Cleveland, before he was released in July. Vaudeville career McHale performed professionally in vaudeville, singing as a tenor. Before he signed with the Red Sox, he performed in minstrel shows and two-act sketch shows in Boston, Wakefield, and Winchester, Massachusetts. When he signed with the Red Sox, he formed the Red Sox Quartette with teammates Buck O'Brien, Hugh Bradley, and Larry Gardner in 1910. Gardner left the group and was replaced by Bill Lyons, who was not a baseball player, but was signed to a contract with the Red Sox "to make the name of the act look proper", according to McHale. They performed in local venues, including Keith's Theatre, during the baseball offseasons. The group disbanded in 1913. McHale teamed with Mike Donlin, starting in 1914, for an act they titled, "Right Off the Bat". In 1918, McHale enlisted in the United States Army Air Service, serving as a Lieutenant in the 22nd Regiment of Engineers. After Donlin moved to Hollywood to pursue his acting career, McHale continued to perform in a solo act. Variety once referred to McHale as "baseball's [Enrico] Caruso", and Babe Ruth called McHale "the best goddamn singer I ever heard!". Later life After retiring from baseball, McHale wrote articles for The Evening Sun, which were sold by the Wheeler Syndicate to newspapers around the country. In 1920, he became a stockbroker. He joined a firm before opening his own, which he operated until he retired in 1972. He resided Hempstead, New York, in his later life. McHale died in his home on May 7, 1979. His brother, John, served on Hempstead's town council. References External links 1886 births 1979 deaths Boston Red Sox players New York Yankees players Cleveland Indians players Baseball players from Massachusetts People from Stoneham, Massachusetts Maine Black Bears baseball players Brockton Shoemakers players Jersey City Skeeters players Montreal Royals players Richmond Climbers players Major League Baseball pitchers Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts Vaudeville performers United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Massachusetts Burials at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood