Lou Boudreau interview
Date1992 October 07
DescriptionTwo audio cassettes featuring an interview with Lou Boudreau conducted by Rod Roberts on behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on October 7, 1992 in Dolton, Illinois.
Object numberHF-1996-0001-02
Interviewer
Roberts, Rod
Interviewee
Boudreau, Lou, 1917-2001
Subject
Boudreau, Lou, 1917-2001
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Library Call NumberCTA 777
Library Call NumberCTA 778
Collection NumberBA RMA 001 Rod Roberts oral history collection
Dimensions2 audio cassettes
TrannscriptionCassette 1 Side OneTrack 1 - Born July 17, 1917 in Harvey, IL, town of 10-12,000 people just south of Chicago; grandparents born in Bordeaux, France; mother was English, maiden name of Henry; didn't know grandparents; father was a machinist at Buda Co. and played semi-pro baseball around Chicago; one older brother; father and brother started Boudreau playing baseball at age six; getting one new baseball a month and making it last by wrapping it in electrical tape (00:00:00 to 00:02:53) Track 2 - Playing basketball in high school; played on Illinois state championship basketball team in 1933, ‘34, '35; won tournament 14-13 against Springfield, IL; Springfield coached by Mark Peterman; Boudreau coached by Jack Lipe; no 10-second rule; team called the Flying Clouds (00:02:53 to 00:05:20) Track 3 - On mother not allowing him to play football; playing intramural football under Bob Zuppke; Zuppke wanting Boudreau to play so mother agreed if Boudreau could just be used as a field goal kicker; injuring right leg in practice so quitting football (00:05:20 to 00:07:58) Track 4 - On parents wanting him to go to college and play professional baseball; playing basketball in original NBA for Hammond Ciesar All-Americans in Hammond, IN; joining Cleveland Indians and quitting basketball (00:07:58 to 00:08:44) Track 5 - On originally liking basketball better, and feeling he was a better basketball player, than baseball; father saying there were better professional opportunities in baseball (00:08:44 to 00:09:21) Track 6 - On playing catcher, and third base; Cleveland's Ossie Vitt telling him he should move to shortstop because Ken Keltner played third base; farmed out to Buffalo under manager Steve O'Neill; Greg Mulleavy teaching Boudreau to play shortstop; Ray Mack played second base in 1939 (00:09:21 to 00:11:11.8) Track 7 - On father teaching him third base; so continued to play third; playing under Wally Roettger (00:11:11.8 to 00:11:58) Track 8 - On trying out with Chicago Cubs, Charlie Grimm as vice president of the Cubs, coach Red Corriden urging him to talk to Grimm, who told him to finish college; Cleveland Indians scout (?) Ryan approaching him after third year to sign; $1,000 signing bonus plus $100 a week to his mother; stepfather found out that mother got the bonus and gave $500 to Boudreau's father; complained to Big Ten Commissioner Major Griffith; Boudreau declared ineligible to play collegiate sports; turned down a motion picture with (Giuseppi) Hank Luisetti and other opportunities to regain amateur status but did not (00:11:58 to 00:17:20) Track 9 - Being on a basketball scholarship at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; working for meals, joining Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity (00:17:20 to 00:17:54.6) Track 10 - Being signed to Cleveland Indians and going to Springfield; Commissioner Judge Landis interfering with Boudreau playing, so Boudreau sent to Buffalo (00:17:54.6 to 00:19:18) Track 11 - On Ossie Vitt as manager; in 1940 players signing petition for Vitt to be removed; media releasing news of "rebellion," players called crybabies and Detroit spectators throwing tomatoes and eggs at them, putting diapers in front of dugout; Ben Chapman wheeling baby buggy filled with bats; Vitt considered two-faced (00:19:18 to 00:22:32) Track 12 - On Ray Mack being a hometown boy in Cleveland (00:22:32 to 00:23:04) Track 13 - On Ben Chapman's temper; Johnny Allen being mean and beaning someone in an exhibition game (00:23:04 to 00:24:39) Track 14 - On getting a hard time for being a college boy; Mule Haas making fun of Boudreau; on players getting knocked down by pitchers; difference that helmets make in the game; difference that Astroturf makes; on changes in baseball gloves, not liking large gloves for infielders; taking stuffing out of the heel of the glove to make it flat; newer gloves making it hard to make double-plays (00:24:39 to 00:27:46) Track 15 - On not knowing Earl Averill; Tris Speaker; Bob Feller (00:27:46 to 00:28:22) Track 16 - In 1941 playing with Chubby Dean; Bobo Newsom being mean (00:28:22 to 00:29:32) Track 17 - On Hal Newhauser being the toughest pitcher, having great control (00:29:32 to 00:30:42) Cassette 1 Side Two Track 1 - More on Hal Newhauser; Vic Raschi; Dizzy Trout being fastest pitcher; Boudreau fortunate about not facing his own pitching staff—(Bob) Feller, (Bob) Lemon, (Gene) Bearden, (Mike) Garcia, (Steve) Gromek; changing Lemon from third baseman to outfielder to pitcher; when Bill McKechnie left Cincinnati, Bill Veeck asked if Boudreau would like him as a coach; McKechnie working with Lemon in the bullpen (00:00:00 to 00:03:13) Track 2 - On Boudreau being a player-manager (glitch in tape; portion missing;) Boudreau wrote a letter to (Alva) Bradley saying he wanted to become manager; Illinois coaches Doug Mills and Wally Roettger encouraged him; Bradley asked him to come in for an interview with the board of directors; George Martin, chairman of Sherwin Williams, was single board member to vote yes, Martin convinced the other 11 members to vote yes; gave Boudreau the job with the provision that he hire older experienced coaches; four other players told him they had applied for the job; Boudreau trying to instill fundamentals in players, coach and manage by example; not having relationships with players; hanging out with sportswriters; Ray Mack; when Bill Veech traded Allie Reynolds for Joe Gordon; Gordon solidify ball club (00:03:13 to 00:10:41) Track 3 - (Tape glitches, portion missing;) On ideal set-up being a catcher as player manager; (Johnny) Bench would have been ideal; Al López was; Boudreau having a dream year in 1948; winning batting championship in 1944 with .326 (00:10:41 to 00:12:04) Track 4 - On Newhauser being a tough pitcher; a lot of outstanding ballplayers served in the War, including Feller; difference in quality of play during the War; Ed Roush (00:12:04 to 00:13:57) Track 5 - On 1948 being a good year; Veeck intending to trade Boudreau to St. Louis Browns in 1947 but fans protested so deal called off; Boudreau knowing it was last year; good pitching with Bearden, Feller and Lemon; infield carried the ball club with RBIs; outfield was good defensively with (Dale) Mitchell in left, Larry Doby in center; Boudreau had a good batting average, drove in a lot of runs (00:13:57 to 00:16:25) Track 6 - On Veeck offering suggestions, being a good promoter; Boudreau getting hit by Gil Coan and being out of the line-up; playing Yankees and Joe Page was pitching against (Thurman) Tucker, so Boudreau pinch-hit and drove in the winning run; Boudreau and Veeck enjoying dinner and wine after games (00:16:25 to 00:18:34) Track 7 - On Veeck's promotions; Veeck giving players $150 for a new suit after they helped cover the field during a rainstorm (00:18:34 to 00:19:30) Track 8 - On Cleveland Stadium, fans being too far from action; new ball parks in Baltimore and Cleveland; Boudreau not liking indoor, domed stadiums (00:19:30 to 00:20:28.5) Track 9 - On Satchel Paige; Veeck's secret workout for Paige with Abe Saperstein, Hank Greenberg and reporter Gordon Cobbledick; Paige giving Boudreau a folded handkerchief and throwing pitches across the handkerchief; Paige making more money with Kansas City Monarchs so not moving to majors; took him a long time to warm up; Paige drawing crowds, being a good influence on Larry Doby; Paige's hesitation pitch (00:20:28.5 to 00:25:40) Track 10 - On Feller's exhibition team with Paige; interviewer Roberts talking about interviewing Paige on the quality of the Negro League players; Boudreau talking about Paige being picked up in a Cadillac; Boudreau going to Kansas City for Paige's funeral; traveling secretary Spud Goldstein saying Paige would deliberately miss the train (00:25:40 to 00:29:19) Track 11 - On Paige keeping Larry Doby company; Doby having a tough time; Gordon sitting next to him in the dugout; Doby hitting the long ball (tape runs out) (00:29:19 to 00:30:17) Cassette 2 Side One Track 1 - On 1949 being a let-down; movie "Kid From Cleveland;" George Brent; playing in the movie in the morning and playing a real game in the afternoon taking a toll (00:00:00 to 00:01:46) Track 2 - On Bob Feller being dependable as a pitcher; Feller having a slump; Feller breaking Army scientist's machine at 108 miles per hour; Feller's curveball developing from the slider; Feller keeping himself in shape (00:01:46 to 00:03:52) Track 3 - On Ray Boone; Boudreau trying to make him a shortstop; Boone going to Detroit as a great third baseman; Boudreau on quick starts because of basketball experience; studying the hitters (00:03:52 to 00:06:00) Track 4 - On submarine relief pitcher Russ Christopher, dying of heart attack; Elden Auker; Ed Klieman, another right-handed relief pitcher; different pitches; over-speed pitch from (Rob) Dibble and Lee Smith (00:06:00 to 00:07:42) Track 5 - On playing catcher in one game against the White Sox, with Joe Heving as pitcher; controlling the game; on Al Lopez being the best catcher; (Jim) Hegan great defensively behind the plate; (Frankie) Pytlak; (Rollie) Hemsley; Lopez as manager and student of the game (00:07:42 to 00:09:13.5) Track 6 - On getting Mickey Vernon from Washington, first baseman and good hitter; Cleveland home town boy Luke Easter, power hitter but not a long career in baseball, worked in a bank in Cleveland and was shot; trying to sign (Dick?) Wakefield but losing him to Detroit; (Minnie) Minoso a good runner and hitter, but didn't trust the club with his money (00:09:13.5 to 00:12:16) Track 7 - On Early Wynn, tough pitcher; (Hal) Newhouser being aggressive (00:12:16 to 00:13:03) Track 8 - On being released from Cleveland in 1950; Joe Cronin asking him to come to Boston, also sought by Washington; went to Boston as a utility man for two years, then became a manager; Cronin as a player (00:13:03 to 00:14:36) Track 9 - On George Kell, great hitter and third baseman, not a good runner; Jimmy Piersall, with terrible health and mental problems; Boudreau having players right Piersall letters; Boudreau putting Piersall at shortstop after trying him in center field as a replacement for Dominic DiMaggio; team bringing younger players, including Milt Bolling; Piersall blaming Boudreau for mental problems; playing against Cleveland, Piersall hitting against Satchel Paige, bunting and then stealing second and third (00:14:36 to 00:19:10) Track 10 - Greatest "active" day in baseball was being in the playoff game; greatest "non-active" day was being inducted into the Hall of Fame; opening the playoff game with a home run; (Gene) Bearden pitching a great game; getting a single in third inning; (Joe) Gordon getting a single; (Ken) Keltner hitting a three-run homer for a 4-1 lead; in sixth inning Boudreau fooled on a pitch by Ellis Kinder but hit it one-handed for second home run; single in seventh inning; in ninth inning, got to the plate with Cleveland leading 8-3 and received a standing ovation from the sell-out Boston crowd; interviewer discussing other people's answers to the same question (00:19:10 to 00:21:58) Track 11 - On greatest play in New York, Yankees' (Billy?) Johnson hitting a ground ball past Keltner, Boudreau crossed behind Keltner and caught the ball backhanded, flipped it to Keltner who threw to first and got the out; Boston's Bill McKechnie with tears in his eyes saying it was the first time he'd ever seen that play completed successfully (00:21:58 to 00:23:29) Track 12 - Went from Boston to Kansas City; in 1959 joined WGN and broadcast the Chicago Cubs for more than 25 years; enjoyed being with the ball players and in the game; Cubs ball players (Ernie) Banks; managing the Cubs and moving Banks to first base from outfield in 1960; bringing up Ron Santo to play third base; Don Zimmer (00:23:29 to 00:24:50) Track 13 - On not having regrets; offense versus defense in sports; not liking designated hitter rule (00:24:50 to 00:26:43) Track 14 - Best hitters: Ted Williams, left-handed, (Joe) DiMaggio, right-handed; Aaron is a home run hitter, but Williams was very tough; Williams picking up the ball as soon as the pitcher releases; Boudreau only striking out nine times in more than 500 at bats in 1948, chasing Joe Sewell's record of only six strikeouts (00:26:43 to 00:30:18) Track 15 - Biggest changes - Astroturf, designated hitter, salary structure being bad for the game (tape runs out) (00:30:18 to 00:30:46)" Public Access NotePlease note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. 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