Ben Paschal

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ben Paschal

|image=Ben-Paschal-1925.jpeg

|caption= Paschal before a game during the 1925 New York Yankees season

|alt= Three-quarter-length picture of a man in a stadium. He wears a striped baseball uniform, a cap with the NY logo, and a baseball glove. He has a long face and tanned complexion with deepset eyes under a heavy brow, and has a small full mouth. He looks out towards the field with a calculating expression, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

|position=Outfielder

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{birth date|1895|10|13}}

|birth_place=Enterprise, Alabama, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1974|11|10|1895|10|13}}

|death_place=Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=August 16

|debutyear=1915

|debutteam=Cleveland Indians

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 6

|finalyear=1929

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.309

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=24

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=136

|teams=

Cleveland Indians ({{Baseball year|1915}})
Boston Red Sox ({{Baseball year|1920}})
New York Yankees ({{Baseball year|1924}}–{{Baseball year|1929}})

|highlights=

2× World Series champion (1927, 1928)

}}

Benjamin Edwin Paschal (October 13, 1895 – November 10, 1974) was an American baseball outfielder who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929, mostly for the New York Yankees. After two "cup of coffee" stints with the Cleveland Indians in 1915 and the Boston Red Sox in 1920, Paschal spent most of his career as the fourth outfielder and right-handed pinch hitter of the Yankees' Murderers' Row championship teams of the late 1920s. Paschal is best known for hitting .360 in the 1925 season while standing in for Babe Ruth, who missed the first 40 games with a stomach ailment.

During his time in baseball, Paschal was described as a five-tool player who excelled at running, throwing, fielding, hitting for average, and power.{{cite news |title=Trading Season Opens as Phils, Giants Act |first= Brian| last= Bell |page=13|newspaper=St. Petersburg Evening Independent |date=October 31, 1928}} However, his playing time with the Yankees was limited because they already had future Baseball Hall of Famers Ruth and Earle Combs, and star Bob Meusel, in the outfield. Paschal was considered one of the best bench players in baseball during his time with the Yankees, and sportswriters wrote how he would have started for most other teams in the American League. He was one of the best pinch hitters in the game during the period, at a time when the term was still relatively new to baseball.{{cite news |title=Yanks Win In Tenth, 3 To 2; Lead Series|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=1|date=October 8, 1926}}{{cite news |title=Bench Warmers of Early Season May Decide Races|page=16 |first= Brian| last= Bell |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 5, 1929}}

Early life

The son of farmers, Paschal was born in Enterprise, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Sanford.

He played collegiate sports at the University of Alabama,{{cite news |title=Fence Busting Slugger Paschal dies in Charlotte |agency= United Press |newspaper= The Davidson County Dispatch|page=24|date=November 9, 1974}} before beginning his professional career with Dothan of the Georgia State League, where he played with future Hall of Fame player Bill Terry.{{cite book |title=The Wonder Team: The True Story of the Incomparable 1927 New York Yankees |first= Leo| last= Trachtenberg| publisher= Popular Press| isbn= 978-0-87972-677-5|page=166|date= July 1995}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=16897|access-date=August 17, 2010|title=1915 Dothan|work=Baseball-Reference.com}} Paschal played in 64 games, with a .280 batting average, and his ability attracted the attention of scouts in the area.

Career

=Early career=

Signed as a pinch hitter for the Cleveland Indians at age 19, Paschal appeared in nine games, collecting one hit on August 16, which broke up a no-hitter by Bernie Boland with two outs in the ninth inning.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paschbe01.shtml|access-date=January 19, 2009| title= Ben Paschal|work=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{cite news |title=Each Start Against Senators, A Victory|agency=Associated Press|newspaper= Lewiston Daily Sun |page=4|date=August 17, 1915}} The Indians declared Paschal too inexperienced, and he was sent to the Muskegon Reds of the Central League. The league disbanded in the middle of the 1917 season, and Paschal became a free agent.{{cite news |title=Ben Paschal is Strong With Fans|first= D.A.| last= Tillinghaust|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|page=13|date=April 21, 1921}}

After a two-year break from baseball because of World War I, Paschal moved on to the Charlotte Hornets of the South Atlantic League, where he played from 1920 to 1923. He finished third in the league in batting average in 1920. While in the Southern League, he was nicknamed "the man who hits sticks of dynamite".

At the conclusion of the 1920 season, Paschal's contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox, with an option to keep him if he met certain playing expectations. He appeared in nine games for the Red Sox; his first game brought three hits against pitcher José Acosta of the Washington Senators, and in total he batted .357 with five runs batted in (RBI), but the Red Sox believed he lacked fielding experience and he returned to Charlotte. In August 1921, Paschal was sold to the Rochester Red Wings. However, while sliding in a game on August 20, 1921, he suffered a broken leg which sidelined him for the rest of the season and voided the contract with the Red Wings.{{cite news |title=Ben Paschal's Leg Broken in Sliding|first= J.C.| last= Latimer|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|page=7|date=August 21, 1921}} He was hitting .317 at the time of the injury.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=pascha001ben| access-date= August 17, 2010|title=Ben Paschal|work=Baseball-Reference.com}} In 1922, Paschal played in 142 games, hitting .326 with 18 home runs and improved these figures in 1923, achieving 200 hits, 22 triples, and 26 home runs in 141 games for a batting average of .351, the fourth best in the league.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=9a91c0ca|access-date=November 1, 2015| title= 1923 South Atlantic League Batting Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference.com}} Paschal began the 1924 season with the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association. He scored 136 runs, while batting .341 and stealing 24 bases.

=Yankees career=

The New York Yankees bought Paschal from the Crackers near the end of the 1924 season and he played in four games. His only three hits, as well as three RBI, came in a defeat by the Detroit Tigers on September 19.{{cite news |title=Yanks's Lose in 9th, Fall Back on Race|page=10|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 20, 1924}}

During spring training, Paschal narrowly escaped serious injury while traveling on a bus. The vehicle rolled backwards down a hill and Paschal, along with several other teammates, jumped off before it hit a tree at high speed.{{cite news |title=Yankees Escape Death by Leaping From Bus|page=22 |agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 10, 1925}} The media expected Paschal to be Babe Ruth's understudy prior to the 1925 season,{{cite news |title=Yankees Always Rise to Heights With Babe Ruth Idle| first= Davis J.| last= Walsh|page=27|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=April 15, 1925}} but Ruth collapsed at an Asheville, North Carolina train station just before the regular season's start. Emergency surgery for a "intestinal abscess" left him hospitalized for six weeks.{{cite news |title=Touching Base. Close Calls. One-run games make big difference to even best teams.| url= http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/2005/06/19/2005-06-19_touching_base__close_calls__.html| first= Jessie| last= Spector|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=June 19, 2005 |access-date=March 2, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110815052124/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2005-06-19/sports/18287149_1_bob-shawkey-babe-ruth-waite-hoyt|archive-date=August 15, 2011 |url-status= dead}} Originally, Paschal was only to be used against left-handed pitchers, but Yankees manager Miller Huggins named him as Ruth's temporary replacement in the outfield.{{cite news |title=Helps Handles Babe Chores|page=1 | newspaper= The Sporting News|date=April 23, 1925}} In the first game of the year, Paschal hit a home run in a 5–1 win against the defending World Series-champion Washington Senators.{{cite news |title=50,000 See Yankees Beat Senators, 5–1, in Season's Opener|page=13 |first= Harry| last= Cross |newspaper= The New York Times|date=April 15, 1925}} After another game-winning home run against the Senators two weeks later, the New York press noted that he was "making fans forget about Babe Ruth".{{cite news |title=Yanks Win in Ninth on Paschal's Homer| page=10|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times| date= April 27, 1925}} Paschal's weakness against right-handed pitchers prompted the Yankees to acquire veteran outfielder Bobby Veach,{{cite news |title=Yankees Get Veach and Ferguson in Trade With the Red Sox for Francis and $8,000 |page= 18| agency= Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 6, 1925}} but his declining skills allowed Paschal to retain his position on the team. He hit another game-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians on May 23.{{cite news |title=Paschal's Home Run Wins for Yanks, 7–6| page= B12| agency=Associated Press| newspaper= Harford Courant|date=May 24, 1925}} At the time, Paschal was fifth in the league in batting average at .403, behind Sammy Hale, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and teammate Earle Combs.{{cite news |title=Hawks Leads National Batters; Hale Tops American Leaguers; Phillies Clouter Has Average of .448|page=S6|agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 24, 1925}} His six home runs in May set a Yankee rookie record for a month, later equaled by Joe Gordon, then topped by Shane Spencer's nine in September 1998.{{cite news |title=Sports of The Times; Home Runs, Inc.: Sosa, McGwire and Spencer|first= Dave | last= Anderson |page= 82|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 27, 1998}}

Ruth returned to the lineup on June 1, relegating Paschal to the bench. In July, an injury to Combs allowed Paschal to start several games in center field.{{cite news |title=Babe Heaps Five Runs On Browns Back|page=17| first = Harry |last= Cross| newspaper=The New York Times |date= July 29, 1925}} He then started the majority of August and all of September when Bob Meusel moved to third base to cover for an injured Joe Dugan.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=paschbe01&t=b&year=1925|access-date=August 25, 2010|title=Ben Paschal 1925 Batting Gamelog|work=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{cite news |title=Yanks Break Even Ruth Hits Two Home Runs|page=27|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times |date= September 11, 1925}} He hit two home runs during a September 8 game against the Red Sox,{{cite news |title=Airtight Mound Work By Harriss Halts Nationals |agency= Associated Press|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|page=5|date=September 9, 1925}} but his season ended when he was hit on the leg with a pitch on September 12 against the Philadelphia Athletics.{{cite news |title=Mackmen Nose Out Yankees By 3 To 2|page=14|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Hartford Courant|date=September 12, 1925}} In 89 games, Paschal's batting average for the season was .360, 70 points higher than Ruth, with 12 home runs and 56 RBI.

File:1926 New York Yankees team.jpg, prior to the 1926 World Series. Paschal is in the top row, fourth from the left.|alt=A posed team photo of a baseball team. They wear uniforms and are seated and standing in three rows, with a man in a jacket standing to the left.]]

Paschal was set to enter the 1926 season as the fourth outfielder, for which he was sent a new contract. After threatening to hold out for more money,{{cite news |title=Paschal Signs New Contract With Yankees|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=St. Petersburg Evening Independent|page=11|date=February 18, 1926}} the Yankees sent him a new contract which he signed on February 17 for an estimated $7,000 ({{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|7000|1926|r=−3}}}} today). He began the season as a pinch hitter, but injuries quickly took their toll on the Yankees.{{cite news |title=Yanks Go 10 Frames Beat Indians 6–5|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=28|date=May 13, 1926}} Paschal started most of July and August, replacing an injured Meusel, who broke a bone in his right foot.{{cite news |title=Pickups and Putouts|newspaper=The New York Times|page=12|date=June 26, 1926}} Paschal hit an inside-the-park home run in a victory against the Indians on July 9.{{cite news |title=Ruth's 27 Sets Yanks on Rampage|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=9|date=July 10, 1926}} With the Yankees in a close pennant race in mid-August, Paschal hit a home run in a loss to the Detroit Tigers.{{cite news |title=40,000 See Tigers Claw Yanks Again|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=11|date=August 9, 1926}} Further successes came with a vital pinch-hit double in a win against the Athletics on September 6 and a home run on September 8.{{cite news |title=60,000 see Yankees and Athletics Split|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=25|date=September 7, 1926}}{{cite news |title=Yanks are Beaten as Cards look on|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=16|date=September 9, 1926}} The Yankees clinched the pennant on September 15, and Paschal scored the game-winning single.{{cite news |title=Yanks Draw Away Defeats Indians 6–4|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=16|date=September 16, 1926}} The Yankees faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1926 World Series, and Paschal, pinch hitting for Joe Dugan, singled in Lou Gehrig tying the contest at 2–2 in the ninth inning of Game 5.{{cite book|title=Luckiest man: the life and death of Lou Gehrig|first=Jonathan|last=Eig|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-4591-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/luckiestmanlifea00eigj/page/77 77]|date=2005-03-29|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/luckiestmanlifea00eigj}} Tony Lazzeri hit a sacrifice fly in the tenth to win the game for the Yankees, but they lost the next two games and the Series. He had played in 96 games, hitting 7 home runs with 32 runs batted in.

Before the 1927 season, Paschal returned his playing contract unsigned because of a salary dispute.{{cite news |title=Ben Paschal Returns Contract Unsigned|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Hartford Courant|page=12|date=January 28, 1927}} By that time, the Yankees were forming the nucleus of what became the Murderers' Row teams of the late 1920s. He signed for an estimated $8,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8000|1927|r=-3}}}} today), a 13% raise. In the season-opening win against the Athletics, right field starter Babe Ruth struck out twice and popped out, forcing Huggins to replace him with Paschal in the sixth inning.{{cite news |title=Yanks Trounce Highly Touted A's 8–3|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Sarasota Herald|page=8|date=April 13, 1927}} As the last man ever to pinch-hit for Ruth, Paschal singled.{{cite news |title=Red Sox Fan Tries to Spark His Team|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 12, 1987}} In one of his few starts of the 1927 season, Paschal was a single short of hitting for the cycle, and almost had three home runs.{{cite news |title=Busy With Yanks, Sees Little of Lindburgh|author-link= Bill McGowan| first= Bill | last= McGowan |newspaper=The Delmarvia Star|page=16|date=June 19, 1927}} Replacing the injured Bob Meusel, Paschal hit two home runs, a triple that was yards shy of a home run, and a double which bounced off the right field stands during an 11–2 rout of the Indians.{{cite book |title=The Wonder Team: The True Story of the Incomparable 1927 New York Yankees |first= Leo| last= Trachtenberg| publisher= Popular Press| isbn= 978-0-87972-677-5|page= 51|date= July 1995}} Paschal did not play in the Yankees' 1927 World Series victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, he played in 50 games, primarily as a pinch hitter. After the season, Paschal was discussed as a trade for Boston Red Sox pitcher Red Ruffing, but discussions fell apart (Ruffing was later acquired in a proposed trade during the 1930 season).{{cite news |title=Trade Winds Blow as Magnates Meet; But Not a Deal Is Closed Despite Brisk Bargaining by Major Leaguers| first= James R. |last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=35|date=December 13, 1927}}{{cite web |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/ruffing-red |title=Ruffing, Red |publisher=Baseball Hall of Fame |access-date=3 August 2010}}

Paschal was used heavily as a pinch hitter during the 1928 season. Huggins credited Paschal's timely pinch hitting as part of the Yankees' success that season.{{cite news |title=Diamond Pick Life|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Pueblo Indicator|page=2|date=September 29, 1928}} One of the few highlights of his season was his RBI pinch-hit double in the 10th inning that helped the Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox on August 4.{{cite news |title=Yanks win in 10th; Ruth Hits His 43rd|first= James R. | last= Harrison|newspaper=The New York Times|page=129|date=August 5, 1928}} Paschal played in 65 games that season, having a .316 batting average. He shared center field duties with Cedric Durst for an injured Earle Combs during the Yankees' win over the Cardinals in the 1928 World Series.{{cite news |title=Eyes Focus on Series |page=1| first= Brian | last= Bell |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 4, 1928}} He started the first and last games of the series on a platoon situation; Paschal faced left-handed pitchers and Durst faced right-handed pitchers.{{cite news |title=Injury to Prevent Combs From Starting in World's Series|first= James R. | last= Harrison|page=25|newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 3, 1928}}

Before the 1929 season, Paschal and Durst were mentioned in several trade rumors,{{cite news |title=Yanks may trade Durst and Paschal|page=36| agency=United Press |newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=January 29, 1929}} and Paschal was rarely used, appearing in only 42 games as a sixth outfielder in the season. A rare start came on June 1 against the White Sox, when he scored a run.{{cite news |title=Ruth Wallops No. 10 as Yanks Win, 8 to 1|page=S1| first= John |last= Drebinger |newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 2, 1929}} On July 2, Paschal hit a pinch-hit home run for Herb Pennock in the seventh inning of a game against the Red Sox to give the Yankees a 3–2 win.{{cite news |title=Pinch Hit Homer Win's for Yanks 3–2 |page=23|agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribute|date=July 2, 1929}} He played in 42 games in his final season in the majors, posting a .208 batting average in 81 at-bats.

During his time with the Yankees, Paschal was considered a quiet player with a colorless personality. His appearances were limited by the presence of future Hall of Famers Ruth and Combs, and star Bob Meusel in the outfield. He was part of a group including Lou Gehrig and Mark Koenig which preferred watching a film to carousing after a game; they were dubbed the team's "movie crowd".Eig, p. 94

=Later career=

File:Bubbles Hargrave, 1914.jpg (pictured).|alt=Snapshot of a man in a baseball uniform, just finishing swinging his bat during practice.]]

After the 1929 season, Paschal was, along with Wilcy Moore and Johnny Grabowski, part of a trade for catcher Bubbles Hargrave to the St. Paul Saints of the American Association (AA).{{cite news |title=Yanks Get Hargrave in Trade for Moore, Paschal, Grabowski|page=37 |agency=United Press |newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 22, 1929}} In one 1930 game against the Toledo Mud Hens, Paschal had four hits and four RBI in a 23–4 win that broke the AA record for most runs scored in a game.{{cite news |title=Apostles Collect 23 Tallies in Beating of Toledo Hens|page=6|agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=August 23, 1930}} In 144 games, Paschal finished the 1930 season with 204 hits, 10 home runs, and a .350 batting average. The following season, Paschal played 121 games to hit .336, while his average in 1932 was .325 in 147 games. During one game in the 1932 season, Paschal had three doubles and three singles, tying the AA record for most hits in a game.{{cite news |title=Did you know that...|agency= United Press |page= 13|newspaper=St. Petersburg Evening Independent|date=June 17, 1932}} His skills declined during the 1933 season; in 130 games he hit just .272 with seven home runs. He left St. Paul and signed as a free agent with the Knoxville Smokies on December 30, 1933.{{cite news |title=Ben Paschal To Play With Smokes|page=3|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal|date=January 1, 1934}} The St. Petersburg Evening Independent reported a few months later that Paschal was "struggling to keep his job" in the minors.{{cite news |title=Playing Square|first = Jeff |last= Moshier|page=9|newspaper= St. Petersburg Evening Independent|date=May 30, 1934}} He was released by Knoxville and signed with the Scranton Miners of the New York–Penn League.{{cite news |title=Paschal Heads Baldwin Club |page= 2| newspaper=The Rock Hill Herald|date=May 22, 1934}} After a few games with the Miners, Paschal returned home to North Carolina, where he accepted a managerial job for a semi-professional baseball team in Catawba County.

Personal life

Paschal was married and had a child, Ben Jr.

He died in Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of 79, and is interred at Sharon Memorial Park.{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/P/Ppascb102.htm|title=Ben Paschal|work=retrosheet.org|publisher=Retrosheet, Inc.| access-date=January 28, 2010}}