John Joseph Broaca (October 3, 1909 – May 16, 1985) was an American professional baseball
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
from 1934 to 1939. Broaca won at least 12 games for the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
his first three seasons. However, in 1937, Broaca took a leave of absence for no apparent reason and only pitched in 7 games. He did not pitch at all in 1938, and in 1939 he played briefly with the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. His lifetime record as a pitcher for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians was 44–29.
Biography
Johnny was born in
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...
and was of Lithuanian descent.
[Burt, Bill]
The tragic story of Johnny Broaca
The Eagle-Tribune
''The Eagle-Tribune'' (and ''Sunday Eagle-Tribune'') is a seven-day morning daily newspaper covering the Merrimack Valley and Essex County, Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. It is the largest-circulation daily newspaper owned by Communi ...
, 2010-05-26. He attended
Lawrence High School, but transferred to and graduated from
Phillips Academy Andover
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = Ma ...
after two years. He continued his education at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. While at Yale, he was a tri-sport athlete, competing in baseball, boxing, and track. While a student at Yale, Broaca spent the summers of 1930 to 1932 playing for the
Orleans town team in the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
.
In his rookie season with the New York Yankees in 1934, Broaca went 12–9 as a starter with an earned run average of 4.16. In 1935, he had his most successful statistical season, where he went 15–7 with an ERA of 3.58. In 1936, the year the Yankees won the World Series, Broaca was 12–7 with an ERA of 4.24.
In 1937, after starting the season with a disappointing 1–4 record, Broaca abruptly left the team with his wife eight months pregnant—becoming the first player to jump the team in at least a quarter-century. He was only heard from again in September, when his wife filed for divorce on grounds of severe
abuse
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
at his hands; she claimed he went into fits of rage and started beating her a month into their marriage.
[ The Yankees were so outraged by what emerged in the trial that they voted Broaca's wife a $1,000 ]World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
share. His hiatus from baseball extended into the entire 1938 season.[
Broaca had a brief stint as a professional boxer, but failed to win a single bout. The Yankees were willing to bring him back in 1938, but refused to cover his medical expenses, as he was demanding.][ In 1939, the Yankees traded his rights to the Cleveland Indians. He was used primarily as a reliever, and he appeared in 22 games with a 4–2 record. However, by this time it was apparent his arm was giving out; he'd had arm trouble since at least his collegiate days.][ After the season, he was traded to the ]New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
.[ However, by this time it was obvious he was finished. The Giants traded him back to the Indians in June, and the Indians promptly released him.
After working on the home front in World War II, Broaca spent most of the rest of his life as a common laborer on road construction crews. His coworkers learned early on never to ask him about baseball. He died in 1985, having not spoken to his son in almost half a century even though he lived only 25 miles away.][
]
References
External links
*Johnny Broaca Biography fro
Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broaca, Johnny
1909 births
1985 deaths
American people of Lithuanian descent
Sportspeople from Lawrence, Massachusetts
Phillips Academy alumni
Yale University alumni
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Major League Baseball pitchers
New York Yankees players
Cleveland Indians players
Orleans Firebirds players
Cape Cod Baseball League players (pre-modern era)
Lawrence High School (Massachusetts) alumni