The Wizard of Oz premieres, average price of a new car is $700, Jimmie Foxx leads the majors with 35 homeruns, and future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is born. The year is 1939. That is also the year that Al Brancato fulfilled his dream of making it to the majors when he debuted on September 7, 1939.
Al Brancato was a slight shortstop (5’9″, 188 lb.) from Philadelphia who was signed by one of his hometown teams in 1938. In his first year of professional ball, Brancato played for the Greenville Spinners (Class A) and Williamsport Grays (Class A). The following season, Brancato suited up again for Williamsport where he played 135 games and led the Eastern League in RBIs (98). That was enough for manager Connie Mack to bring Al up to the A’s in early September. Al recorded his first major league hit on September 12th; he went 2-6 against the St. Louis Browns at Shibe Park. He went on to play a total of 21 games in 1939 and finished the season with a .206 batting average. In 1940 and 1941, Al started at shortstop for the Athletics hit .219 over a span of 251 games. Following the ’41 season, Al enlisted in the Navy where he served until 1945. Al would return to the Athletics in 1945, but it would be short-lived. After playing 10 games, he was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League (AAA). Al would play 8 more seasons in the minors, but would never make it back to the majors. In 1953, Brancato played his least season, which included a stint as manager of the Elmira Pioneers. Brancato was out of baseball until 1959 when he returned to coach the Saint Joseph’s University baseball team until 1964.
Imagine playing for the legendary Connie Mack. Al Brancato did and we asked him what his favorite memory of Mr. Mack was:
“My most favorite memory of Mr. Mack sitting on the bench in shirt and tie with the scorecard in his hand to give signals to third base coach. He never yelled. We had meetings before a game to go over how to pitch to players on visiting teams. Earl Mack was one of coaches on base when we were hitting. Al Simmons was third base coach. Earl Brucker was also a coach.”
Mr. Brancato is currently listed as the 25th oldest living Major League Baseball player (92 years, 247 days).
Full text of our correspondence. Click to enlarge.
Read more about Al Brancato: Al Brancato bio (Baseball in Wartime)
The game of baseball has changed so much since World War II. During the early 1940′s, there were only 16 major league teams. The Negro Leagues were at the height of their popularity, yet there were no African Americans in the majors. There was no DH, no night games, no reserve clause. There were no major league teams on the West Coast. Players didn’t fly on a chartered jet; they rode the train. Big salaries didn’t dominate the game. In 1942, baseball’s biggest star, Ted Williams, made $35,000. Perhaps the one constant in the game is its fans and collectors.
Between 1911 and 1918, Lefty George played parts of four seasons for the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Naps, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Braves. Lefty’s major league career was short, but he did play alongside some infamous players such as Nap Lajoie, Rabbit Maranville, and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Lefty, however, will not be remembered for his short time in the bigs. His claim to fame will be his playing days in the minors where he notched an impressive 327 wins and sported a career 2.18 ERA. He won 20 or more games four times, 19 games twice, and pitched five no-hitters. He went on to become a local legend in York, PA where pitched 16 seasons for the York White Roses.
I’ve been collecting autographs through the mail since I was kid. I started when I was 10 and continued until I went off to college. After taking a break for several years while I was newly married and serving in the Army, I started again in 2005. It’s always a great feeling to come home to a full mailbox. Kids and grown men have been doing this for decades.
This Lefty George handwritten letter is in response to an autograph seeker named Henry C. West. Henry was a sergeant in the Army stationed at Erie Proving Ground in Ohio during WWII. The letter was written on Colonial Hotel (York, PA) letterhead. The letter is dated June 16, 1943, a time when Lefty was still pitching for the White Roses at age 56. That season he went 7-8. Written beautifully in fountain ink pen. The letter reads:
Dear West -
As to your request enclosed find autographs of myself, also Dutch Shesler. Hoping this will answer yours of the 14th.
With kindest personal regards, soldier
I am truly yours
T.E ‘Lefty’ George
Though the game has changed over the past seven decades, fans like Henry never ceased seeking out the athletes they admired. I wonder what became of those autographs Henry received nearly sixty-nine years ago.
Ralph Mauriello grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he cheered for his hometown Dodgers team. At the age of 18, he was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent. For the next six seasons, Mauriello enjoyed success in the minors. He pitched for various teams from Class C through AAA and enjoyed his best season in 1955 as part of the Mobile Bears of the Southern League (AA). That season he finished with a team leading 18-8 record; second overall in the league to future major leaguer Jerry Dahlke (19-5). Two years later, in 1957, Mauriello posted another solid season with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League where he went a team best 11-5. The ’57 Angels had 10 other future MLB pitchers on their staff including future Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.
In 1958, Ralph watched his beloved Dodgers leave his hometown and head out West. Later that season, however, he would live his childhood dream of playing in the majors. In mid-September, Ralph would get the call. He made his big league debut on September 13th against Vern Law and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mauriello would only last a third of an inning allowing 3 runs on 3 hits. It wasn’t the debut he had hoped for, but he would get another shot six days later. This time around he faced Johnny Briggs and the Chicago Cubs. Giving up one run on five hits and notching six strikeouts, Ralph earned his first big league win. Ralph would appear in one more game for the Dodgers in 1958, this time in relief. After the ’58 season, Ralph never again made it back to the majors; his first big league win turned out to be his only win.
We recently wrote to Mr. Mauriello. We asked about the highlight of his big league career:
“…it was a great thrill to pitch in a major league park and strike out hitters like Ernie Banks”
Ralph continued to recall his career in detail…recounting his tour of the minors, famous teammates, and managers:
“My career lasted 8 seasons and included a large number of minor league cities. Newport News VA, Santa Barbara CA, Pueblo CO, Asheville NC, Mobile AL, St. Paul MN, Victoria TX, Los Angeles CA (PCL), Spokane WA, Los Angeles CA (Dodgers), Spokane and Montreal Canada in ’59 and finally Montreal, where I finished my career in 1960.
Teammates of mine that you may have heard of included: George (Sparky) Anderson, Tommy Lasorda, Roy Hartsfield, Ron Perranoski, Jim Gentile, Maury Wills, and Frank Howard.
My managers were Stan Wasiak, George Sherger, Goldie Holt, Ray Hathaway, Clay Bryant (4 yrs), Max Macon, Bobby Bragan, Lou Rochelli, Pete Reiser and of course Walter Alston.”
We also asked if he would do anything differently in regards to his career:
“It was a lot of fun, and I would change only one thing, I would, if given a second change, sign with a team that need pitching. Like the Boston Red Sox, who in fact offered a bigger bonus than did the Dodgers ($40,000 vs. $50,000). I chose the Dodgers because I was born and raised in Brooklyn and was a Dodgers fan.”
Finally we asked Ralph what his most memorable baseball moment was:
“My most memorable moment in baseball was my only big league win in Chicago with the Dodgers in 1958. The thing I remember most was that the plate seemed wider than it had ever been during my career. I kept asking my catcher, John Roseboro if those pitches that were being called strikes were really over the plate. He said “Absolutely.”
To which I replied “Those pitches were balls in the minors. I guess I’ve been pitching in the wrong league all these years.
It was also interesting to be relieved by Johnny Podres with 2 down in the eighth inning. I had two strikes on Dale Long, a left handed hitter, when I bounced a curve ball through the legs of Roseboro. It would have been OK except that the runner that was on first moved to second into scoring position, and the score was 2-1 our favor.
Alston came out of the dugout like a shot and replaced me with Podres. I argued that I wanted to stay in, but it was no use. Podres came in a threw one pitch for strike 3 and we were out of the inning. He pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out the last hitter. Roseboro brought the ball to me as a souvenir. It’s now in my trophy case labeled “First Big League Win. Obviously, I expected a few more. But it was not to be.”
We asked Mr. Mauriello what he did following his playing days:
“…I also recognized that my career as a baseball player would be over by age 32; 35 if I was lucky, so I prepared for life after baseball by getting a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from USC, and a master’s degree is computer design from UCLA. I did this by going to school each September after the baseball season ended.”
Mr. Mauriello is now retired from his successful computer design engineer career. Ralph, however, is still very active. As noted in The Baseball Historian’s interview with Ralph, he enjoys to sing. Mauriello sings with the San Fernando Valley Male Chorus and Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church choir as well as special events. Hoping to find more information about his performances, I did a little research. I was very pleased to discover that Ralph had posted a couple of his performances online. Enjoy!
Ralph Mauriello singing “New York, New York”
Ralph Mauriello performing M’Appari; an aria from the opera Martha
Full text of our correspondence. Click to enlarge.
Larry Eschen was the son of a major leaguer. His father Jim played four seasons of professional baseball from 1913-1916. Jim bounced around the minors playing for several Class A and AA clubs. These teams featured several future Hall of Famers and infamous players such as Burleigh Grimes, Joe McCarthy, Dolf Luque, Bill Wambsganss, and Sad Sam Jones. In 1915, Jim finally made it to the majors where he enjoyed a (very) brief stint with the Cleveland Indians. He appeared in 15 games where he hit .238 (11-42). Jim’s big league career didn’t last long, but he did have a few memorable teammates: Shoeless Joe Jackson, Billy Southworth, and Ray Chapman.
Nearly three decades later, Larry would follow in his father’s footsteps and embark on a professional baseball career. Larry would go on to have his own Hall of Fame connection while playing for the 1942 Lancaster Red Roses where he was illegally optioned.
“I was at Lancaster two weeks – illegal option – Had options at Wilmington so couldn’t do same with two teams”
While at Lancaster, Larry teamed up with future Hall of Famer George Kell. We asked Larry what he remember most of George during the ’42 season.
“George Kell [was] a fine fellow from Sweetsboro, Arkansas. At Lancaster ’42 with wife Charlene. We walked to the park together. In ’43 Kell hit .398 highest in all of baseball. We wrote when he played for the Tigers”
According to Baseball-Reference, Kell hit .396 in 1943. Whatever the correct number is, Kell had a terrific season. Kell’s contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics in September and never returned to the minors. Kell would go on to enjoy a 15 year major league career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1983.
Eschen’s career took a different route than that of Kell. Eschen made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics, skippered by Connie Mack, on June 16, 1942. He entered the game at shortstop, replacing Pete Suder. Larry came to bat once in that game and struck out. He went on to appear in 11 more games for the A’s that season and came to bat 14 more times. Larry never recorded a hit and saw his final big league action on July 17, 1942. Shortly after he was drafted into the Army. In 1943, Larry played 42 games in Class A before being shipped of to serve during WWII:
“7/42 -> 8/46, Army Air Corps, 21 months E.T.O [European Theater of Operations]“
Larry served honorably in the military. He rose through the ranks from Private to Captain within two years. His service, however, likely cost him a prolonged baseball career. Eschen was released by the A’s, along with three other players, on December 8, 1942. When asked about the player moves, Mack remarked, “They weren’t much help to us last season.” Larry returned to baseball briefly in 1946. He appeared in 17 games for the Schenectady Chiefs and Hartford Chiefs. Shortly after, Eschen retired from the game.
Still young, at 26, Eschen returned to college where he earned his Master of Education (M.S.Ed). Larry would go on to a long career in education:
“’47 -> ’75, Teacher, Coach, Counselor in N.Y.S High Schools”
Mr. Eschen will be 92 in September. Thanks for taking the time to respond to us!
Full text of our correspondence. Click to enlarge.
Duane Pillette spent 8 years in the Majors and he made the most of his time there:
*** Won a World Series ring as a member of the 1949 Yankees. The Yankees repeated in 1950, but Duane was traded to the St. Louis Browns in June of that year.
*** The last starting pitcher in the final St. Louis Browns game
*** The first winning pitcher in modern-day Baltimore Orioles history
*** Teammates with several Hall of Famers including Satchel Paige
*** Held Mickey Mantle to a .167 batting average (5 for 30)
*** Took part in the famed Eddie Gaedel game; he was the starting pitcher
Duane also pitched 11 seasons in the minor leagues. Mr. Pillette had plenty to be proud of. We wrote to Mr. Pillette in May 2010. We asked him several questions about playing with a young Yogi Berra in Newark (1946), his memory of the Gaedel game, and his time in Baltimore. We mentioned that we were a father-son collecting team and Mr. Pillette seemed to like that. With all of his accomplishments in the game, he chose to devote his letter about his father Herman Pillette.
Herman was a big leaguer as well. He pitched one game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1917 (managed by Christy Mathewson), then another 3 seasons for the Detroit Tiger from 1922-1924. In 1922, he had a team high 19 wins while pitching under manager Ty Cobb.
Duane explained why his father’s big league career was cut short:
“During the 1923 yr. he was hit with a line drive on his knee-cap. He tried after that, but nothing!! Our family returned to the West Coast.”
Herman wasn’t ready to hang up his cleats. Duane explained how his father rejuvenated his career.
“He met a pitcher he knew from yrs in Triple A. That friend suggested he visit this Dr. My father almost said no, because the Dr. in Detroit said that he was through. With exercise and guts, he overcame that problem. He signed with the Vernon Triple A club in San Francisco. …My dad continued to stay in the Pacific Coast League. He played for many teams for 23 years. Last year he was voted in the Hall of Fame in the league.”
With his comeback complete, Herman finally called it quits in 1945. Along the way, Pillette racked up 264 career minor league wins; 226 of those coming in the PCL. He was also teammates with several future Hall of Famers…Bobby Doerr, Harry Hooper, and a young Ted Williams. Not bad for a guy, who over two decades earlier, was “done” in baseball.
“Old Folks”, as Herman was affectionately called, provided inspiration for his son. Duane explained:
“Now I told you that story because my dad was a great guy And a great pitcher as well. Therefore I wanted to play ball also. And be a right handed pitcher like he was. Well I never really became as good as he was, but I got my wish (By the way he didn’t want me to play). But I played 8.5 years in the “Bigs” and 17 years overall.”
Duane is modest. He had a good professional career with many accomplishments to be proud of. It’s obvious that he is most proud of being a son.
Thanks Duane for taking the time to respond to your fans. Mr. Pillette passed away on May 06, 2011.
The Wizard of Oz premieres, average price of a new car is $700, Jimmie Foxx leads the majors with 35 homeruns, and future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is born. The year is 1939. That is also the year that Al Brancato fulfilled his dream of making it to the majors when he debuted on September 7, 1939.
the Athletics hit .219 over a span of 251 games. Following the ’41 season, Al enlisted in the Navy where he served until 1945. Al would return to the Athletics in 1945, but it would be short-lived. After playing 10 games, he was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League (AAA). Al would play 8 more seasons in the minors, but would never make it back to the majors. In 1953, Brancato played his least season, which included a stint as manager of the Elmira Pioneers. Brancato was out of baseball until 1959 when he returned to coach the Saint Joseph’s University baseball team until 1964.
The game of baseball has changed so much since World War II. During the early 1940′s, there were only 16 major league teams. The Negro Leagues were at the height of their popularity, yet there were no African Americans in the majors. There was no DH, no night games, no reserve clause. There were no major league teams on the West Coast. Players didn’t fly on a chartered jet; they rode the train. Big salaries didn’t dominate the game. In 1942, baseball’s biggest star, Ted Williams, made $35,000. Perhaps the one constant in the game is its fans and collectors.
Ralph Mauriello grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he cheered for his hometown Dodgers team. At the age of 18, he was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent. For the next six seasons, Mauriello enjoyed success in the minors. He pitched for various teams from Class C through AAA and enjoyed his best season in 1955 as part of the Mobile Bears of the Southern League (AA). That season he finished with a team leading 18-8 record; second overall in the league to future major leaguer Jerry Dahlke (19-5). Two years later, in 1957, Mauriello posted another solid season with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League where he went a team best 11-5. The ’57 Angels had 10 other future MLB pitchers on their staff including future Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.
Larry Eschen was the son of a major leaguer. His father Jim played four seasons of professional baseball from 1913-1916. Jim bounced around the minors playing for several Class A and AA clubs. These teams featured several future Hall of Famers and infamous players such as Burleigh Grimes, Joe McCarthy, Dolf Luque, Bill Wambsganss, and Sad Sam Jones. In 1915, Jim finally made it to the majors where he enjoyed a (very) brief stint with the Cleveland Indians. He appeared in 15 games where he hit .238 (11-42). Jim’s big league career didn’t last long, but he did have a few memorable teammates: Shoeless Joe Jackson, Billy Southworth, and Ray Chapman.
Duane Pillette spent 8 years in the Majors and he made the most of his time there:
