s ▁team mate ▁Lou ▁Ge hr ig ; ▁Walter ▁B ren nan ' s ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁movie ▁The ▁P ride ▁of ▁the ▁Yan ke es ▁was ▁lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁him . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Fred ▁Lie b ▁took ▁a ▁team , ▁head lined ▁by ▁Ge hr ig , ▁Le fty ▁Gro ve , ▁Mic key ▁C och rane , ▁Al ▁Sim m ons , ▁and ▁Le fty ▁O ' D oul , ▁to ▁Hawai i ▁and ▁Japan ▁for ▁a ▁prof itable ▁exhibition ▁tour . ▁This ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁prof itable ▁invest ments ▁along ▁the ▁way ▁allowed ▁Lie b ▁to ▁ret ire ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁from ▁the ▁" real ▁work " ▁of ▁daily ▁reporting ▁to ▁focus ▁sole ly ▁on ▁writing ▁about ▁baseball . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁Taylor ▁Sp ink ▁convinced ▁Lie b ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁regular ▁week ly ▁column ▁and ▁select ▁ob itu aries ▁for ▁The ▁Sport ing ▁News ; ▁Lie b ▁did ▁this ▁at ▁his ▁le is ure ▁from ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁Florida , ▁for ▁ 3 5 ▁years . ▁At ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁their ▁circul ation , ▁his ▁synd ic ated ▁columns ▁reached ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁newsp apers . ▁ ▁Lie b ' s ▁career ▁would ▁last ▁a ▁little ▁over ▁ 7 0 ▁years , ▁as ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁Sport ing ▁News ▁and ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁Times ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 , ▁ 1