After a week off, we’re back with a new edition of The Cooperstown case.
And today, we will be looking at the case of a player who spent 21 seasons in Major League Baseball. All 21 seasons took place before World War II.
His name is Bob O’Farrell.
While his stats aren’t on par with some of the other catchers in baseball, he played a pivotal role in the 1926 World Series, and was part of one of the most famous plays in baseball history. Does that warrant him a bust in Cooperstown?
Let’s find out.
O’Farrell made his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1915. In 12 years with the Cubs, O’Farrell had mixed success, hitting with an average of .279 with 27 home runs, 255 RBI’s, 529 hits, and a .364 on-base percentage. A lot of his early seasons consisted of him being in a backup role, but as time went on, his skills increased, and he became a starting catcher.
He joined the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1925 season, but O’Farrell had his best season in 1926.
That year, he hit for a .293 average with a career-high 30 doubles, 7 home runs and 68 runs batted in as he helped the juggernaut Cardinals win the National League pennant, one of their first in team history.
But it was his performance in the 1926 World Series that he’ll be best remembered for. O’Farrell produced a .301 batting average in the series. In Game 7, one of the most iconic moments in team history (and in MLB history) took place, when O’Farrell threw out Babe Ruth, who was trying to steal second base, to clinch the World Series for the Cardinals. It was their first title.
Because of his historic performance, he was voted the winner of the 1926 National League MVP Award, with 79 out of the possible 80 votes. He was the first catcher ever to win a Most Valuable Player Award in Major League Baseball.
This is a curious case indeed. His stats do not really stand out, and yet, O’Farrell is a crucial part of World Series (and baseball) history. Not many catchers can say they threw out Ruth in the World Series. Especially in clinching fashion.
So feel free to share your thoughts below on if he has a good case for Cooperstown or not. And tune in next Sunday for another edition of The Cooperstown case.
