Hal Trosky

SABR member William H. Johnson is a retired naval flight officer. He has coauthored a book, and written an array of newspaper and magazine articles, on the story of baseball in eastern Iowa. He lives in Hinesville, Georgia.

“exceptionally informative...recommended”—Midwest Book Review; “Johnson brings to readers the successes and setbacks of a potential Hall of Famer, first baseman Hal Trosky, who excelled for the Cleveland Indians during the Great Depression, when he was compared with the likes of Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, and Hank Greenberg. Johnson carefully portrays Trosky’s baseball career, including the down periods when the slugger suffered from migraine headaches and when he led the Tribe through the 1940 ‘Cry Baby Rebellion’ against manager Oscar Vitt. Readers will enjoy this most interesting period in the Tribe’s history and Trosky’s role as the team’s captain.”—James E. Odenkirk, Tribes and Tribulations: The Early Decades of the Cleveland Indians.

• Table of ContentsPreface1. Baseball Beginnings2. Welcome to Cleveland3. Rookie4. Sophomore Slump5. At the Apex6. Years of Stability7. Disaster8. Cleveland Sunset9. White Sox YearsAppendix: Trosky’s Memorable GamesTrosky Meets the Babe—September 17, 1933Trosky’s First Big Game—May 30, 1934Trosky Switches Sides—September 15, 1935Nine Consecutive Hits—September 13–16, 1936Playing for the Pennant—September 27, 1940Trosky’s Final Game—September 27, 1946Career StatisticsA Note on SourcesChapter NotesBibliographyIndex