Joe Sewell

Joe Sewell

Birthdate	10/9/1898
Death Date	3/6/1990
Debut Year	1920
Year of Induction	1977
Teams	Indians, Yankees
Positions	Shortstop, Third Base

Joe Sewell went 115 straight games without striking out. He also struck out on average only once every 63 at bats. Both are MLB records.

Joe Sewell got the chance to play everyday after the death of Ray Chapman

Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman was beaned in the head by a Carl Mays pitch on August 16, 1920. The next day he died. Chapman’s death is the only fatality in MLB history caused by on-field events. To replace Chapman, the Naps called up 21-year old minor league Joe Sewell. The youngster went al

Joe Sewell moved on to the Yankees in 1930, playing his final four years in NY

After 11 seasons with the Indians, Joe Sewell signed with the Yankees in January, 1931. His second year in New York featured a return to the World Series, his first since his rookie season. Goudey Gum Company’s iconic 1933 baseball card set is on display here complete with Joe Sewell’s a

Sewell batted just before Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series

One of the most mythical events in baseball history came during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Did Babe Ruth call his shot? Joe Sewell was there that day and was asked to recount his memory of the event. Did it happen? “Yes,” Sewell writes. “I hit ahead of Babe in the lineup, sec

Sewell recalls in vivid detail the day Ruth completed the most mythical at bat baseball history

Joe Sewell was certain The Bambino did call his shot in the World Series. On page two of his handwritten letter on the subject, Sewell continues, “…after he got two strikes he backed out of the batters box with his bat in his left hand. With two fingers on his right hand he pointed to ce

After retiring, Joe Sewell received this lifetime pass good for entry to every big league park

Imagine having a pass that gives you admission to any regular season Major League game for life. That’s what Joe Sewell had in this solid silver lifetime pass. By virtue of having played ten or more years by 1934, Sewell was among the first players to receive the gift. A master of bat control

Sewell's family produced four big league players - brothers Joe, Luke, Tommy and cousin RIp

The Sewell family has quite an association with Major League Baseball. Not only is Joe Sewell in the Hall of Fame, but his brothers Luke and Tommy both played in the big leagues as did cousin Rip Sewell, the originator of the eephus pitch. In this handwritten letter from February 14, 1978 Rip Sewell

Joe Sewell believes AL mate Bobby Veach belongs in the Hall of Fame

In this handwritten letter, Hall of Fame infielder Joe Sewell weighs in on the Hall of Fame debate regarding Bobby Veach. The two men were lifetime American Leaguers and saw their careers overlap from 1920-1925 The former Tiger outfielder Veach led all of Major League Baseball in runs batted in and

Commissioner Chandler agrees with Sewell's assessment of Bobby Veach

Bobby Veach’s statistical case for inclusion in Cooperstown is strong. A .310 lifetime average speaks loudly as do his three seasons of leading the AL in RBI. For the eight-year period spanning 1915-1922, Veach led all of baseball in extra-base hits and runs batted in. Like Joe Sewell, basebal

Like many players, Sewell believed the quality of play was highest in his own era

Baseball has changed a great deal from the time Joe Sewell debuted in 1920 until his death in 1990. Like many other players, Sewell had a soft spot for the men he played with and against. In this letter of 1982, Sewell writes of the great pitching stars of his era. “I sure would like to see so

Sewell said there was only one player from the '77 and '78 title teams that could make the '32 Yanks

In this letter Joe Sewell compares the roster of the back-to-back World Series champion Yankees of ’77 and ’78 to the roster of the 1932 team. Like many, Sewell considered his ’32 New York team as one of the best in the history of baseball. He believes the two teams simply don̵

Long after retiring, Sewell remained close to Major League Baseball

The 1977 Old Timers game at Shea Stadium featured a quartet of New York centerfielders – Willie, Mickey, and the Duke and a 62-year old Joe DiMaggio. Played on July 16th, the game also showcased Joe Sewell who as inducted into Cooperstown just one month after the game. In the collection is th

In 1977 Brooks Robinson asked Joe Sewell to be on Babe Ruth advisory board

In 1977 Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson mailed current and former stars of the game requesting their consent to lend their name to the Babe Ruth Foundation Advisory Board. Dated the same year as his induction into the Hall, Sewell responds by writing, “I was on the Yankee Ball Club wi

A Story about Joe Sewell

Lifetime passes were the brainchild of NL President Ford Frick; here’s a pictorial history

June 18th, 2016 Leave a comment

A newspaper man turned league publicist turned league president came up with a brilliant idea in 1934 — reward longtime National League players with a lifetime pass to all NL games. Senior Circuit owners approved Ford Frick’s proposal at the league meeting in December of ’34. A few months later, Frick sent out ornately decorated paper Lifetime Passes to the NL’s greatest players. He even sent one to Babe Ruth who appeared in all of 28 games for the Boston Braves in 1935. A 21-year veteran of the American League, the Babe was grateful if not surprised when he remarked, “At least the National League has a heart”. An image of the original paper pass presented to Hall of Fame outfielder Sliding Billy Hamilton can be seen below. A similar pass curiously issued to Stan Coveleski, a lifetime American Leaguer is also shown. Perhaps shamed by Ruth’s remarks, the American League joined forces in 1936 to issue a pass to all Major League contests. Players with twenty or more years of service received a solid gold pass. Seventeen men qualified for the true “golden ticket” — Ruth, Fred Clarke, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Bill Dahlen, Harry Davis, Red Faber, Walter Johnson, […]

In the collection:

Joe Sewell got the chance to play everyday after the death of Ray Chapman

Joe Sewell moved on to the Yankees in 1930, playing his final four years in NY

Sewell batted just before Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series

Sewell recalls in vivid detail the day Ruth completed the most mythical at bat baseball history

After retiring, Joe Sewell received this lifetime pass good for entry to every big league park

Sewell's family produced four big league players - brothers Joe, Luke, Tommy and cousin RIp

Joe Sewell believes AL mate Bobby Veach belongs in the Hall of Fame

Commissioner Chandler agrees with Sewell's assessment of Bobby Veach

Like many players, Sewell believed the quality of play was highest in his own era

Sewell said there was only one player from the '77 and '78 title teams that could make the '32 Yanks

Long after retiring, Sewell remained close to Major League Baseball

In 1977 Brooks Robinson asked Joe Sewell to be on Babe Ruth advisory board

A Story about Joe Sewell

Lifetime passes were the brainchild of NL President Ford Frick; here’s a pictorial history

June 18th, 2016 Leave a comment

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