Hal Trosky
| Birthdate | 11/11/1912 |
| Death Date | 6/18/1979 |
| Debut Year | 1933 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Indians, White Sox |
| Position | First Base |
Hal Trosky was on his way to the HoF before being sidelined by chronic migraines. In 1936 he hit .343 with 42 homers, 162 RBI & 405 total bases.
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Hal Trosky was on his way to a Hall of Fame career before migraine headaches diverted his path to Cooperstown
Hal Trosky was on his way to a Hall of Fame career before migraine headaches diverted his path to Cooperstown
For six seasons from 1934-1939, Hal Trosky was one of the most potent sluggers in the game. During that time he averaged 184 hits, 38 doubles, 30 homers, and 126 RBI per year while hitting .317.
His greatest season came in 1936 when he ripped 42 homers, drove in 162 runs, hit .343, and 405 total bases. To put those numbers in perspective, as of 2021, only 18 men in Major League history have ever amassed 400 total base in a single season.
Trosky it appeared, was on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Unfortunately migraine headaches felled Trosky ultimately forcing him out of baseball by 1946 at age 33. Shown here is a personal check signed by the former Indians and White Sox player in 1955.
Hal Trosky Jr. homered in his first professional at bat and pitched a no-hitter in the minors
Hal Trosky Jr. homered in his first professional at bat and pitched a no-hitter in the minors
Baseball ran in the Trosky family. Not only was Hal a Major Leaguer, but so was his son, Hal Trosky Jr. who was born late in his father’s historic 1936 campaign.
The younger Trosky pitched in two games in 1958, leaving the big leagues with an undefeated mark of 1-0.
In the collection is this questionnaire filled out by the Hal Jr. He writes about his father’s influence on him and about both of their careers. Though he played in just the two games, Trosky Jr. did have a fine professional career, hitting a homer in his first pro at bat and pitching a no-hitter in 1958.
The younger Trosky writes of going with his father to every home game during the summers of 1944-1946, being on the field and in the clubhouse before and after the games. A quick read of the questionnaire yields more insight into the careers and relationship between the two Troskys.
Hal Trosky Jr. played five professional seasons and had a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 1958
Hal Trosky Jr. played five professional seasons and had a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 1958
Here Hal Trosky Jr. had fond memories of growing up in and around the game. In the questionnaire, he listed teammates of his father who were most memorable to the younger Trosky.
“Kenny Keltner, Denny Galehouse, Bob Kennedy + Luke Appling. The first three because they were solid human beings + good family men. Luke Appling was dad’s teammate in Chicago. He took a fondness to me and and gave me my nickname, “Little Hoot”. He was my manager in Memphis in the late 50s.”
Shown here is a 3×5 card signed by Hal Jr.
Can you imagine being that great and never making an All-Star team? The AL competition at first base was fierce with Gehrig, Foxx, and Greenberg. Who could break through? If he could have played his best as time went on could he have made the Hall without being an All-Star? Gehrig’s career was horribly truncated, and Foxx aged early, so Greenberg and a few lesser lights would have been the only first sackers in his way.