Talk:Roy Partlow

I remember the day in 1946 that both John Wright and Roy Partlow reported to the Three River Royals. It was a night game and they both got out of the cab and reported to my Dad, Frenchy Bordgaray, who was the Royals' manager. The next night Roy came in to relieve and he threw a pitch I had never seen thrown before. My Dad told me it was an "epheus" or "blooper ball." I can compare it to the slow pitch in softball. It probably crossed the plate at 40 miles an hour. I never saw anyone hit it during that entire 1946 season. Both Wright and Partlow were very likeable and treated me (the team's 9 year old batboy) well. I asked my Dad in the 1980's why both of them never made the majors. They were the best two pitchers on the Royals that season. My Dad answered, "neither of them were a Jackie Robinson" and could handle what he had to in 1947. The Three River Royals played 1 exhibition games with the Montreal Royals that season. Both were Dodger farm teams, Three Rivers in the Canadian American League (Class C) and Montreal in the International League (Class AAA). During one of the games, played in Three Rivers, Branch Rickey was in attendance. He told my Dad that I was too young to be the regular batboy. Fortunately, my Dad didn't listen to him, and I held on to the job (at $3 a week) the entire 1946 season. We won the regular season championship and the playoffs. Another League notable was Al Rosen, who played for the Pittsfield Electrics. For some reason, he took a liking to me and took my sister and I to the movies one time we played in Pittsfield.