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

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Cleveland’s leading pitcher in 1927 was Willis Hudlin. Born in 1906, Hudlin was a high school sensation from the small town of Wagoner, Oklahoma, in the northeast part of the state. The small community was created as a railroad town in the late nineteenth century. At the time Willis was born, the local population stood at approximately four thousand. During his high school years, Hudlin was an All-State football and basketball player, track star, and the best baseball pitcher for miles around. His spectacular play brought college football recruiters from Texas, but Hudlin only wanted to play baseball. In the spring of 1926 he signed a contract to play for the Class A Waco Cubs in the Texas League. Hudlin departed for Waco without finishing high school. The Cubs manager was Del Pratt, a former St. Louis Brown and American League RBI champ in 1916. Pratt knew a ballplayer when he saw one, and Hudlin turned out to be the real deal. Willis pitched against some seasoned competition but showed he was their match or better. He had a blistering fastball which he threw both overhand and sidearm. The pitch had a pronounced sink to it that baffled the minor-league hitters.