HAL TROSKY

Hal Trosky was a hefty left-handed slugger, who was also a good contact hitter and an adequate, if not slick, fielder. In 1934, his rookie year with Cleveland, Big Hal batted .330, hit 35 homers and drove in 142 runs. Unfortunately, it was the golden age of first basemen and Trosky found himself being measured against Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig (triple crown that year), Hank Greenberg, Bill Terry and Jim Bottomley, all future Hall of Famers, not to speak of distinguished journeymen Ripper Collins, Dolf Camilli, Charie Grimm, Gus Suhr, and Joe Kuhel. Even the Great Stone Glove, Zeke Bonura, hit .302, knocked in 110, and,take note Guinness BOOK,led the majors in fielding average.

For the next six seasons, however, Trosky more than held his own, batting .313 and averaging 28 home runs and 118 RBIs. In 1936 he led the majors in RBIs with 162. (Yes, 162.) But like Jimmie Foxx, Hal was plagued by sinus headaches, perhaps aggravated by infield dust, and since in the 1930s there were no antibiotics with which to treat the ailment, he had to play through the pain. At age 31, Trosky was effectively washed up.

In 1940, his last significant season, Hal suffered the additional misfortune of being marked (by New York reporters) as the spokesman for the so-called Cleveland Crybabies, all 25 Indian players, who petitioned owner Alva Bradley to get rid of tyrannical and acerbic manager Ossie Vitt. No doubt the players,including standup guys like Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau and Mel Harder, made a big mistake in fingering Vitt in mid-season. And since the Indians blew the pennant on the final weekend after having led for most of the season, Trosky, the messenger, became indelibly associated in baseball history with the 1940 Crybabies.