Chick Gandil drove in five runs in 1917. Two years later, in the Fall Classic he helped fix, he drove in another five. While it might not have been his best efforts, when he was trying, Charles (His real first name), helped. The Chicago Eight still have a cloud over their heads.
The 1917 World Series was the first for Gandil. Many of the men who'd help him throw the Fall Classic two years later were there. Gandil might have been picking his spots in '17, as well. The New York Giants actually gave Chicago quite a scare.
Gandil waited until game two to get his first RBI. The White Sox, Gandil's team, won game one of the 1917 World Series, but only 2-1. Gandil didn't do much.
In game two, at home, Chicago was down 2-0 when Gandil got their third straight hit of the inning. But, it was a bit of a fluke. Pitcher Ferdie Schupp got a piece of it, but not enough. Chicago took off from there. New York did not score a run. Chicago sure did. Six more to be exact. You would have thought Gandil might have gotten another RBI. You would have thought wrong.
The next two games were both shutout losses for Chicago, which seemed odd.
With the series tied at two, the White Sox won a slugfest, 8-5. Gandil got two RBIs on a double in the bottom of the seventh. That knocked home a pair to put the White Sox, behind 5-2, to within a run of the Giants.
Gandil then went out of his way to help his team wrap it up in the sixth game for the World Championship. Gandil got another two RBIs. But this time, he made a mistake on the play.
Chicago was up 1-0 in the top of the fourth when Chick scored Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch with a single to right. Neither of those runs were earned, however. Neither was the first run that scored prior to the at bat. Was Chicago receiving gifts here?
Gandil then gave the Giants a nice gift. He decided to try for second after Felsch scored. Needless to say, he was out. The Giants eventually scored twice before the White Sox scored again. There was no further scoring.
So two years later, not all was on the level. Chicago faced the Cincinnati Reds in 1919. And the first game was a rout. Gandil was the man in the middle of the fix.
The Reds, playing at home, scored a run in the bottom of the first. Gandil actually tied it by getting the first RBI of the game for Chicago. He knocked home Joe Jackson, who'd reached on an error. The game was tied 1-1, but the rest of the affair was all Cincy.
The 9-1 win was resounding enough, and Gandil had an interesting game. He got another hit, but also made an error. In game two, he had chances to get more RBIs. But for some reason. Chick didn't.
Jackson led off the top of the second for Chicago with a double. A sac bunt sent him to third, and Gandil to the dish. Just hit it deep. Gandil did not do that. Gandil grounded out to short as Jackson held. The inning ended as it had begun, with no score.
And, an even better situation presented itself to Gandil in his next trip to the dish. Buck Weaver got the inning going with a single. Jackson also singled. Happy Felsch, as he had last time, hit another sac bunt. Now, two runners were in scoring position with only one out.
Gandil, though, hit it to first basemen, Jake Daubert. Daubert saw Weaver heading home and gunner him out. Jackson was on third. Gandil stole second. But Swede Risberg ended the inning by popping out to Daubert.
The White Sox were behind 4-0 in the top of the seventh and Gandil got the inning off badly as he wa retired. But Chicago scored twice to cut the lead in half. The next inning, they seemed primed for more as Jackson got his third hit of the game. Better still, Joe made it to second on an error. But before Gandil could bat, Felsch lined out to third.
The Reds did not score in the bottom of the eighth, so Gandil was the leadoff hitter in a do-or-die inning. Well, finally Gandil did something positive. He singled. However, Risberg grounded into a double play. Ray Schalk, the catcher, followed this with a single. Chicago had ten hits. But Fred McMullin ended the game by grounding out.
So down two games to none, Chicago needed game three at home. Would a change of scenery help?
Well, there were two runners in scoring position with not a man out in a scoreless game in game three. It was the bottom of the second. Gandil was back at the plate. He singled! Both runners scored. 2-0. That was all pitcher Dickie Kerr needed. Chicago went on to win, but Gandil didn't get any more hits or even RBIs. Stuck at three.
In game four, Jackson led off the second with a double. Although Felsch was retired, it was in the act of bunting. Jackson was now at third. Gandil, needed only a fly to break what was then a 0-0 game. Chick popped it up. This was really a bad time. Risberg walked and stole second. Another walk, this time to catcher Schalk, and Chicago appeared to be in business. Eddie Cicotte, the starting pitcher and game one loser, ended the inning by grounding out.
Via an hit by pitch and an error, the White Sox had Eddie Collins on third and Jackson on third the next inning, but again came away empty-handed. The Reds did not score off Cicotte until the top of the fifth. The pitcher made two errors (Intentional, since he was in on the fix) that were costly. Gandil did single in the bottom of the sixth, but it came with two outs and nobody on. In the eighth, after Felsch singed with two down, Gandil ended the inning by fanning. The Reds did not score again after their two-run uprising earlier, but that proved to be enough as Chicago never scored at all in this game.
And Chicago didn't score in game five back in Cincinnati, either. Just like in 1917, it was Chicago being blanked in back-to-back games. The series was not over, as it was a best-of-nine affair. But Gandil was not helping. He was 0-4 in this crucial game. 5-0, Cincy.
So the Reds were looking to put the final nail in the White Sox's coffin in game six. They made illusions of that, racing out to an early 4-0 lead. A four-run lead again. But Chicago finally woke up.
A lot of good Chick was. The White Sox were still in the game in the top of the fourth. It was 2-0 at this point. Guess who left Happy Felsch at first to end the inning? Gandil! Cincy quickly tacked on their next two runs in the bottom of the frame to make Chicago pay.
Chicago finally scored in the top of the fifth. Gandil had nothing to do with it. The next inning, Buck Weaver hit a double to lead off. Jackson singled, Felsch doubled. 4-3. Jimmy Ring was called in to pitch to Gandil. Pop out. No matter. Before the inning was over, the game was tied.
It stayed that way until the top of the tenth despite walks to Jackson and Gandil in the top of the eight. But in the tenth, Weaver hit another double. Jackson on a bunt, made it to first as the go-ahead run was now at third. However, Felsch committed the first out of the inning by going down on strikes. What would our boy do?
What he did was single. Weaver scored. Swede Risberg ended the inning by lining into a double play. But Chicago held Cincinnati off the scoreboard one final time in the bottom of the inning. The 5-4 win was a must for Chicago.
The seventh game saw Chicago score first, right there in the top of the first. For good measure, the White Sox had Shoeless Joe Jackson on second and Happy Felsch on first. But Gandil ended the inning.
Still, this was Chicago's game. They added a run in the top of the third, and then two more in the top of the fifth. Gandil was looking at a 4-0 lead as he came to the plate that inning, but this time for Chicago. Jackson was again on second and Felsch again on first. This time, though, there was only one out. Gandil grounded out. Both runners advanced but the inning ended as Risberg fanned.
Chicago ended up winning the game 4-1, and headed home. But Cincinnati wasn't about to let Chicago off the hook a third time. They scored four times in the top of the first.
Another run in the top of the second, and it was now 5-0 for the Reds. Could Chicago come back? Jackson hit a home run in the bottom of the third, but then the White Sox offence stalled. At a crucial time, too. The Reds got their five-run lead back in the top of the fifth. The next inning, they scored three more times to make it a 9-1 rout. Chicago had one last big inning in them.
But in the bottom of the frame, Weaver singled to start the inning. Jackson came back up, and looked ready for another home run. But as it turned out, his blast in the third was the 1919 Fall Classic's only one. Still, he gave it quite a ride to centre. Felsch also flied to centre, but not that deep. That left it up to Gandil, who went to right for the final out of the inning.
The Reds got two on in the top of the seventh, but failed to score. The Sox had no such luck getting a base runner in their half of the inning. And, as if to make them pay again, Cincinnati promptly scored another run to get to double digits in their next turn to bat.
So it was 10-1 as Chicago batted in the bottom of the eight. Buck Weaver put two runners in scoring position with a double. Shoeless Joe followed with a double of his own. That scored both Weaver and Eddie Collins, who'd singled with one out. It was 10-3, but Felsch made the second out of the inning. Gandil hit a fly to right, but Alfred Neale (They called him Greasy) was in a bad spot. That sun prevented him from picking up the baseball. By the time Neale caught up to it, Jackson had long since scored. Gandil made it to third. The inning then appeared to be over for sure as Swede Risberg hit a short fly to Edd Roush in centre. But the centre fielder couldn't come up with it, and was charged with an error. Gandil scored to make it a 10-5 ballgame. Ray Schalk ended the inning by grounding out. But Chicago had put a big "4" on the scoreboard.
The Reds did not score in the top of the ninth. The White Sox put two on before Jackson grounded out to end the October Classic. Gandil did not get to bat again.
Gandil, like the seven other men involved in the fix, was thrown out of the game following the 1920 season. The scandal had been exposed. It's too bad, really. Chick had talent, no doubt. And he could get the job done anyway you asked. The 1919 World Series will be forever tainted with memories of the Black Sox.
References
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
The 1917 World Series was the first for Gandil. Many of the men who'd help him throw the Fall Classic two years later were there. Gandil might have been picking his spots in '17, as well. The New York Giants actually gave Chicago quite a scare.
Gandil waited until game two to get his first RBI. The White Sox, Gandil's team, won game one of the 1917 World Series, but only 2-1. Gandil didn't do much.
In game two, at home, Chicago was down 2-0 when Gandil got their third straight hit of the inning. But, it was a bit of a fluke. Pitcher Ferdie Schupp got a piece of it, but not enough. Chicago took off from there. New York did not score a run. Chicago sure did. Six more to be exact. You would have thought Gandil might have gotten another RBI. You would have thought wrong.
The next two games were both shutout losses for Chicago, which seemed odd.
With the series tied at two, the White Sox won a slugfest, 8-5. Gandil got two RBIs on a double in the bottom of the seventh. That knocked home a pair to put the White Sox, behind 5-2, to within a run of the Giants.
Gandil then went out of his way to help his team wrap it up in the sixth game for the World Championship. Gandil got another two RBIs. But this time, he made a mistake on the play.
Chicago was up 1-0 in the top of the fourth when Chick scored Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch with a single to right. Neither of those runs were earned, however. Neither was the first run that scored prior to the at bat. Was Chicago receiving gifts here?
Gandil then gave the Giants a nice gift. He decided to try for second after Felsch scored. Needless to say, he was out. The Giants eventually scored twice before the White Sox scored again. There was no further scoring.
So two years later, not all was on the level. Chicago faced the Cincinnati Reds in 1919. And the first game was a rout. Gandil was the man in the middle of the fix.
The Reds, playing at home, scored a run in the bottom of the first. Gandil actually tied it by getting the first RBI of the game for Chicago. He knocked home Joe Jackson, who'd reached on an error. The game was tied 1-1, but the rest of the affair was all Cincy.
The 9-1 win was resounding enough, and Gandil had an interesting game. He got another hit, but also made an error. In game two, he had chances to get more RBIs. But for some reason. Chick didn't.
Jackson led off the top of the second for Chicago with a double. A sac bunt sent him to third, and Gandil to the dish. Just hit it deep. Gandil did not do that. Gandil grounded out to short as Jackson held. The inning ended as it had begun, with no score.
And, an even better situation presented itself to Gandil in his next trip to the dish. Buck Weaver got the inning going with a single. Jackson also singled. Happy Felsch, as he had last time, hit another sac bunt. Now, two runners were in scoring position with only one out.
Gandil, though, hit it to first basemen, Jake Daubert. Daubert saw Weaver heading home and gunner him out. Jackson was on third. Gandil stole second. But Swede Risberg ended the inning by popping out to Daubert.
The White Sox were behind 4-0 in the top of the seventh and Gandil got the inning off badly as he wa retired. But Chicago scored twice to cut the lead in half. The next inning, they seemed primed for more as Jackson got his third hit of the game. Better still, Joe made it to second on an error. But before Gandil could bat, Felsch lined out to third.
The Reds did not score in the bottom of the eighth, so Gandil was the leadoff hitter in a do-or-die inning. Well, finally Gandil did something positive. He singled. However, Risberg grounded into a double play. Ray Schalk, the catcher, followed this with a single. Chicago had ten hits. But Fred McMullin ended the game by grounding out.
So down two games to none, Chicago needed game three at home. Would a change of scenery help?
Well, there were two runners in scoring position with not a man out in a scoreless game in game three. It was the bottom of the second. Gandil was back at the plate. He singled! Both runners scored. 2-0. That was all pitcher Dickie Kerr needed. Chicago went on to win, but Gandil didn't get any more hits or even RBIs. Stuck at three.
In game four, Jackson led off the second with a double. Although Felsch was retired, it was in the act of bunting. Jackson was now at third. Gandil, needed only a fly to break what was then a 0-0 game. Chick popped it up. This was really a bad time. Risberg walked and stole second. Another walk, this time to catcher Schalk, and Chicago appeared to be in business. Eddie Cicotte, the starting pitcher and game one loser, ended the inning by grounding out.
Via an hit by pitch and an error, the White Sox had Eddie Collins on third and Jackson on third the next inning, but again came away empty-handed. The Reds did not score off Cicotte until the top of the fifth. The pitcher made two errors (Intentional, since he was in on the fix) that were costly. Gandil did single in the bottom of the sixth, but it came with two outs and nobody on. In the eighth, after Felsch singed with two down, Gandil ended the inning by fanning. The Reds did not score again after their two-run uprising earlier, but that proved to be enough as Chicago never scored at all in this game.
And Chicago didn't score in game five back in Cincinnati, either. Just like in 1917, it was Chicago being blanked in back-to-back games. The series was not over, as it was a best-of-nine affair. But Gandil was not helping. He was 0-4 in this crucial game. 5-0, Cincy.
So the Reds were looking to put the final nail in the White Sox's coffin in game six. They made illusions of that, racing out to an early 4-0 lead. A four-run lead again. But Chicago finally woke up.
A lot of good Chick was. The White Sox were still in the game in the top of the fourth. It was 2-0 at this point. Guess who left Happy Felsch at first to end the inning? Gandil! Cincy quickly tacked on their next two runs in the bottom of the frame to make Chicago pay.
Chicago finally scored in the top of the fifth. Gandil had nothing to do with it. The next inning, Buck Weaver hit a double to lead off. Jackson singled, Felsch doubled. 4-3. Jimmy Ring was called in to pitch to Gandil. Pop out. No matter. Before the inning was over, the game was tied.
It stayed that way until the top of the tenth despite walks to Jackson and Gandil in the top of the eight. But in the tenth, Weaver hit another double. Jackson on a bunt, made it to first as the go-ahead run was now at third. However, Felsch committed the first out of the inning by going down on strikes. What would our boy do?
What he did was single. Weaver scored. Swede Risberg ended the inning by lining into a double play. But Chicago held Cincinnati off the scoreboard one final time in the bottom of the inning. The 5-4 win was a must for Chicago.
The seventh game saw Chicago score first, right there in the top of the first. For good measure, the White Sox had Shoeless Joe Jackson on second and Happy Felsch on first. But Gandil ended the inning.
Still, this was Chicago's game. They added a run in the top of the third, and then two more in the top of the fifth. Gandil was looking at a 4-0 lead as he came to the plate that inning, but this time for Chicago. Jackson was again on second and Felsch again on first. This time, though, there was only one out. Gandil grounded out. Both runners advanced but the inning ended as Risberg fanned.
Chicago ended up winning the game 4-1, and headed home. But Cincinnati wasn't about to let Chicago off the hook a third time. They scored four times in the top of the first.
Another run in the top of the second, and it was now 5-0 for the Reds. Could Chicago come back? Jackson hit a home run in the bottom of the third, but then the White Sox offence stalled. At a crucial time, too. The Reds got their five-run lead back in the top of the fifth. The next inning, they scored three more times to make it a 9-1 rout. Chicago had one last big inning in them.
But in the bottom of the frame, Weaver singled to start the inning. Jackson came back up, and looked ready for another home run. But as it turned out, his blast in the third was the 1919 Fall Classic's only one. Still, he gave it quite a ride to centre. Felsch also flied to centre, but not that deep. That left it up to Gandil, who went to right for the final out of the inning.
The Reds got two on in the top of the seventh, but failed to score. The Sox had no such luck getting a base runner in their half of the inning. And, as if to make them pay again, Cincinnati promptly scored another run to get to double digits in their next turn to bat.
So it was 10-1 as Chicago batted in the bottom of the eight. Buck Weaver put two runners in scoring position with a double. Shoeless Joe followed with a double of his own. That scored both Weaver and Eddie Collins, who'd singled with one out. It was 10-3, but Felsch made the second out of the inning. Gandil hit a fly to right, but Alfred Neale (They called him Greasy) was in a bad spot. That sun prevented him from picking up the baseball. By the time Neale caught up to it, Jackson had long since scored. Gandil made it to third. The inning then appeared to be over for sure as Swede Risberg hit a short fly to Edd Roush in centre. But the centre fielder couldn't come up with it, and was charged with an error. Gandil scored to make it a 10-5 ballgame. Ray Schalk ended the inning by grounding out. But Chicago had put a big "4" on the scoreboard.
The Reds did not score in the top of the ninth. The White Sox put two on before Jackson grounded out to end the October Classic. Gandil did not get to bat again.
Gandil, like the seven other men involved in the fix, was thrown out of the game following the 1920 season. The scandal had been exposed. It's too bad, really. Chick had talent, no doubt. And he could get the job done anyway you asked. The 1919 World Series will be forever tainted with memories of the Black Sox.
References
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1992. Print.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print.
"Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame." Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame. http://www.blackbetsy.com/shoeless.html. 3 Feb. 2016.
Retrosheet. www.retrosheet.org. 2 Feb. 2016.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 2 Feb. 2016.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org. 2 Feb. 2016.
Youtube. https://www,youtube.com/. 2 Feb. 2016.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org. 2 Feb. 2016.
Youtube. https://www,youtube.com/. 2 Feb. 2016.
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