The Second Baseman had a poor 1917, and the Browns owner, Phil Ball, suggested that Pratt and other Browns players were deliberately playing badly with the hope of being traded. Ball suggested pay cuts for those players. Incensed that he was accused of dogging it, he and his teammate Doc Lavan sued Ball for slander, and while the suit was eventually settled, Pratt was traded to the Yankees, which was good for both sides as neither wanted to be around the other.
Pratt rebounded with New York, and he batted .314 in 1920. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1921, batting .300 in his two seasons there. He played two final years with the Detroit Tigers, again batting over .300 in those campaigns.
Pratt left the game four Hits shy of 2,000 with a Batting Average of .292.
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