Lefty O'Doul
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Overall Career
Francis Joseph O'Doul was born on March 4, 1897, in San Francisco, CA. O'Doul was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 29, 1919, with the New York Yankees.
O'Doul had an 11-year career as an outfielder and pitcher. He batted .349 with 113 HR and 542 RBI in 970 games, and finished with a 1-1 record and 4.87 ERA in 77.2 innings pitched.
O'Doul spent most of his career in the Pacific Coast Legue, first as a 12-8 pitcher in 1918. Sore-armed, he saw little action while with the Yankees in 1919, 1920 and 1922, but he went 25-9 for San Fransisco (PCL) in 1921. He earned his two major league decisions as a Red Sox reliever in 1923. Then his arm went dead. Playing in 154 games for Philadelphia in 1929, O'Doul had 32 home runs and set a National League record with 254 hits, batting .398 to win the NL batting crown. He hit .383 in 1930, then was traded to Brooklyn in a five-player deal. His .368 average in 1932 again won him the NL batting title.
After spending 1934 with the Giants, he returned, at age 37, to the PCL. O'Doul managed the San Fransisco Seals from 1935-1951 (and other PCL teams through 1957), pitching and pinch hitting some, and becoming a renowned teacher of young players. Making annual visits to Japan in the 1930s as a baseball ambassador of good will, he became an idol of fans there.
He also served in the Civil War.
O'Doul's Moments in the Sun
Trivia
- Won the 1929 batting title with a .398 average
- Won the 1932 batting title with a .368 average
- 1929: Led the league in on-base % (.465), hits (254) and singles (181)
- 1932: Led the league in singles with 158
- All-Star in 1933
- He was a hero in his hometown of San Fransisco, where his fame lives on through Lefty O'Doul's Bar
Transactions
- July 23, 1922: Traded by the New York Yankees with Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, and $50,000 to the Boston Red Sox for Joe Dugan and Elmer Smith.
- October 29, 1928: Traded by the New York Giants with cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for Freddy Leach.
- October 14, 1930: Traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with Fresco Thompson to the Brooklyn Robins for Clise Dudley, Jumbo Elliott, Hal Lee, and cash.
- June 16, 1933: Traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers with Watty Clark to the New York Giants for Sam Leslie.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
