Читать книгу No Money, No Beer, No Pennants. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Great Depression онлайн

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Once again, Alva Bradley was following the Cleveland-only rule. The Peckinpaugh family had once lived in Wooster, Ohio, just a short train ride south of the big city. There, on February 5, 1891, Roger was born. The family moved to Cleveland when Roger was a small boy, settling in the Hough neighborhood. By coincidence, League Park, the home of the 1890s Cleveland Spiders, was only a few blocks away. In the early 1900s the neighborhood was honored to have a certain gentleman from Philadelphia move in: Napoleon “Larry” Lajoie became a full-time resident.

Roger’s father John had played semipro baseball in the 1880s, eventually getting a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds. A shortstop by trade, the elder Peckinpaugh failed in his opportunity, causing him to leave the game behind and become a salesman. Roger attended East High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. A legend on the sandlots, “Peck,” as his friends now called him, was the best young shortstop in northeast Ohio. He joined the Collinwoods, a semipro team where he apparently accepted some cash for his services. Later, during Peck’s senior season, an anonymous letter surfaced, claiming he had been paid for play and was a professional. The East Senate League suspended Peck from further play.