Guide to the Gene Mack Cartoon Collection, 1927-1950

National Hall of Fame Library

National Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326

www.baseballhalloffame.org

This guide to the collection was prepared by Claudette Scrafford in September 2007. Collection Number: BA MSS 47

Title: Gene Mack Cartoon Collection

Inclusive Dates: 1927-1950

Extent: 7 linear feet (3 oversized manuscript boxes)

Repository: National Baseball Hall of Fame Library National Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326

Abstract: This collection contains the cartoon drawings of Gene Mack. Mack covered sporting events for the Boston Globe for more than 35 years.

Acquisition Information: This collection was donated by a number of people and organizations over many years.

Preferred Citation: Gene Mack Cartoon Collection, 1927-1950, BA MSS 47, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY

Access Restrictions: Available during regular business hours; email [email protected].

Copyright: Property rights reside with the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the library.

History A distant relative of Connie Mack, Eugene McGillicuddy was born in North Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1890. When he was six months old, his family moved to Medford, MA. After high school, he learned to draw in an engraving shop and joined the Boston Globe as a part time commercial artist. During that time, he found time to play amateur and semi-pro baseball. McGillicuddy eventually started drawing on a daily basis for the Globe and was known to his readers as Gene Mack.

He continued drawing sporting events for the Boston Globe for more than thirty-five years and in 1947, the Globe published a series of his sketches of the parks, including drawings of historic plays in each.

After a long illness, Mack passed away in July 1953. At that time he was survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons. On December 29, 1953, the Medford High School dedicated the gymnasium in his honor, Gene Mack Gymnasium.

Sources: National Baseball Hall of Fame clippings file: Mack, Gene.

Scope and Content This collection contains the cartoon drawings of Gene Mack when he was with the Boston Globe. They depict historic plays, a variety of baseball-related news events such as the suspension of Leo Durocher by Happy Chandler, and ballparks.

System of Arrangement The collection is organized in one series - cartoons. Box 1 relates to players and events and Box 2 relates to ballparks. Box 3 contains drawings which are currently not matted or oversized. Drawings in each box are placed according to their size.

Controlled Access Terms These records are indexed under the following terms in the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Library catalog. Researchers wishing to find related materials may wish to search under these terms.

Corporate Names Boston Braves (Baseball team) New York Yankees (Baseball team) (Baseball team) (Baseball team) Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball team) Boston Globe

Personal Names Mack, Gene Durocher, Leo Ruth, Babe Gehrig, Lou Nichols, Kid

Forms Cartoons Cartoonists Ballparks

Content List

Scope note: Box 1 contains cartoon depictions of major league baseball players and events. Items of note include: Durocher’s one year suspension; Ruth and Gehrig reunion; NYY as world champions. Drawings are listed by accessioned number, title and a brief description is added if required. Box 2 contains drawings of major league ballparks such as the Polo Grounds, Sportsman’s Park, Forbes Field. Box 3 contains drawings which have not yet been matted or are oversized.

Box 1 B-155.74 48th – 49th (Ruth’s home runs, 1927) B-171.83 Yesterday’s Hero-Whit Wyatt (1941) B-172.83 And People Think I’m Hot (1948 Jeff Heath, Braves) B-173.83 Let Us Hope That the Joyous Evening is Not Spoiled (1950 Red Sox Awards Banquet) B-174.83 To The Showers For One Year (Durocher’s suspension, 1947) B-175.83 The One and Only Ty Cobb B-176.83 Harry Hooper and Al Zarilla (1950) B-177.83 1924 – Come On You Bucky (Red Sox v Washington Senators) B-178.83 Jet-Propelled (Boston Braves rookie Sam Jethroe 1950) B-179.83 Convention Time (Major League teams, Chandler, 1940’s) B-180.83 Johnny Peacock Did It in the 10th (May 10, 1940) B-181.83 Connie Ryan, Johnny Hopp, Phil Masi (Braves 1946) B-182.83 And The New Champion! (NY Yankees, 1947 W.S. ) B-183.83 It Was No Night for Sailors (Red Sox Dobson dominated the NYY; windy and rainy day) B-184.83 Babe Dahlgren (Pirates, 1944-45) B-185.83 One With Nice Pitching (1947 doubleheader Braves/Phillies) B-186.83 Mgr. Frisch (Pirates 1940-46) B-189.83 Like Old Man River (Lefty Grove 1938 season) B-193.83 Jimmy’s 8th Was the Best Of All (1938, Sox/Senators) B-194.83 In Genuine Appreciation of Your Courage (1942 Lombardi, Fernandez, Sisti, Demaree, Tobin) B-196.68 Charles “Kid” Nichols B-259.50 The Babe B-260.50 Together Again! (Ruth and Gehrig) B-637.75 Blinded by the Real Smoke of Pittsburg (Wilbur Cooper, Max Carey)

Box 2 B-122.49 Polo Grounds (NY Giants) B-123.49 Wrigley Field ( Cubs) B-124.49 Shibe Park (Philadelphia Athletics) B-125.49 Sportsman’s Park (St. Louis Browns) B-126.49 (Boston Braves) B-127.49 Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox) B-128.49 Griffith Stadium (Washington Senators) B-129.49 Ebbets Field (Brooklyn Dodgers) B-130.49 League Park () B-131.49 Comiskey Park () B-132.49 Briggs Stadium (Detroit Tigers) B-133.49 Crosley Field (Cincinnati Reds) B-134.49 Forbes Field (Pittsburgh Pirates) B-135.49 Yankee Stadium (NY Yankees)

Box 3 B-49.48 Is Babe Ruth Worth It? (Should Ruth be paid more than the US president) B-127.49 Fenway Park B-187.83 Embree, Raschi, and Lopat (New York Yankees) B-188.83 Far Into Saturday Night It Was Like This (6/14/1947, doubleheader Red Sox vs White Sox) B-190.83 To The Showers (1947, gave up a grand slam and a 3- HR) B-191.83 And Then It Happened (Red Sox v Athletics; Joe Cronin arguing with umpires) B-192.83 Branca Had Our Boys Popping Up All Day (Branca holds Braves players over camp fire) B-195.83 It Looked Bad When the Customers Started to Pile In (Doubleheader, Braves v Cardinals) B-196.83 Together Again! (Same as B-260.50, Box 1) (1948, Ruth and Gehrig reunite in heaven) B-353.51 Another Collins Takes Charge (Eddie Collins takes over as business manager of Red Sox) B-161.70 Chattanooga Suspended.