, from all reports, seems ready to contribute at the big league level...

[Big Six]

Boston Herald, August 29, 1938

SOX ADD O'FARRELL TO PITCHING STAFF
Righthander Will Join Team In New York

BOSTON--Arming themselves for the stretch run of a three-team pennant race, the Boston Red Sox today announced that righthander Mike O'Farrell has been called up from the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association.

O'Farrell, who won his thirteenth game of the season yesterday afternoon, will join a club that is engaged in a heated fight for the American League championship with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. At the close of yesterday's play, the Tigers held the lead, a game ahead of the Red Sox and Yankees, who are deadlocked for second place.

Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan plans to insert O'Farrell into the starting rotation in place of Ray Brown, whose lack of consistency has become a more pressing problem over the last two weeks. Brown, like many hurlers, prefers to work as a starter, but with Jim Weaver, Bucky Walters, and Carl Hubbell holding down the other three spots in the Boston rotation, someone had to relocate to the bullpen. Brown has worked effectively in that role before, so he was Carrigan's choice for the move.

Any rookie who finds himself thrust into a prominent role on a team that is fighting for a pennant faces pressure, and in the case of young O'Farrell, that pressure is perhaps extreme. He is, of course, the son of Red Sox immortal Pat O'Farrell who, in his current role as Red Sox general manager, is now his son's boss.

Mike O'Farrell is no stranger to pressure, however. As a quarterback at Notre Dame, he regularly played in front of thousands of the most rabid fans in all the world of sports. He has also proved himself in professional gridiron competition, having completed a very successful rookie season with the NFL's Detroit Lions.

"I'm not worried about the pressure," O'Farrell stated. "I've been Pat O'Farrell's son all my life, after all. I've always had to deal with the extra expectations that brings, even when I was in high school. Sure, it's a lot to live up to, but I'm ready."

Red Sox fans throughout New England hope Mike is right and that, like his father did for so many years, he will inscribe his name into the story of another championship season.

[Big Six]

Ponchartrain Hotel
Detroit, Michigan

Mr. Nile Kinnick
530 North Dubuque Street
Iowa City, Iowa

September 12, 1938

Dear Nile,

Thanks very much for your letter of the 7th. It was great to hear from you, and I appreciated your congratulations for my first big league appearance of the year. I was frustrated by my inability to throw strikes that afternoon; I think I'm still feeling too threatened by major league hitters. I need to trust my "stuff" and overcome my fear of throwing the ball over the plate.

I knew I had to pitch much better today, or the Tigers would pin my ears back. I wondered how the Detroit fans would greet me, and it sounded like there must have been a few people in the stands who are Lions fans, too. I was cheered very politely at the beginning of the game, and again when I left after the seventh inning. By then we were ahead 8-2, so I suppose they could afford to be somewhat charitable.

I just learned that New York also won today, so we're tied with the Yankees for second place. Detroit is only one game ahead now, and it looks like we'll be in the middle of a three-team fight to the finish.

A couple of the fellows you met in Minneapolis this summer are up with the Red Sox now, as I'm sure you're aware. Ted Williams has been hitting the ball well, which hasn't surprised anyone. I don't think any of us thought he'd hit .340...except Ted, of course. He's as cocky as ever, but that's Ted.

Fumio Fujimura is playing third base almost every day now, and he's hanging in there pretty well. He's batting .255, and he is playing extremely well in the field. He saved two runs for me today when he leaped and snagged a line drive that was on its way into the left field corner. Fumio likes Boston a lot more than he did Minneapolis, because there are quite a few more Japanese in Boston. He met a very pretty girl, and he's spending quite a bit of time with her.

Before you ask, I'm not quite so lucky. Sure, I've had a couple of dates--dinner and dancing--but I'm still looking for the right girl.

And, before you ask, Mary Kate asked about you just the other night when we spoke on the telephone. She's always awfully glad to hear from you.

I'm going out with Lloyd Cardwell, my Lions teammate, this evening, so I had better close this letter out now. I hope your classes and your football workouts are going well. Best of luck to you in your first game of the season. I know UCLA will be tough, but I have a feeling you and your Hawkeye teammates are on the verge of a great season.

I hope we can get together when our football schedules permit. Honestly, I hope I won't be joining the Lions for another month. I'd love to play in the World Series, after having watched my dad play in them all those years.

Your pal,
Mike

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 22, 1938

RED SOX POUND CHICAGO, KEEP PACE WITH YANKS
Sox Homer Five Times In Support Of O'Farrell's Solid Pitching

CHICAGO--Boston Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan has never been afraid to play a hunch.

Facing one of the most important games of the season, Carrigan handed the ball to 23-year-old rookie Mike O'Farrell and asked him to give his hard-hitting teammates a chance to win the game. O'Farrell did more than that, holding the White Sox to three runs in seven-plus innings--despite the fact that his teammates did not require such a strong outing. The Bostons put five pitches over the fence en route to a 13-4 pasting of the Chisox.

The hitters occupying the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth spots of the batting order provided the muscle for the Red Sox yesterday. Cleanup man Ted Williams pounded a Fabian Kowalik offering over the right field barrier to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. The homer was Ted's tenth in a Red Sox uniform, after he belted 35 of them for Minneapolis earlier this year.

The fifth man in the order, catcher Josh Gibson, chased Kowalik from the hill with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh. Gib's clout gave O'Farrell and the Bostons an 8-2 advantage, and Josh added a second home run two innings later.

Gibson's ninth inning blow was one of three struck by Red Sox sluggers in the final frame. Lou Gehrig, occupying the third slot in the lineup, hit a solo shot off Jud McLaughlin. Sixth batter Bobby Doerr copied his feat three batters later. Gehrig's homer, his 34th of the season, gave him 143 RBI, best in the big leagues.

O'Farrell could have coasted with such generous support from his teammates, but instead he turned in another effective performance. The righthander allowed the White Sox nine hits in seven innings, but his control was much sharper than in his previous outings. Mike walked only two batters while striking out six.

The Yankees also received a fine pitching performance from a rookie, but their freshman ace, Spud Chandler, is some seven years O'Farrell's senior. The Yanks' 5-4 decision over the Athletics enabled them to keep pace with the Red Sox atop the American League standings.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers lost to the Cleveland Indians, 7-6, when Indian pinch hitter Sam Leslie stroked a two-run single with two out in the top of the ninth. The Tigers have now fallen three games behind the front-runners, and with only four games remaining to be played, have been virtually eliminated from the race.

Today in Washington, the Red Sox send 26-game winner Jim Weaver to the mound to face the Senators, led by backstop John Kinsella and his potent .343 bat. The Yankees, behind Rufus Smith, will take on the Indians and their fine righthander, Johnny Broaca, in Cleveland.

[lewis31lewis52]

Awesome dynasty, Big Six. I don't know who to cheer for, my Tigers or your Sox.

If you don't mind, who exactly was Nile Kinnick again?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

Awesome dynasty, Big Six. I don't know who to cheer for, my Tigers or your Sox.

If you don't mind, who exactly was Nile Kinnick again?

Thanks, lewis. I'll forgive you if you pull for the Tigers. Rivalries are much more fun if there are fans on both sides, after all.

The "real" Nile Kinnick was an outstanding athlete and a remarkable man. He was one of my dad's idols as a boy, and when he told me his story, I could understand why. I thought it might be fun to include him in my dynasty in some way. Look for his character to emerge more fully as the story continues.

Here's a link to a very good short biography of Nile Kinnick
from an ESPN Classic program called "Everybody's All-America."

[Big Six]

Boston Globe, September 23, 1938

RED SOX LOSE HEARTBREAKER
Veteran Hoyt Allows Three Runs In Tenth

WASHINGTON--After the Red Sox scored twice in the top of the tenth inning, the Senators responded with three runs of their own to defeat the Red Sox, 4-3. Venerable Waite Hoyt was the Boston hurler of record, and he perhaps deserved a much better fate in what was almost certainly his final appearance on a major league diamond.

The game's starting pitchers--rookie Jake Winters of Washington and veteran Jim Weaver of Boston--treated a large, vocal crowd to a sparkling demonstration of pitching skill before leaving the game for pinch-hitters. Weaver pitched particularly splendid ball, allowing only a pair of hits in eight innings.

The Red Sox got to Washington reliever Red Anderson for a pair of scores in the tenth frame, courtesy of a leadoff home run by Mel Almada and a two-out RBI double by Bobby Doerr. Bill Carrigan entrusted the two-run lead to Hoyt, who had pitched effectively in the ninth inning.

Hoyt, alas, weakened in his second inning of work. With one out, Hoyt walked pinch hitter Roy Johnson, who steamed to second when Hoyt's first pitch to Buddy Lewis sailed high over catcher Josh Gibson's head. Lewis then slapped a ground ball to second, moving Johnson to third.

Leadoff batter John Mihalic coaxed a second walk from Hoyt, and promptly stole second base. The next batter, Carl Sumner, drilled the decisive hit, a sharp single to center field that scored Johnson and Mihalic. Dejected, Hoyt left the mound with his head bowed, and refused to speak to reporters after the game.

The Red Sox' lost takes on deeper significance because the New York Yankees pounded the Indians, 8-2, in Cleveland yesterday. The Yankees now lead the Red Sox by a game, and each team has three games remaining to play.

Should the Yankees' lead hold up, Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan might be forever questioned about his decision to place the fate of the team's season in the hands of Waite Hoyt, rather than calling on a younger, less battle-weary hurler. After the game, Carrigan defended his choice steadfastly. "Waite has been throwing well lately," he claimed, an assertion that is certainly supported by the facts. In his last seven appearances, covering eight innings, the lefthander had allowed only four hits and two bases on balls.

Today, the Red Sox return to Boston for a single game against the Philadelphia Athletics, while the Yankees entertain the Senators. King Carl Hubbell will toe the rubber for the Red Sox against Tony Freitas, while Gotham ace Mace Brown faces the Nats' Dick Coffman.

[Ric915]

Go Yanks!!!

Great Stuff six

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Ric915

Go Yanks!!!

Great Stuff six

Thanks, Ric. It's cool to have someone rooting for the "other side" sometimes. The O'Farrell clan has so many fans that someone who wants to see someone else win some of the time is actually refreshing.

[DTF955]

Big Six, just a little something from an alternate history buff that will make the later world mroe believeable, as you'll no doubt want air and space travel to continue on schedule, and in OTL development was sped up markedly by WW II. Here...

Sept. 23, 1938 - New York Times:
Roosevelt Gives Robert Goddard Go-ahead
Was he in danger of going to the British?

Dateline, Washington - The United States President today decided the viability of one scientist, the party of one leader, and the fate of one nation.

The scientist was Robert Goddard, whose interest in rocketry had sparked talk of his being "the prototype for Buck Rogers." Long trying to gain the ear of American leaders, thus lending support to his rocketry ideas, he had lately been courted by the British. It is unknown whether he would have gone over to America's allies in this nascent jet race - which some speculate could become a space race. However, the president was quoted as saying tht, "American could not afford to waste time" in sponsoring his project."

"We clearly recall," FDR said, "when a daring young man named Christopher Columbus dared to dream the impossible - a route to the East that went not around the Cape of Good Hope, but across the sea to parts unknown. Several nations had a chance to attain this glory and failed. It is my firm belief thta had we refused to sponsor this man, we may have suffered the same fate at Portugal and France, second rate powers for a century or more, as Spain built a vast empire that spanned virtually the entire South American continent and much of the North, reaching from the icy Cape Horn all the way north to the Oregon-California border."

As Columbus Day approaches, Roosevelt is eager to allow America to enter into, "A challenge much like the freiendly challenge of cities in this great game of baseball, where leading contenders vie for supremacy not through war, but through peaceful competition, designed to foster growth and development for all mankind."

Germany may well be the Boston Red Sox in this battle, with such luminaries as Werner von Braun helping that now peaceful democracy, which weathered storms early this decade, to advance far in the race to put jets on planes.

Great Britain may well be the Tigers, that roaring group whose empire spans a quarter of the world's population, and whose resources have of late been turned to peaceful means. Had they signed Goddard away, which they appeared ready to try to do, surely they would have become Germany's equal overnight. As it is, they still have a shot, but it is uncertain whether the Empire will wish to continue to spend money to do such exotic things, or whether the move to Dominion status by India in 1940 or thereabouts will signal a slow decline in British power and capabilities.

The Americans, then, are the newcomers, the Yankees of this season, or the Athletics of a few years back. They wish to advance in many areas, including racial relations. Roosevelt recently dropped the bombshell that - given successes in baseball - he will integrate the military by 1940. they are trying to move by leaps and bounds toward Manifest Destiny just as they did a century before; the decision to fund Goddard's plans for jets and rocketry research have caused them to announce, with one fell swoop, that "the friendly race between the Germans and British has obtained another contestant."

Will it fly? that is uncertain. But, one man was convinced of the viability of this plan. "President Roosevelt has convinced me," Wendell Wilkie said. "I was a delegate for him at the '32 convention, but we squabbled somewhat, as I supported his internationalizing but he didn't go far enough. I felt he was going the wrong direction economically at times. However, this move has shown me something. "Mr. Roosevelt may not be ready yet to bring us into the League of Nations, but I have no qualms supporting him in this endeavor to enter the jet race, which may well become a space race. I plan to wholeheartedly support his decision, not only because I feel it is right to move humanity forward in this way, but because I believe I can be a force to move this nation even further iin the next decade."

"Does that mean you're running for President as a Democrat, Mr. Wilkie?" one reporter asked.

With a sly smile, he said, "We'll see. We'll see."Wendell Wilkie had been considered a potential Republican, though he would have had a tough fight. However, with Vice President Garner far to old - past 70 2 years before the election - and few other quality candidates, Wilkie may have a good shot at winning.

[DTF955]

Hope you can read that last, it's not letting me edit to put line breaks in, and it didn't put them in at first when i typed it. Might be some glitch in the program, i dont' know.The crux is, the U.S. adopts Robert Goddard's proposals, and jet age will come about on schedule, but now it'll be Germany in the place of the Soviets of OTL in the space race, and I dont' know if the U.S. will try to catch up or not. Or, who knows, maybe a world space agency would be created over time instead.

[DTF955]

Originally Posted by DTF955

Hope you can read that last, it's not letting me edit to put line breaks in, and it didn't put them in at first when i typed it. Might be some glitch in the program, i dont' know.The crux is, the U.S. adopts Robert Goddard's proposals, and jet age will come about on schedule, but now it'll be Germany in the place of the Soviets of OTL in the space race, and I dont' know if the U.S. will try to catch up or not. Or, who knows, maybe a world space agency would be created over time instead.

Forgot to mention, also Wilkie will run as a Democrat in 1940, probably versus Dewey, and FDR has integrated the military - it will be done by 1940.

[Big Six]

Hotel Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio

Mr. Donald Flaherty
281 East Pine Street
Wooster, Ohio

September 25, 1938

Dear Don,

I wanted to write you a quick note to thank you and Ellie for coming up to Cleveland yesterday to watch me pitch. I wish you'd been able to see a game that had some meaning in the pennant race, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Bucky Walters simply didn't have his best stuff two days ago against the Tigers, and with the lineup they have, a pitcher can't afford to be less than his best. With our loss, we needed some assistance from the Browns to remain in the race. I have to tip my cap to the Yankees for coming back to beat the Browns after they fell behind by four runs. Most fans believe the Pirates will take them pretty easily in the Series, but I'm not so sure. I've never faced the Yankees myself, and I can't say I'm sorry.

You're right; I was getting tired by the time the ninth inning rolled around. Bill Carrigan wanted me to finish out my own game if I could, and I had a nice six-run lead to work with. I still have a lot to learn about pitching in the major leagues, and the experience of working my way out of a jam and retiring the side to close out the game was one I had not faced at this level. You and Ellie will always have the somewhat dubious distinction of watching my first major league complete game!

With the baseball season over, I'll be taking the train to Detroit this evening to join the Lions. I believe Dutch Clark intends to put me in the lineup for the game against the Rams this Sunday, so I'll be right back here in Cleveland before I know it. I'm sure I can work out a way to get tickets for you and Ellie, if you'd like to come to the game.

It was swell to see a pal from our Notre Dame days once again. Thank you for allowing me to treat you to dinner. I hope to make it to Wooster to visit you sometime soon, too.

Give Ellie my very best, buddy. You're right; your "little sister" has certainly grown up!

Your pal,
Mike