The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Boudreau had no ego as manager at 24
Many things Lou Boudreau did in his 13 years with the Indians deserve admiration, but the most incredible of all is he was only 24 when he was named player-manager in 1942.
Seventy-five years later, with a record of 728-649, Boudreau remains the all-time winningest manager in Indians history.
Boudreau’s story is topical because prior to the game between the Indians and Yankees on Aug. 5, a statue of the Hall of Fame shortstop outside Progressive Field was unveiled. More than 70 members of the Boudreau family were on hand for the ceremony.
Denny McLain, who in 1968 won 31 games pitching for the Tigers, has been married to Boudreau’s daughter, Sharon, for 53 years. As one of the guest speakers, McLain talked of how humility made Boudreau a successful player and manager in baseball and a successful person after baseball.
“Lou had no ego — none,” McLain said. “He was a manager at 24 years old. He could have had an ego then. A major-league shortstop in his early 20s — no ego. His 1948 Indians won the World Series. Lou was the MVP of the season in ’48 — still no trace of ego.
“When anyone would ask him about his superstar exploits, all Lou would say is, ‘We had a great team. We had the best second baseman (Joe Gordon). We had the best third baseman (Kenny Keltner). We had Bob Feller. Those are the guys that won this thing for us.”
Indians current third baseman Jose Ramirez is 24. Shortstop Francisco Lindor turns 24 in November. Every other player in the starting lineup Aug. 5 is older than Boudreau was when he was named manager.
“That’s unbelievable,” Indians current manager Terry Francona said. “I just think a lot more goes into managing now than it used to. I don’t mean guys didn’t know the game; it’s just a little different. I can’t imagine Lou sat in a room with the media every day.
“But that’s unbelievable. You’re running the bases and you have to think about a pitching change. Guys are 10 years older than you.”
Francona played for Cincinnati in 1987 for Pete Rose, who became the Reds’ player-manager in 1984 when he was 42. Francona recalled Rose taking batting practice and playing in spring training games in 1987. Rose retired as a player before the season began.
“If I had to pick somebody (to be a player-manager), Pete would be it because he could see the game in slow motion,” Francona said. “Paul Molitor (now managing the Twins), I always felt, he saw the game like it wasn’t
going very fast for him. Pete would notice things during the game. He’d see things from left field.”
Boudreau was 22 in 1940 in his first full season as the Indians shortstop. The Indians finished 89-65, a game behind the first-place Tigers, but players revolted against Manager Oscar Vitt and Vitt was fired by team owner Alva Bradley.
Roger Peckinpaugh, who managed the Indians from 1928 from 1933, was rehired in 1941 to calm the storm. The Indians fell to 75-79 and finished 26 games behind the Yankees, causing a storm of a different kind.
“It was no secret the ballclub was seeking a skipper for the 1942 season,” said Indians playby-play announcer Tom Hamilton and M.C. of the Boudreau unveiling. “Enter a 24-year-old shortstop who was confident in his leadership abilities. Following the 1941 season, Lou Boudreau wrote a letter to Mr. Bradley, asking
that he be considered for the job as player-manager.
“The story goes that immediately after mailing that letter, Lou wished he could have crawled into that mailbox and retrieve it. Thank goodness, he did not.”
Boudreau played in 152 of 154 games in 1948. He hit .355, homered 18 times and drove in 106 runs. All were career bests, all while managing the Indians to the World Series championship over the Boston Braves.
Boudreau deserves a statue just for what he did as a player, but he is the last and only the second manager in Indians history to win the World Series. The other was Tris Speaker in 1920.
Boudreau already has his statue. Next should be changing a portion of East 9th Street to Boudreau Boulevard.