Faribault’s Forgotten Professional Athlete? Jimmy Pofahl

I'll admit that I stumbled across Jimmy Pofahl's professional baseball career by accident over the long holiday weekend. I was scrolling through Twitter while sitting on the deck enjoying an adult beverage when this color-restored photo and the word Faribault caught my eye. The Faribault alum made the show and was traded for some serious cash and later a big name player while playing only 3 years in the big leagues. 

Jimmy Pofahl played several different infield positions in his brief 3-year career in the majors. His only two home runs according to baseball-reference and the tweet above, came during his rookie year and were both inside-the-park home runs. Pofahl averaged a .220 batting average with his time in D.C.

In 1943 Pofahl was apart of a pretty big name trade that sent a multi-time All-Star to the Senators. Pofahl according to baseball-reference was traded in March of 1943 to the Philadelphia Athletics for cash and 8x All-Star outfielder Bob Johnson.

Pofahl never played Major League Baseball again after being traded to Philadelphia in 1943. In the book by Rob Kirkpatrick Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators: The War-Torn Career of an All-Star Pofahl's Senator's arrival is chronicled. 

Pofahl died in 1984 at the age of 67 in Owatonna with 2 career home runs, and 70 RBI's. I'll raise up a cold one to Jimmy Pofahl, for making it to the Major Leagues.