Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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Moose eagerly signed a contract to play for Boston in the 1934 season. After a good showing in spring training, he appeared in the opening day lineup, playing right field and batting sixth. He remained a starter, delivering timely base hits and driving in his share of runs. On May 23, the Red Sox faced the Indians, with Mel Harder doing the pitching. The Cleveland ace threw one of his sharp-breaking curveballs, which bore in on Moose and struck him in the hand. Umpire Charley Donnelly claimed the ball hit the bat, not allowing Solters a free trip to first. Within moments the hand began to swell, forcing Moose out of the game. Later he went for an X-ray, which revealed the hand was indeed broken. The injury sidelined him for almost a month.

With the hand not healing well, Moose had difficulty swinging the bat for the remainder of the season. Still, he batted .299 for the year, an acceptable total for a first-year player. He had shown more than enough ability to receive a contract for the 1935 season. Moose got off to a slow start in his second campaign, batting less than .250. After only twenty-four games, the Red Sox shipped him to St. Louis for second baseman Oscar Melillo. The change in scenery proved to be a great move for Solters. He finished the year with 18 home runs and 112 RBIs. In a game against the Detroit Tigers, Moose showed awesome power, crushing three straight home runs off Elden Auker. In his next trip up he lined a pitch deep toward the right-field wall. Pete Fox raced back and made a leaping catch to keep Solters from at least extra bases. Even with Fox’s circus catch, Moose still had a tremendous day, gaining notoriety as one of the American League’s better power hitters.