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

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Family members still relate a story about Rollie. Back in Syracuse, he liked to join his buddies for a jaunt down Route 124, where a string of popular taverns did business. One evening Rollie informed Mildred he would be borrowing the brand-new car he had just bought for her. Blanching at the thought of her husband careening down Route 124 and wrecking her car, she ran to the kitchen, grabbed a large knife, hustled to the car, and slashed the tires. A set of new tires was needed, but the car was saved from destruction.

With the bad events piling up, it would seem that Rollie’s career had reached a critical point. But in spite of all the riotous times and the all-night partying, Rollie somehow had an impressive season in 1934. Catching 123 games, he batted .309 with 133 hits and 7 triples. He did even better in 1935, earning a place on the All-Star team. He caught 141 games, a career high, while batting .290. He led the American League catchers in assists, while allowing only three passed balls the entire year. He accomplished this with many a black eye and impaired vision from the swelling. On one occasion he shuffled hungover into the ballpark with one eye completely closed and the other about half as bad. Manager Hornsby told Rollie that as punishment he would catch both ends of the doubleheader. Someway he managed to do the job without completely falling apart.