Al Mahon

 

Al Mahon pitched in three games for the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics.

Alfred Gwinn Mahon was born September 23, 1909, in Albion, Nebraska, a small farming town that is the county seat of Boone County. He was the second of two children of William and Alice Mahon. In the 1910 census, taken when Al was about seven months old, the family lives on a farm in Boone Precinct; William is 33, Alice 29, and brother Edward is six. Alfred is listed as “Alford.” The 1920 census shows basically the same information as 1910, except that everyone is older.

As should come as no surprise, Al started playing baseball. The Lincoln Star reported on September 17, 1927:

CARDINALS GRAB PITCHER MAHON

St. Louis Club Acquires Promising Young Southpaw.

ALBION, Neb., Sept. 17—Alfred G. Mahon, 18-year-old [actually still 17] St. Edward high school lad and for the past two years pitcher for the St. Edward baseball team, this week signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. He will enter camp after his graduation next spring.

Young Mahon is especially well developed, being over six feet tall and weighing 160 pounds. He recently pitched an 18-inning game against Creston, Neb., striking out 22 men and allowing but two hits. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Mahon, live on a farm between Albion and St. Edward.

Scouts from the major leagues have been watching his pitching for some time and when a field agent for the Cardinals saw his brand of left-handed flinging, he offered Mahon a contract immediately.

There were some additional details in the Shelby Sun, five days later:

St. Edwards Boy Hurler Signs Up

St. Edwards—A. Mahon, St. Edwards boy hurler in the Mid-State league this season, is going to have his chance to get into the big show.

After the game at Bartlett in which St. Edward blanked Ord, Mahon was signed up for a tryout next spring with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to word sent The Columbus Telegraph by Manager Styles of the St. Ed team, who says he saw the contract.

Jack Ryan, Cardinal scout, was in the grandstand at the St. Ed-Ord game and saw the boy mound artist hold Ord to three singles and no runs, and whiff 14 batters at the plate. After the game, he sought Mahon out and made him an offer to try out with the Cardinals which the lad accepted.

Mahon is the outstanding young player developed by the Mid-State league this season. In addition to having the stuff in serving, he can hit the ball.

The Albion Argus of April 5, 1928, reported that Al would be playing the role of Dr. Maclaren in the St. Edward senior play, “Grumpy.” On May 3 he was mentioned in three stories in the Argus: he was one of 29 seniors who would graduate on the 10^th, he would be pitching for St. Edward on the 6^th but would be leaving soon for St. Louis, and he had had his tonsils removed on April 27. On May 24 the Argus reported that Al would be making his final pitching appearance for St. Edward on the 27^th and would then report to Danville of the Three-I League. I found no evidence of him playing for Danville, though, so I don’t know what happened. By August he was back in the Albion area, getting mentioned in the Argus for driving to O’Neill with a friend and spending the night there. On December 26 he attended a St. Edward class of ’28 reunion (a seven-month reunion?) and the Argus referred to him as “Alfred Mahon of Tilden.”

In 1929 Al started pitching for a semi-pro team in Pilger, northeast of Albion and St. Edward. Meanwhile he apparently had been signing contracts with a variety of teams, as reported in the McCook Daily Gazette of August 6:

[Manager] Doc Bennett and President Burney [of the McCook team] are confident that the powers that be in the loop [the Nebraska State League] will have no other alternative than to give the first game of the last McCook-Norfolk series to the Generals. Norfolk used “Lefty” Huff on the mound, and, according to the Doc and to the club president, “Lefty” Huff is really Alfred Mahon, the muchly signed up young man from Pilger, Neb., an ineligible as a state leaguer. Lefty’s dazzling slants, which enabled the Generals to get only two hits, let the local tribe down for a shut out.

“Lefty” Huff, otherwise Alfred Mahon, signed early in the spring to join the Generals. Then he signed with Topeka. To make certain of a job, he also signed with Barney Burch’s Omaha club. And in some mysterious way, Huff, or Mahon, is tangled up with the Philadelphia Athletics. When President Burney learned last spring that Mahon had been coy with a pen furnished him by the Omaha president, he appealed to Secretary John H. Farrell, of the National Baseball association, who, according to some very good testimony, had never been able to untangle the maze of neat signatures Mr. Huff, or Mr. Mahon, left behind him on his sojourns over the country.

“You bet he’s a sweet pitcher,” was the comment made by Doc Bennett on the prowess of the muchly signed Mr. Huff, or Mr. Mahon. “He’s just a youngster, but he has a world of stuff. Too bad he got himself into such a mixup.”

Following his brilliant exhibition against the Generals at Norfolk, “Fountain Pen” Huff sought out the Doc for a little fatherly advice. It can be safely surmised that the Doc felt like kicking him in the pants, and it can also be safely surmised that if the boy who used ink without a chaser follows the Doc’s advice he will have more than an even chance of getting himself out of his difficulties. He left Norfolk, according to the Doc, with the intention of joining one of the clubs in the Denver semi-pro tournament. Unless he signs a protocol or a second mortgage or a testimonial before he gets there, he may be heard of in a big way next year, in the opinion of the Doc and of the Generals who faced him that afternoon in Norfolk.

Al ended up, by some route, back with Pilger. From the October 8 Norfolk Daily News:

Leland Carson’s double, which followed a base on balls decided a pitcher’s battle between Al Mahon, Pilger and Bud Tinning, Stanton, in favor of the former Sunday on Pilger’s diamond. The score was 2 to 1.

It was Mahon day at Pilger, and a large crowd of northeast Nebraska fans was on hand to see Al in action for the last time before he reports to Connie Mack’s Athletics, with whom he will be given a trial in the south next spring. When Mahon came to bat the first time, he was presented with an expensive traveling bag, the gift of his admirers.

Al did go to spring training 1930 with the world champion Athletics. The AP reported on February 26:

One Rookie Southpaw In A’s Quarters

Alfred Mahon, Nebraska Semi-Pro With Record of 29 Strikeouts In 15 Innings, Is Only Left Handed Pitcher With Athletics

FORT MYERS, Fla., Feb. 26—(AP) Despite Connie Mack’s liking for left handed pitchers, there is only one rookie southpaw in this year’s squad of boxmen working out with the champion Athletics. He is Alfred Mahon, a semi-pro from Nebraska. Available literature on Mahon states that he is 20 years old, stands five feet, 11 inches, weighs 175, and in one of his final high school games struck out 29 opponents in 15 innings…

The next day the AP added:

Only two days out on the preseason cruise, Connie Mack, chief skipper of the champion Athletics, has expressed himself as “very much interested” in the baseball manners of one of his rookie pitchers, Alfred Mahon…Mahon came under Mack’s eye yesterday while he was pitching to batters, and the ease and grace with which he got the ball away held Mack’s attention.

“Why he’s listed as a semi-pro,” said Mack, “and he’s out there pitching like Herb Pennock. I’m going to watch that fellow mighty closely.”

On April 2 the AP added a team to the list of Al’s 1929 entanglements:

Mahon, a southpaw, was the sensation of northeast Nebraska semi-pro circles last season. The story is related how he was sought by York, and the Dukes offered him $85 a month. Then only 19 years old and desiring to get into organized baseball, he accepted, but fans in Pilger, where he attended school, raised a purse of $350 a month and took him away from York.

That same week the US census was taken in Boone Precinct, and Al was counted with his parents, Edward being now out of the house. The Mahons’ home is worth $16,000, they own a radio, and Al’s occupation is listed as professional ballplayer.

Al made the team, and on April 22 he made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium. Lefty Grove was removed in the third inning, down 6-5, and Glenn Liebhardt, also making his debut, held the Yankees scoreless through the sixth. After Liebhardt was pinch-hit for in the top of the seventh Al came in, with the score still 6-5. His first batter was Lou Gehrig, who grounded out to second; then Tony Lazzeri grounded back to Al and Sam Byrd flew out to center. This inning would be the high point of Al’s major league career. After the A’s tied the game in the eighth Al walked Ben Chapman leading off the bottom of the inning and was replaced with Rube Walberg; Philadelphia won the game on a solo homer by Bing Miller in the ninth.

The next day Al and Liebhardt got to go to the circus, as reported in the Springfield Republican:

The Athletics had a big day today even though there was no ball game with the Yanks. The veterans took advantage of the midweek matinees at the theaters and some of the youngsters saw the circus in Madison Square Garden. Glenn Liebhardt, crack 19-year-old pitcher, Al Mahon, another pitcher and Roger Cramer were handed into the custody of Alex Hart, former prize fighter, who guaranteed to deliver the young ivory safe and sound at the circus and the same at the hotel when the excitement was over.

Al and Liebhardt both made their second appearances on April 26, in Washington. The Athletics were ahead 3-1 through six, but Lefty Grove developed a blister and was relieved by Liebhardt for the seventh. After two singles and a home run Roy Mahaffey came in; then after a ground out, two singles, and a fielder’s choice Al was brought in and he retired the side. But his eighth inning went walk, triple, walk, sacrifice fly, foul out, walk, single, walk, and he was removed for Eddie Rommel and the Senators had a 8-4 win.

On May 9 the Lincoln Star reported that “Al Mahon, A’s recruit pitcher from Pilger, Neb., is said to be one of the fastest base runners in the game.” On May 11 Al got into his third game, in Cleveland. Rommel started and got knocked out of the box in the first inning; when Al came in to start the bottom of the fifth the A’s were down 14-4. He allowed two runs on two hits, then walked and scored a run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning he allowed six runs on seven hits, and not only was allowed to finish the inning but was allowed to bat in the top of the seventh—after striking out to end the inning he was removed in favor of Liebhardt. Cleveland won the game 25-7. Al’s ERA rose to 22.85, where it would remain, as this was his last major league game.

Al was sent to the Allentown Dukes of the Class A Eastern League. He made his debut on May 17 and won 2-1; he allowed just one hit, a single in the first, then gave up an unearned run on an error in the eighth. He struck out twelve. He won his second start 6-5 after hitting a two-run, inside-the-park homer in the top of the ninth. The rest of the season was less dramatic, but he did have an 8-3 record and 4.35 ERA in 91 innings in 15 games. On October 20 the Omaha World-Herald ran the following Special Dispatch:

Al Mahon, Former Mack Hurler, Visits Home

Special Dispatch to The World-Herald.

Norfolk, Neb., Oct. 19.—Al Mahon, who pitched baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics and who was farmed out to a Pennsylvania team this year, is home at Pilger visiting his parents.

Al went to spring training with the Athletics in 1931, but this time he didn’t make the team, and he was released. From the Sporting News, April 30:

Al Mahon, the pitcher who was recently released by Connie Mack of the A’s, has signed with the Allentown Buffs, but for the time being he will be classed as an outfielder, rather than as a pitcher, because of a sore arm. Mahon, who was with Allentown in 1930, plans to nurse his wing by working in the outfield, and when he finds he is ready for duty on the slab, he will desert the outfield, to take his turn in the box.

Al only pitched in five of the 14 games he appeared in for Allentown in 1931, so presumably he did play some outfield, but by the time that TSN item was published he had made his pitching debut. At some point in June he moved from Allentown to Eastern League rivals New Haven, where he played in 22 more games, 19 of them pitching. In the August 20 issue of the Sporting News a reader asked about the whereabouts of several players, one of which was Al, and the answer was given that he was not currently playing; apparently the answer was incorrect. His Eastern League totals for the season included a 5.17 ERA in 94 innings in 24 games, with 40 strikeouts and 55 walks. Something else came of his time in New Haven; from the September 25 Omaha World-Herald:

Nebraska Pitcher Returns With Bride

Special Dispatch to The World-Herald.

St. Edward, Neb., Sept. 24.—Alfred Mahon, southpaw owned by the Philadelphia American league club, surprised home-town friends this week when he returned here with his bride of two weeks, the former Helen Aiello of New Haven, Conn. The ceremony was performed at New Haven September 9.

Mahon pitched in the Eastern league this year. He is to have another trial with the Athletics next spring.

It doesn’t seem as though he was actually owned by Philadelphia anymore, nor does it seem that he had another trial with them in 1932. He went to spring training with New Haven, but before he left the following item appeared in the Lincoln Daily Nebraskan, on March 2:

Al Mahon, former pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics had “Doc” McLean fix up a sore twirling arm Monday afternoon. McLean said it was an over-riding ligament. Mahon, a St. Edwards boy, is now with New Haven in the Eastern league.

Al did not appear in the Eastern League in 1932, and I found no indication that he played anywhere else. My supposition is that he was cut by New Haven, possibly because of his “sore twirling arm,” and decided to quit baseball. He and Helen appear in the 1933 New Haven city directory living at 26 Farren Avenue, with Al’s place of employment given as 30 Lenox, though it doesn’t say what he did there.

In the 1934 directory their address is 367 Grand Avenue, with no occupational information. In 1935 and 1936 they’re still on Grand Avenue and Al is listed as a stevedore at 5 James. In 1937 they move to 56 Clark and Al is a trucker at 5 James; the two addresses remain the same through 1944 though Al’s occupation changes, to carpenter’s helper, then “carp emp,” “carp,” and back to “carp emp.”

Meanwhile, on October 16, 1940, Al had filled out his draft registration card. He gave his birth date as September 23 1910, rather than 1909, but that’s clearly not true as he was counted in the census in April 1910. He also gave his middle name as “Gynn” rather than “Gwinn,” which is puzzling. He gave his place of employment as Adley’s Express, New Haven, and his appearance as 5-11, 165, blue eyes, brown hair, and ruddy complexion.

In the 1946 through 1949 directories Al is a “carp emp” at 190 Wooster and he and Helen still live at 56 Clark. From 1951 through 1953 he’s a carpenter at 31 Olive while in 1954 he is back to being shown as a carp emp. In the 1955 directory Helen is now living alone at 56 Clark, and she’s a benchworker for the ACG Company, while Al is not listed; this is presumably when they got divorced. In 1956 and 1957 it’s still Helen at 56 Clark, and she’s a clerk at NHC&W Company, and Al is still not listed. Then in 1959, 56 Clark has a new resident and neither Al nor Helen appears in the directory. In fact, Al doesn’t appear anywhere that I could find after 1954; but he lived until December 26, 1977, when he passed away in New Haven at age 68.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmahoa101.htm

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