Lefty O'Doul
Encyclopedia
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul (March 4, 1897–December 7, 1969) was an American
Major League Baseball
player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager
in the minor leagues
, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan
.
, O'Doul began his professional career as a left-handed pitcher
with the minor-league San Francisco Seals of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
. After some major-league success with the New York Yankees
and Boston Red Sox
from to as a reliever. He pitched in one notable game on July 7, 1923 season that would go down in the record books. Relieving for starter Curt Fullerton
, O'Doul would give up 16 runs over 3 innings of relief, with 14 of those runs coming in the 6th inning alone. Although errors by Joe Sewell
and Rube Lutzke
would mean that only 3 of the 16 runs were earned, O'Doul would set the major league record for most runs allowed by a reliever in one appearance. This record was equaled by St Louis Cardinals pitcher Johnny Stuart
in 1925 and Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher Dutch Schesler
in 1931 (although both needed 8 innings to allow 16 runs). Following the season, he developed a sore arm which forced him to give up pitching. After the 1923 season, the New York Giants
returned O'Doul to the Pacific Coast League where he was converted to a power-hitting outfielder
. O'Doul returned to the majors in 1928, where he batted .319 as a platoon player
.
In , O'Doul was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
and, teaming up with Chuck Klein
, had one of the best offensive years in baseball history, leading the League in batting at .398 with 254 hits
, 32 home run
s, 122 runs batted in
, and 152 runs scored
. His hits total broke the previous National League record of 250 set by Rogers Hornsby
of the 1922 St. Louis Cardinals
. The record was tied by Bill Terry
in , but has yet to be broken.
After batting .383 with 22 homers during the 1930 season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Robins
. In , he batted .368 for the Robins (now known as the Dodgers) to win another league batting title. After a slow start in , when he batted just .252 through 43 games, O'Doul was again traded, this time back to the Giants. He rallied to hit .306 the rest of the way that season, but played just one more year before ending his career in .
, who went on to a Hall of Fame
career with the New York Yankees
. O'Doul refused to take credit for DiMaggio's success, saying "I was just smart enough to leave him alone."
, serving as the sport's goodwill ambassador before and after World War II
. The Tokyo Giants
, sometimes considered "Japan's Baseball Team," were named by him in 1935 in honor of his longtime association with the New York Giants; the logo and uniform of the Giants in Japan strongly resembles their North American counterpart.
O'Doul was inducted into the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
in 1981 and the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2002. He has the highest career batting average of any player eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame who is not enshrined. His relatively short career as a full-time batter and the fact that his statistics were accumulated during a period of historically high offensive production in the major leagues are factors militating against his selection to the Hall of Fame.
O'Doul's fame and popularity live on in his hometown of San Francisco. The popular restaurant and bar he founded still operates as Lefty O'Doul's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge on Geary Boulevard
, and still serves his original recipe for Bloody Mary
(although one news account says it was modified in the 1960s by O'Doul's bartender Chuck Davis, who remained at the bar as of 2009). A bridge over McCovey Cove
, near the Giants' home field of AT&T Park
, is named the Lefty O'Doul Bridge in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan
Professional baseball in Japan
Professional baseball in Japan first started in the 1920s, but it was not until the was established in 1934 that the modern professional game had continued success.-History:...
.
Player
Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, O'Doul began his professional career as a left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
with the minor-league San Francisco Seals of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. After some major-league success with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
from to as a reliever. He pitched in one notable game on July 7, 1923 season that would go down in the record books. Relieving for starter Curt Fullerton
Curt Fullerton
Curtis Hooper Fullerton was an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Fullerton played his entire career for the Red Sox . Listed at 6' 0", 162 lb., Fullerton batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, O'Doul would give up 16 runs over 3 innings of relief, with 14 of those runs coming in the 6th inning alone. Although errors by Joe Sewell
Joe Sewell
Joseph Wheeler Sewell was a Major League Baseball infielder for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees...
and Rube Lutzke
Rube Lutzke
Rube Lutzke was a former professional baseball player. He played from 1923 to 1927 with the Cleveland Indians. He primarily played third base....
would mean that only 3 of the 16 runs were earned, O'Doul would set the major league record for most runs allowed by a reliever in one appearance. This record was equaled by St Louis Cardinals pitcher Johnny Stuart
Johnny Stuart
John Davis Stuart was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals from to .-External links:...
in 1925 and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher Dutch Schesler
Dutch Schesler
Charles "Dutch" Schesler was an American Major League Baseball pitcher....
in 1931 (although both needed 8 innings to allow 16 runs). Following the season, he developed a sore arm which forced him to give up pitching. After the 1923 season, the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
returned O'Doul to the Pacific Coast League where he was converted to a power-hitting outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. O'Doul returned to the majors in 1928, where he batted .319 as a platoon player
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
.
In , O'Doul was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and, teaming up with Chuck Klein
Chuck Klein
Charles Herbert "Chuck" Klein was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates ....
, had one of the best offensive years in baseball history, leading the League in batting at .398 with 254 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 32 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 122 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and 152 runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. His hits total broke the previous National League record of 250 set by Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
of the 1922 St. Louis Cardinals
1922 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 41st season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 31st season in the National League. The Cardinals went 85-69 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League.- Offseason :...
. The record was tied by Bill Terry
Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
in , but has yet to be broken.
After batting .383 with 22 homers during the 1930 season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. In , he batted .368 for the Robins (now known as the Dodgers) to win another league batting title. After a slow start in , when he batted just .252 through 43 games, O'Doul was again traded, this time back to the Giants. He rallied to hit .306 the rest of the way that season, but played just one more year before ending his career in .
Manager
O'Doul then returned to the Pacific Coast League as manager of the San Francisco Seals from to , later managing several other teams in the circuit and becoming the most successful manager in PCL history. One of his outstanding accomplishments while managing the Seals was developing the young Joe DiMaggioJoe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
, who went on to a Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
career with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. O'Doul refused to take credit for DiMaggio's success, saying "I was just smart enough to leave him alone."
Legacy
O'Doul was instrumental in spreading baseball's popularity in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, serving as the sport's goodwill ambassador before and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Tokyo Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
, sometimes considered "Japan's Baseball Team," were named by him in 1935 in honor of his longtime association with the New York Giants; the logo and uniform of the Giants in Japan strongly resembles their North American counterpart.
O'Doul was inducted into the San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit, that was created by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in 1979.-Inductees:...
in 1981 and the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum which includes a library, reference rooms and Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame ....
in 2002. He has the highest career batting average of any player eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame who is not enshrined. His relatively short career as a full-time batter and the fact that his statistics were accumulated during a period of historically high offensive production in the major leagues are factors militating against his selection to the Hall of Fame.
O'Doul's fame and popularity live on in his hometown of San Francisco. The popular restaurant and bar he founded still operates as Lefty O'Doul's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge on Geary Boulevard
Geary Boulevard
Geary Boulevard is a major east-west thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, beginning downtown at Market Street near Market Street's intersection with Montgomery Street, and running westbound through downtown, the Civic Center area, the Western Addition, and running for most of its length...
, and still serves his original recipe for Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary (cocktail)
A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Peri-Peri Sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt...
(although one news account says it was modified in the 1960s by O'Doul's bartender Chuck Davis, who remained at the bar as of 2009). A bridge over McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove
McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, coined after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Basin, which is the mouth of Mission Creek as it meets the...
, near the Giants' home field of AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
, is named the Lefty O'Doul Bridge in his honor.
Further reading
- Leutzinger, Richard. "Lefty O'Doul and the Development of Japanese Baseball". The National Pastime, no. 12 (1992), pp. 30–34. ISBN 091013748X.
- Leutzinger, Richard. Lefty O’Doul, the Legend That Baseball Nearly Forgot: The Story of the Hall of Fame’s Missing Star. Carmel, Calif.: Carmel Bay Publishing Group, 1997. ISBN 1883532035.
- Dobbins, Dick; Twichell, Jon (editor: Rochmis, Jon). Nuggets on the Diamond, Professional Baseball in the Bay Area from the Gold Rush to the Present. San Francisco, Calif.: Woodford Press, 1994. ISBN 0-942627-00-9; ISBN 0-942627-01-6.
External links
- Lefty O'Doul Obituary. The Deadball Era.