Ben Paschal
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Edwin "Ben" 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. 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.
, Alabama and grew up in nearby Sanford
. He played collegiate sports at the University of Alabama
, before beginning his professional career with Dothan of the Georgia State League
, where he played with future Hall of Fame player Bill Terry
. Paschal played in 64 games, with a .280 batting average, and his ability attracted the attention of scouts
in the area. 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. 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
.
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 1920 season, Paschal 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 match 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. He was hitting .317 at the time of the injury. 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. Paschal began the 1924 season with the Atlanta Crackers
of the Southern Association
. He scored 136 runs
, while batting .341 and stealing
24 bases.
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 Detroit Tigers
on September 19.
During spring training
, Paschal narrowly escaped serious injury which travelling on a bus. The vehicle rolled backwards down a hill and Paschall, along with several other teammates, jumped off the bus before it hit a tree at high speed. The media expected Paschal to be Babe Ruth
's understudy prior to the 1925 season
, 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. 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. 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. 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". Paschal's weakness against right-handed pitchers prompted the Yankees to acquire veteran outfielder Bobby Veach
, but his declining skills allowed Paschal to retain his position in the team, and another game-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians on May 23. 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
. His six home runs in May were an equal record (with Joe Gordon) for the most home runs hit by a rookie in a month until Shane Spencer
achieved nine in September 1998.
Ruth returned to the lineup on June 1, relegating Paschal to the bench. In July, an injury to Earle Combs
allowed Paschal to start several games in center field, and a further injury to Joe Dugan
allowed Paschal to start throughout the majority of August and all of September, as Bob Meusel
moved to third base
to cover Dugan. He hit two home runs during a September 8 game against the Red Sox, but his season ended when he was hit on the leg with a pitch on September 12 against the Philadelphia Athletics. In 89 games, Paschal's batting average for the season was .360, 70 points higher than Ruth, with 12 home runs and 56 RBI.
Paschal began the 1926 season
as the fourth outfielder. He was sent a new contract for the 1926 season, but after threatening to hold out for more money. Paschal signed the new contract on February 17 for an estimated $7,000 ( today). He began the season as a pinch hitter
, but injuries quickly took its toll on the Yankees. Paschal started most of July and August, replacing an injured Meusel who broke a bone in his right foot. Paschal hit an inside-the-park home run
in a victory against the Cleveland Indians on July 9. With the Yankees in a close pennant race in mid-August, Paschal hit a home run in a loss to the Detroit Tigers
. 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. The Yankees clinched the pennant on September 15, and Paschal scored the game winning single. 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. 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 seven home runs with 32 runs batted in.
Before the 1927 season
, Paschal returned his playing contract unsigned because of a salary dispute. 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 ( 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. As the last man ever to pinch-hit for Ruth, Paschal singled. 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. 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. 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).
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. 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. 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
. 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.
Before the 1929 season
, Paschal and Durst were mentioned in several trade rumors, 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. 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. 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 a group including Lou Gehrig
and Mark Koenig
which preferred watching a film to partying after a game; they were dubbed the team's "movie crowd".
After the 1929 season, Paschal was part of a trade for catcher Bubbles Hargrave
, with Wilcy Moore
and Johnny Grabowski
, to the St. Paul Saints
of the American Association
(AA). 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. 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. 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. The St. Petersburg Evening Independent reported a few months later that Paschal was "struggling to keep his job" in the minors. He was released by Knoxville and signed with the Scranton Miners of the New York–Penn League
. 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
.
Paschal was married with a child, Ben Jr. He died in Charlotte
, North Carolina at the age of 79, and is interred at Sharon Memorial Park
.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 1915 to 1929, mostly for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. After two "cup of coffee
Cup of coffee
A "cup of coffee" is North American sports terminology for a short time spent by a minor league player at the major league level. The idea behind the term is that the player was only in the big leagues long enough to have a cup of coffee before being returned to the minors, or simply to describe a...
" stints with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in 1915 and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in 1920, Paschal spent most of his career as the fourth outfielder and right-handed pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
of the Yankees' Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row
Murderers’ Row was the nickname given to the New York Yankees baseball team of the late 1920s, in particular the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri....
championship teams of the late 1920s. Paschal is best known for hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.360 in the 1925 season
1925 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 23rd season in New York and its 25th overall. The team finished with a record of 69-85, in 7th place, 30 games behind the Washington Senators. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium.This season was marred by Babe...
while standing in for Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, who missed the first 40 games with a stomach ailment.
During his time in baseball, Paschal was described as a five-tool player
Five-tool player
In baseball, a five-tool player is one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities....
, who excelled at running, throwing, fielding, hitting for average and power. However, his playing time with the Yankees was limited because they already had future Baseball Hall of Famers
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Ruth and Earle Combs
Earle Combs
Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team...
, and star Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
, 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
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
for most other teams in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. 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.
Early career
The son of farmers, Paschal was born in EnterpriseEnterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
, Alabama and grew up in nearby Sanford
Sanford, Alabama
Sanford is a town in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 269.-Geography:Sanford is located at . According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
. He played collegiate sports at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, before beginning his professional career with Dothan of the Georgia State League
Georgia State League
The Georgia State League was an American Class D minor league in professional baseball that existed in 1906, 1914, 1920-21 and 1948-56. During its last incarnation, it existed alongside two nearby Class D circuits, the Georgia-Florida League and the Georgia-Alabama League.The version of the GSL...
, where he played with future Hall of Fame player Bill Terry
Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
. Paschal played in 64 games, with a .280 batting average, and his ability attracted the attention of scouts
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
in the area. Signed as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
at age 19, Paschal appeared in nine games, collecting one hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
on August 16, which broke up a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
by Bernie Boland
Bernie Boland
Bernard Anthony Boland was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Boland was a reliable pitcher for five years before suffering a broken arm...
with two outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in the ninth inning. The Indians declared Paschal too inexperienced, and he was sent to the Muskegon Reds
Muskegon Reds
The Muskegon Reds were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off from 1911 to 1951. They played in the Michigan State League in 1911, 1926 and from 1940 to 1941 and the Central League in 1916, 1926, 1934 and 1951...
of the Central League
Central League (baseball)
The Central League was a minor league baseball league that operated sporadically from 1903-1917, 1920-1922, 1926, 1928-1930, 1934, and 1948-1951. In 1926, the league merged mid-season with the Michigan State League and played under that name for the remainder of the season...
. The league disbanded in the middle of the 1917 season, and Paschal became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
After a two-year break from baseball because of World War I, Paschal moved on to the Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
of the South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, 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 1920 season, Paschal 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
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, and in total he batted .357 with five runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(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
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. However, while sliding
Slide (baseball)
In baseball, a slide is when a player, acting as a baserunner, drops his body to the ground once he is very close to the base he is approaching and slides along the ground to reach the base....
in a match 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. He was hitting .317 at the time of the injury. In 1922, Paschal played in 142 games, hitting .326 with 18 home runs and improved these figures in 1923, achieving 200 hits, 22 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 26 home runs in 141 games for a batting average of .351, the fourth best in the league. Paschal began the 1924 season with the Atlanta Crackers
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
of the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
. He scored 136 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, while batting .341 and stealing
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
24 bases.
Yankees career
1924 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 22nd season in New York and its 24th overall. The team finished with a record of 89-63, finishing 2 games behind the Washington Senators. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium.- Roster :- Starters by...
and he played in four games. His only three hits, as well as three RBI, came in a defeat by Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on September 19.
During spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Paschal narrowly escaped serious injury which travelling on a bus. The vehicle rolled backwards down a hill and Paschall, along with several other teammates, jumped off the bus before it hit a tree at high speed. The media expected Paschal to be Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's understudy prior to the 1925 season
1925 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 23rd season in New York and its 25th overall. The team finished with a record of 69-85, in 7th place, 30 games behind the Washington Senators. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium.This season was marred by Babe...
, but Ruth collapsed at an Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, North Carolina train station just before the regular season's start. Emergency surgery for a "intestinal abscess" left him hospitalized for six weeks. Originally, Paschal was only to be used against left-handed pitchers, but Yankees manager Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
named him as Ruth's temporary replacement in the outfield. In the first game of the year, Paschal hit a home run in a 5–1 win against the defending World Series
1924 World Series
In the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. The Giants became the first team to play in four consecutive World Series, winning in 1921–1922 and losing in 1923–1924. Their long-time manager, John McGraw, made his ninth and final World Series appearance...
-champion Washington Senators. 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". Paschal's weakness against right-handed pitchers prompted the Yankees to acquire veteran outfielder Bobby Veach
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes "Bobby" Veach was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees and Washington Senators ....
, but his declining skills allowed Paschal to retain his position in the team, and another game-winning home run against the Cleveland Indians on May 23. At the time, Paschal was fifth in the league in batting average at .403, behind Sammy Hale
Sammy Hale
Samuel Douglas Hale was a Major League Baseball third baseman for 10 seasons with the Detroit Tigers , Philadelphia Athletics , and St. Louis Browns . Hale had a lifetime batting average of .302 and won a World Series ring with the Athletics in 1929.Born in Glen Rose, Texas, Hale debuted with the...
, Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, Tris Speaker
Tris Speaker
Tristram E. Speaker , nicknamed "Spoke" and "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 , and still holds the record of 792 career doubles...
, and teammate Earle Combs
Earle Combs
Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team...
. His six home runs in May were an equal record (with Joe Gordon) for the most home runs hit by a rookie in a month until Shane Spencer
Shane Spencer
Michael Shane Spencer is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hits, 59 home runs, and 242 RBI...
achieved nine in September 1998.
Ruth returned to the lineup on June 1, relegating Paschal to the bench. In July, an injury to Earle Combs
Earle Combs
Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team...
allowed Paschal to start several games in center field, and a further injury to Joe Dugan
Joe Dugan
Joseph Anthony Dugan , was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Jumping Joe", he played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop and third baseman from 1917 through 1931. Dugan played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Boston Braves and Detroit...
allowed Paschal to start throughout the majority of August and all of September, as Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
moved to third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
to cover Dugan. He hit two home runs during a September 8 game against the Red Sox, but his season ended when he was hit on the leg with a pitch on September 12 against the Philadelphia Athletics. In 89 games, Paschal's batting average for the season was .360, 70 points higher than Ruth, with 12 home runs and 56 RBI.
Paschal began the 1926 season
1926 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 24th season in New York, and its 26th season overall. The team finished with a record of 91-63, winning their fourth pennant, finishing three games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee...
as the fourth outfielder. He was sent a new contract for the 1926 season, but after threatening to hold out for more money. Paschal signed the new contract on February 17 for an estimated $7,000 ( today). He began the season as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, but injuries quickly took its toll on the Yankees. Paschal started most of July and August, replacing an injured Meusel who broke a bone in his right foot. Paschal hit an inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
in a victory against the Cleveland Indians on July 9. With the Yankees in a close pennant race in mid-August, Paschal hit a home run in a loss to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. Further successes came with a vital pinch-hit double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in a win against the Athletics on September 6 and a home run on September 8. The Yankees clinched the pennant on September 15, and Paschal scored the game winning single. The Yankees faced the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 1926 World Series
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
, and Paschal, pinch-hitting for Joe Dugan
Joe Dugan
Joseph Anthony Dugan , was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Jumping Joe", he played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop and third baseman from 1917 through 1931. Dugan played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Boston Braves and Detroit...
, singled
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
tying the contest at 2–2 in the ninth inning of Game 5. Tony Lazzeri
Tony Lazzeri
Anthony Michael "Tony" Lazzeri was an American Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s , along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel...
hit a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
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 seven home runs with 32 runs batted in.
Before the 1927 season
1927 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was their 25th season. The team finished with a record of 110-44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept the...
, Paschal returned his playing contract unsigned because of a salary dispute. By that time, the Yankees were forming the nucleus of what became the Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row
Murderers’ Row was the nickname given to the New York Yankees baseball team of the late 1920s, in particular the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri....
teams of the late 1920s. He signed for an estimated $8,000 ( 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. As the last man ever to pinch-hit for Ruth, Paschal singled. In one of his few starts of the 1927 season, Paschal was a single short of hitting for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
, and almost had three home runs. Replacing the injured Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
, 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. Paschal did not play in the Yankees' 1927 World Series
1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. 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
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Red Ruffing
Red Ruffing
Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered for his time with the highly successful New York Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s...
, but discussions fell apart (Ruffing was later acquired in a proposed trade during the 1930 season).
Paschal was used heavily as a pinch hitter during the 1928 season
1928 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 1928 season was their 26th season. The team finished with a record of 101-53, winning their sixth pennant, finishing 2.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept...
. Huggins credited Paschal's timely pinch-hitting as part of the Yankees' success that season. 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
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
on August 4. Paschal played in 65 games that season, having a .316 batting average. He shared center field duties with Cedric Durst
Cedric Durst
Cedric Montgomery Durst was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played between and for the St. Louis Browns , New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox . Listed at 5' 11", 160 lb., Durst batted and threw left-handed...
for an injured Earle Combs during the Yankees' win over the Cardinals in the 1928 World Series
1928 World Series
In the 1928 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. Along with , this was the first time a team had swept consecutive Series....
. He started the first and last games of the series on a platoon
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
situation; Paschal faced left-handed pitchers and Durst faced right-handed pitchers.
Before the 1929 season
1929 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 27th season in New York and its 29th overall. The team finished with a record of 88-66, finishing in second place, 18 games behind the Philadelphia Athletics. This ended a streak of three straight championships from 1926 to 1928. New York was managed by...
, Paschal and Durst were mentioned in several trade rumors, 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. On July 2, Paschal hit a pinch-hit home run for Herb Pennock
Herb Pennock
Herbert Jefferis Pennock was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his time spent with the star-studded New York Yankee teams of the mid to late 1920s and early 1930s. Pennock won two World Series championships with the Red Sox and then four World Series championships with the...
in the seventh inning of a game against the Red Sox to give the Yankees a 3–2 win. He played in 42 games in his final season in the majors, posting a .208 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
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
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Ruth and Combs, and star Bob Meusel
Bob Meusel
Robert William "Bob" Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees...
in the outfield. He was part a group including Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
and Mark Koenig
Mark Koenig
Mark Anthony Koenig was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for 12 seasons from 1925–1936. He was the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees 1927 Murderers' Row team, and was the last surviving member of that legendary team...
which preferred watching a film to partying after a game; they were dubbed the team's "movie crowd".
Later career
Bubbles Hargrave
Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Yankees. He won the National League batting title in 1926 while playing for Cincinnati...
, with Wilcy Moore
Wilcy Moore
William Wilcy "Cy" Moore was a former professional baseball right-handed pitcher over parts of six seasons with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. He led the American League in ERA as a rookie in 1927 while playing for New York.For his career, he compiled a 51-44 record, with a 3.70 ERA and...
and Johnny Grabowski
Johnny Grabowski
John Patrick Grabowski , nicknamed "Nig", was a Major League Baseball catcher who played 7 seasons for the Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers .Born in Ware, Massachusetts to a family of Polish descent, Grabowski played 296 major league games—282 of them as a catcher...
, to the St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
(AA). In one 1930 game against the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, Paschal had four hits and four RBI in a 23–4 win that broke the AA record for most runs scored in a game. 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. 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. The St. Petersburg Evening Independent reported a few months later that Paschal was "struggling to keep his job" in the minors. He was released by Knoxville and signed with the Scranton Miners of the New York–Penn League
New York-Pennsylvania League (early 20th century)
The New York-Pennsylvania League of 1923 through 1937 was an American minor league baseball circuit.The forerunner to the modern Class AA Eastern League, it was a Class B circuit through 1932 and upgraded to Class A for the final five seasons of its existence. It is actually the second of three...
. After a few games with the Miners, Paschal returned home to North Carolina, where he accepted a managerial job for a semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball team in Catawba County
Catawba County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 160,000 people, 55,533 households, and 39,095 families residing in the county. The population density was 354 people per square mile . There were 59,919 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
.
Paschal was married with a child, Ben Jr. He died in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina at the age of 79, and is interred at Sharon Memorial Park
Sharon Memorial Park
Sharon Memorial Park is a crematory and cemetery located at 5716 Monroe Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. Notable people interred there include baseball players Bob Porterfield and Ben Paschal.-External links:...
.