Frank Crosetti on New York Yankees teammate Eddie Farrell: "He was a great person."

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In 1932, Eddie Farrell was a 30-year-old backup shortstop in pinstripes, playing behind a rookie from San Francisco named Frank Crosetti. They were teammates at opposite ends of their careers. The New York Yankees would go on to win the World Series that fall. Farrell would play parts of two more seasons and then retire. Crosetti would play sixteen more and coach an additional twenty. During that time he pocketed a total of seventeen rings, more than any individual in baseball history.

In the spring of 1996, I was fifteen years old and got the idea that I should write to one of Eddie Farrell’s former teammates. Perhaps I’d get a response and learn a little more about my great-grandfather. There were two surviving members of that ’32 championship team. One was Frank Crosetti. He was 84 years old.

I found the location of Crosetti’s residence in one of those sports address lists autograph collectors could buy on the Internet. I sent off my request and a few weeks later I received a response. The words were handwritten in blue, in all caps, on the same piece of paper below my original note. It was signed, Frank Crosetti.

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Dear Mr. Frank Crosetti,

My name is Matt Raymond, I am 15 year old. Eddie “Doc” Farrell was my great-grandfather. He died before I was born, so I was unable to talk to him about his career and experiences playing professional baseball. I know you played with him on the 1932 Yankees. I was hoping that you could tell me a little about playing with him, and what we was like as a person. I have enclosed a self-addressed enveloped to aid in your response. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Matt Raymond
 

EDDIE WAS A GREAT PERSON, WE ROOMED TOGETHER ON THE ROAD - HE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT AND HE ADVISED ME IN A LOT OF THINGS - WE WERE FRIENDS UNTIL THE DAY HE PASSED AWAY. HIS WIFE IS STILL LIVING IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

Frank Crosetti


Mr. Crosetti passed away in 2002 at the age of 91. You can read an excellent article on Frank Crosetti's career by the Society for American Baseball Research.