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Chapter 4

ROLLICKING ROLLIE

In what was hopefully not an omen of things to come, Indians general manager Cy Slapnicka suffered a heart attack just before the start of the annual Major League meetings in early December. While attending a banquet in Milwaukee, he became uncomfortably ill but attributed the chest pains to a simple case of indigestion. At 3 a.m. he realized the pain had gone far beyond indigestion. He reached for the phone and called the room of Indians scout Bill Bradley to tell him to get a cab and rush him to the hospital. The doctors confirmed that Slapnicka had experienced a heart attack and restricted him to a cumbersome oxygen tent. He would be out of action for an extended period of time. Alva Bradley’s right-hand man usually had an active role in talking trades and ideas with the other team representatives. Now Bradley only had Oscar Vitt with him, who was not expected to have much of an impact due to his unfamiliarity with the club.

The team did formally announce that they had completed a deal with Milwaukee of the American Association, sending three players to the club for highly touted third baseman Ken Keltner. The Indians had actually bought Keltner’s contract at the end of August; however, the transaction was not complete until the three players were sent. Keltner had emerged as a star player for the Brewers, batting over .300 and handling third base at a Major League level. He would report to spring training and be given a legitimate shot to win a starting job.

The most unexpected proposal of the meetings came from none other than Alva Bradley. He announced a revolutionary plan to bring night baseball to Cleveland. Bradley cited the recent success of the Cincinnati Reds, who had held seven games at night, which drew a total of 130,000 fans. The Cleveland owner firmly believed the time had come to play ball games under the stars, and he was stepping forward to lead the charge. He had done a thorough study and was preparing to invest $75,000 at Municipal Stadium to install the proper lighting.

The standing rule on night baseball stated, “Any club desiring to play night baseball must apply to the other seven teams for permission which if granted at all would be granted for one year only.” Bradley would have quite a chore on his hands in convincing a majority of American League owners to support his innovative plan.

The owners reserved the right to decline a request if the club had been operating at a reasonable profit by daylight. Only for a club in financial straits might the owners consider endorsing an emergency measure. Bradley’s did not fit that description.

The owners politely listened to Bradley’s arguments, then adjourned to discuss the proposal. In a short time they returned a one-sided vote of five against the lights and just two, Chicago and St. Louis, in favor. The other owners still believed baseball should be played in the daytime, and did not consider that fans might embrace the idea of playing ball after sundown. The Cleveland boss told reporters, “Naturally I’m disappointed. Night baseball in Cleveland would have meant a lot to the club and new fans.” Bradley took some solace in the ball club netting a profit of $190,000, the highest amount during his tenure.

The other business was more mundane. The season would open on April 19 and close on October 2. The All-Star Game was awarded to the Cincinnati Reds. Some disagreement occurred over the type of ball to be used: the American League owners favored the livelier ball used in their league for more hitting, while their counterparts in the National League preferred their league’s dead ball to highlight pitching. The meetings ended with no other significant business or any blockbuster trades.

In the middle of January 1938, Bradley made known to Cleveland fans that he wanted to schedule twenty-five games at Municipal Stadium. He proposed that all Sunday games and holiday dates be played at the seldom-used facility. He acknowledged that Bob Feller and Johnny Allen were big draws, and as many fans as possible should have the chance to see them in action. He added that the Cleveland Baseball Company would put in a strong bid for the concessions at all games played at the stadium.

Bradley’s plans were a mixed blessing to Cleveland City Council. They would be able to negotiate with the ball club for a percentage of the gate while keeping all parking revenues. On the flip side, council knew few other concession companies qualified to handle the food and drinks required for a crowd of 50,000 or 60,000. Once again they had little choice but to yield to Mr. Bradley, who had taken away $50,000 in city rent when he vacated the stadium after the 1933 season. There had been several different administrations of city managers and mayors, yet none had been able to keep Alva Bradley from imposing his will on the city of Cleveland.

A month later, activities in the League Park office began to gather speed. Player contracts were being negotiated at a rapid pace, while plans for spring training were just about finalized. Bob Feller was rumored to have been offered a substantial deal of $17,500 plus a bonus for attendance at the games he pitched. Feller’s strong performance in September convinced a now-healthy Cy Slapnicka that his pitching prodigy was just about on par with the best pitchers in baseball. Johnny Allen got a tremendous contract calling for a team-high salary of $40,000 for two years. It seemed most of the players were able to get raises without much of a tussle from the front office.

Baseball Magazine published an old classic anecdote about salary negotiations between players and owners. The tale concerned Colonel Jacob Ruppert, the proprietor of the New York Yankees. Ruppert’s grandfather and father had founded a large brewery in the New York area years ago, where they produced the popular Knickerbocker Beer. Colonel Ruppert was already an enormously wealthy man when he purchased the Yankees in 1916. With some wise player acquisitions named Ruth and Gehrig, the Yankees became the top-drawing team in all of baseball. Knowing the franchise had cash to burn; the players started to get aggressive in their contract demands. Waite Hoyt, one of Yankees’ best pitchers, met with Ruppert about his salary for the next season. A frustrated Ruppert, said, “Hoyt where’s this going to end? Ruth wants more money, Gehrig wants more money, Pennock, Meusel and all the others want more money. What do you fellows think I am anyway, a millionaire?” Hoyt’s reply went unrecorded.

Alva Bradley and his front office remained quite energetic throughout February. An announcement soon came that the Indians had acquired St. Louis Browns catcher Rollie Hemsley for third baseman Roy Hughes and backup catcher Billy Sullivan Jr. Cy Slapnicka had had his eye on Hemsley for some time. The initial motivation came from Bob Feller, who been barnstorming with Hemsley and loved the way he caught a game. He mentioned this to his general manager, who started efforts to get the veteran in a Cleveland uniform. The Browns hesitated at a Frankie Pytlak–Rollie Hemsley straight-up deal. Slapnicka countered with a starting third baseman and an alternate catcher. This time the Browns said okay.

Rollie Hemsley came to Cleveland with some outstanding credentials. An All-Star in 1935 and 1936, Hemsley had excellent defensive skills along with an above-average bat. He knew how to handle his pitchers as well as call a good game. He did not shy away from collisions at home plate, nor did nagging injuries force him out of the lineup. Bruised shins and swollen hands were just part of the everyday routine for Rollie. There did exist one small detail that made Cleveland his fifth stop in the Major Leagues. Hemsley had a severe problem with alcohol, and it was becoming worse each season.

Ralston “Rollie” Hemsley was born on June 24, 1907, in Syracuse, Ohio, located in the southeast portion of the state. The small Meigs County mining town sat across the Ohio River from West Virginia. Local folklore claimed when the river reached a certain low point, anybody could wade across and visit the neighboring state.

Rollie’s father, Joe, had a keen interest in baseball. When not laboring in the coal mines, he played or watched games at the nearby King Field. Rollie and his brothers, Doug and Joe Jr., followed the head of the family to the mines, collecting six dollars a day for backbreaking work. Rollie would later remark, “Baseball’s a soft job compared to blasting your way through those hunks of coal.”

When Rollie reached his twelfth birthday, he began training to be a big-time catcher. Joe took him into the backyard and threw him curveballs by the hour. Before long Rollie played at King Field, catching for Joe’s semipro team. The ballpark had a grandstand, a dirt field, and a deep center field, complete with a wide area of cornstalks. Teams from the Ohio Valley League scheduled games at the ground, and occasionally a Major League club stopped by for an exhibition game.

Rollie, now known as “Dutch” by his teammates, proved fearless behind home plate. He would reach a height of five feet, ten inches and never weigh more than 170 pounds. He had unusually big hands that helped him stop pitches in the dirt and whistle throws to second base. He played like a polished veteran, soon drawing attention from several minor league clubs. At age seventeen he got an opportunity to join the 1925 Frederick, Maryland, club in the Blue Ridge League. Rollie showed steady progress in his three seasons in Frederick, batting .311 in 1927 with nine triples and twelve home runs. In one of the games Rollie went five for five with two home runs, two doubles, and a single. In another contest he took part in a rarely seen double play. With a runner on first base, the batter lifted a short fly into right field. The Frederick first baseman dashed to the outfield and made a fine over-the-shoulder catch. Hemsley, alertly noticing that the base runner had strayed too far from first, whipped off his mask and sprinted down the first-base line. He yelled for the ball and got the return throw before the startled runner could slide back to the bag. These top-rate performances earned him a promotion to Wichita of the Western League, though he never actually played a game there. The Pittsburgh Pirates tracked Rollie down and bought his contract outright. Hemsley would report in 1928 to spring training and compete for a spot on the roster.

The Pirates were not aware that Rollie had begun drinking in the 1927 season. To complicate things, the Pirates’ star outfielder, the great Paul Waner, besides being a tremendous hitter and all-around player, had a serious problem with alcohol. Before long the two players became drinking buddies, starting Rollie on an eleven-year binge. He often arrived at the ballpark with abrasions on his face and sometimes a grotesque black eye. Regardless, he managed to play through the hangovers, well enough to remain the backup catcher.

In one particular game he got livid with umpire Bill Klem regarding his judgment of balls and strikes. Rollie called Klem a “blind bat.” Klem replied, “Young man, you’ve been drinking!” Hemsley fired back, “And from the way you’re umpiring, you could have too!” The veteran umpire then told the fuming catcher to go take a seat on the bench and sober up for the remainder of the game.

In spite of this terrible behavior, Rollie somehow improved his game, working his way up to be the Pirates number one catcher. In 1931, just after the regular season got underway, manager Jewel Ens agreed to let Hemsley stop home in Syracuse for a day before embarking with the team on their first road trip. Rollie took off and was not heard of or seen again for a full week. He did not try to contact the Pirates front office during the entire time he went AWOL. He eventually reported with a flimsy explanation he was sick. Ens, completely fed up, suspended him for two weeks, then traded him to the Chicago Cubs.

Rollie moved on to a new environment in Chicago that featured two of the most notorious drinkers in all of baseball, outfielder Hack Wilson and pitcher Pat Malone. In no time at all, Rollie became completely unhinged. The reporters soon noticed his bloodshot eyes and disheveled appearance. Manager Rogers Hornsby, hardly a friend to the ballplayers, somehow tolerated the mischief of his new catcher. Gabby Hartnett caught most of the games, leaving Rollie to play once or twice a week. Still, he was effective, batting .309 in sixty-six games.

It took Hornsby another year to tire of Rollie’s bad conduct. Before the start of the 1933 season, Hemsley went to the Cincinnati Reds in a five-player trade. Chicago received slugger Babe Herman in exchange for four players from the Cubs. Rollie floundered in his new environment, batting a feeble .190 in forty-nine games. He only made it to August before the Reds released him, putting his career in jeopardy.

In an exceptionally strange set of circumstances, the St. Louis Browns claimed Rollie. Certainly they needed help anywhere they could find it; however, their new manager happened to be none other than Rogers Hornsby. Why the former Cubs boss believed Hemsley could be of any help is puzzling. He had seen the outrageous behavior, the black eyes, the cuts and bruises, yet still wanted Rollie to catch for him.

Before packing his things and reporting to St. Louis, Hemsley got into a scary automobile accident. He walked away from the crash, and when he caught up with the Browns, Hornsby penciled him into the lineup. But while dressing, his new teammates noticed the gruesome cuts and bruises covering his body. Several told Rollie to talk with Hornsby and sit out the game. He advised them all to shut up and mind their own business. He likely feared that if the manager found out, his days with the Browns might be over before they started. Rollie caught the game and finished the year with the club.

In the first half of 1934 Hemsley found a way to slow down the drinking and played great ball. The newspapers raved about his batting, his work behind the plate, and his clever handling of the pitching staff. The new Rollie lasted until midseason when the Browns finished a series in Chicago. Before leaving for Detroit, manager Hornsby notified the players they could take in the World’s Fair and catch a late train east. The players dressed quickly and ambled off to the fair. Rollie left the clubhouse with pal Frank Grube and headed in a completely different direction. The two partied until late in the evening. In due course they reached the train station several hours after their ride had left. The boys drank some more, then caught an early morning train bound for Detroit. Riding with them were renowned bandleader Ted Lewis and his entire orchestra. The musicians matched the ballplayers bottle for bottle. Upon arriving at the station, Hemsley and Grube dove into a cab. At this point they had been celebrating for well over twelve hours.

They rushed to the hotel, hoping to sober up a little then report to the ballpark. Both reached the revolving doors at the same time and pushed in the opposite directions. Neither man would yield, causing the mechanism supporting the doors to snap. Maintenance people were summoned to repair the whole thing while guests of the hotel stood by and had to wait to get in or out.

Hemsley and Grube raced to the park, arriving in time for practice. Manager Hornsby eyed both of them and called for the team to line up. He then asked each and every player if they enjoyed the World’s Fair. One by one the guys said yes, they had a great time. When Hornsby reached Grube he asked him the same question. Grube said he had fun there. Hornsby smiled and said, “You are fined $150.” Several players later he stood directly in front of Rollie. Asked the same query, Hemsley said he had a great time. This time Hornsby smiled and said, “You are fined $300.” The catcher frowned and blurted out, “Why is my fine $300?” Hornsby calmly replied, “Because you are more valuable to the club!”

All seemed well until late August, when Rollie got into a much-publicized bar fight. On a day off he rented a car and wound up in a tavern legendary for drawing rowdy sailors just off the boat. According to Hemsley, he was relaxing at the bar when one of the drunken sailors bumped into him. The two had words and within minutes were brawling inside, then on the streets outside of the bar. Several other sailors joined the fight, prompting a call to the local police, who arrived within minutes. As they were struggling to pull apart the severely drunken warriors, Rollie, according to the police, belted one of the cops square in the face, then tried to take his badge. The police subdued Hemsley and carted him off to jail. He was charged with drunk and disorderly conduct and driving without a license. The Browns gave him an immediate fine and suspension.

Rollie later claimed the charges were unjustified. He explained to reporters, “I was in a tavern when a sailor bumped up against me and I told him to watch his step. A row followed and I knocked the sailor cold. I did not resist the officer and he did not strike me, nor did I try to hit him.” Nobody bought Hemsley’s version of the incident, and the charges remained along with the fine and suspension.

The national newspapers began calling him “Rollicking Rollie” or “Jolly Rollie,” pegging him as a fun-loving guy who sometimes went too far. They, like much of the population, did not understand that Rollicking Rollie could not help himself. One drink would lead to two, then to seven or eight. He had a disease that no large fines or man-to-man talks would help. At times he went completely sober for several weeks, then something would set him off and the drinking would start all over again. His alcoholism did not allow him to have a beer or two and be on his way like most of his teammates. Rollie had a dangerous problem that went unabated for quite a long time.

Even during the off-season, Hemsley could not ease off on the alcohol. He bought a farm in Missouri, where he relocated his wife, Mildred, and young daughter, Joan. Rollie had some hunting dogs that he took deep into the wooded area on the farm. While searching for rabbits or squirrels, he always had a pint or two with him. He might go missing for several days until Mildred had to navigate the dense woods and bring him home.

Family members still relate a story about Rollie. Back in Syracuse, he liked to join his buddies for a jaunt down Route 124, where a string of popular taverns did business. One evening Rollie informed Mildred he would be borrowing the brand-new car he had just bought for her. Blanching at the thought of her husband careening down Route 124 and wrecking her car, she ran to the kitchen, grabbed a large knife, hustled to the car, and slashed the tires. A set of new tires was needed, but the car was saved from destruction.

With the bad events piling up, it would seem that Rollie’s career had reached a critical point. But in spite of all the riotous times and the all-night partying, Rollie somehow had an impressive season in 1934. Catching 123 games, he batted .309 with 133 hits and 7 triples. He did even better in 1935, earning a place on the All-Star team. He caught 141 games, a career high, while batting .290. He led the American League catchers in assists, while allowing only three passed balls the entire year. He accomplished this with many a black eye and impaired vision from the swelling. On one occasion he shuffled hungover into the ballpark with one eye completely closed and the other about half as bad. Manager Hornsby told Rollie that as punishment he would catch both ends of the doubleheader. Someway he managed to do the job without completely falling apart.

Although putting together several impressive seasons, Rollicking Rollie continued with his outrageous conduct. Regardless of this, he repeated as a 1936 All-Star. His on-field talent got the attention of several American League teams in addition to Cy Slapnicka. Talks were held with the Browns at the winter meetings, but nothing solid came to pass. In the meantime, Hemsley continued to solidify his reputation as the wildest man in baseball. According to Dan Daniels, a drunken Rollie boarded a Browns train to Washington with a basket of live frogs. He then entered the sleeping car and threw a frog into each player’s berth. On another occasion he patiently waited for his teammates to turn in for the night, then stole everyone’s shoes and hid them in another compartment.

In spring training of 1937, Rollie added to his long string of outlandish behavior. The Browns were traveling to Laredo, Texas, for an exhibition contest. After the game, the players had a train waiting to take them to San Antonio, where the team was staying. Few were surprised when Rollie vanished, missing the train ride back to camp. He had crossed the border into old Mexico to sample some of the famous local tequila.

Late that same evening he found his way back to San Antonio with a girl on each arm and two bottles of liquor stuffed in his back pockets. He stumbled into the lobby of the Browns’ hotel, where idling near the entrance were, of all people, new St. Louis owner Don Barnes, new general manager Bill Dewitt, and manager Rogers Hornsby. The men stared at Rollie for several minutes, then left for their rooms. Hemsley knew he could not talk his way out of this one.

The next morning Hemsley received a message to see his bosses immediately. The end result of the less-than-friendly meeting was a substantial fine and suspension. Rollie estimated he racked up a whopping total of $20,000 in fines, almost certainly the most of any ballplayer of his era. The deductions in pay never had any effect. He simply moved on to the next episode.

Over the course of the 1937 season, Hornsby grew weary of trying to curb Rollie’s behavior. He let the other American League clubs know his catcher was on the trading block. Near the end of the season, the Tigers showed interest in completing a trade for Hemsley. The Browns happened to be in Detroit for a late September series. After one of the games, Rollie, totally drunk stumbled into the team hotel. He raised a ruckus in the lobby, bad enough for the Detroit front office to hear about it. That incident killed any chance of a trade happening.

Even with all of this history, Slapnicka remained intent on acquiring the biggest headache in all of baseball. Perhaps he thought new manager Oscar Vitt had the right stuff to tame Rollie and convert him into a model citizen. Possibly the general manager believed he could show the catcher a better way. The Indians still had Frankie Pytlak, a good backstop the front office would keep around for insurance. Be that as it may, the Cleveland Indians hadn’t the vaguest idea of what they were truly in for.