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A two-time batting champ, Lefty O’Doul played in the first All Star game and retired with a .349 average. That mark is surpassed only by Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Shoeless Joe Jackson.

In 1929 O’Doul set a still-standing NL record by tallying 254 base hits. That season he hit .398 and won his first batting title. He finished second in MVP balloting.

Three years later he wore the crown again with a .368 average. In addition to his .349 lifetime average, O’Doul retired with a .413 on-base percentage and a .532 slugging percentage.

O’Doul’s reach extends to Japan where as goodwill ambassador he introduced baseball and is known as the father of Japanese baseball.

Shown here is a check made out on the account for his restaurant that was simply called “Lefty’s O’Doul’s”. Signed with his more formal “Frank J. O’Doul”, the check was made out on 12/21/1968.

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William Frawley is best known for portraying Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Away from the set, Frawley was a baseball fanatic. In fact he insisted on a unique clause in his I Love Lucy contract: If his beloved New York Yankees made it to the World Series, he would be given time off in October for the World Series.

This clause came into play seven times during Frawley’s I Love Lucy run and caused him to be written out of two full episodes.

Shown here is a testament to Frawley’s love of the game in the form of a telegram gushing to O’Doul, “…you are my number one pal on my list of pals and my blessings are on you now and forever. Unfortunately there aren’t any more D’Douls. Hug and kisses, Bill Frawley”.

The telegram is dated September 9, 1951. More about the telegram can be found in the next image below.

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The telegram from William Frawley to Lefty O’Doul was sent for a very special occasion. After O’Doul was let go as the skipper of the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals, there was a breakfast held in his honor.

The image above is from the front page of the Chronicle the day after the breakfast.

The headline says, ” ‘Thanks, S.F.,’ says O’Doul”. A while down the column the article reads, “Scores of telegrams were read and among the senders were…Dan Topping, vice president of the Yankees; manager Casey Stengel…Joe DiMaggio, Billy Martin, Bill Frawley…”.