Edd Roush was only second on Cincinnati in RBI in 1919. During the regular season, Edd had led the Reds with 71 RBI.
It was a meager total. Another player, who's totals seemed meager, very meager, was Pat Duncan. Duncan had only 17 RBI in the regular season, but in just 31 games played. The Cincinnati would soon turn to these two men to get 'em across the dish.
Both would have a great Fall Classic against the Chicago White Sox. Were the White Sox trying?
Well, eight members of this squad, which was pretty much the same as the one that had won it all two years later, were banned from baseball after the 1920 season. Some of the players had taken money from gamblers. This alone, tends to take away from the efforts of the Reds, which is unfortunate.
It seemed like the game would be tough for Cincinnati. The visiting Sox seemed to have something going in the first. But thanks in large part to Roush, the Reds survived it, unscathed.
Shano Collins led off the sixteenth edition of the World Series with a single. A bunt by Eddie Collins, who was not related to Shano, ended up as just a force at second. Buck Weaver was next. Chicago tried a hit-and-run play, but for some reason Buck just took the pitch. Collins was erased at second. Weaver, though, was still up. He rocketed one that the Reds' centre fielder showed off his leather on. With a spectacular one-handed grab, Roush had robbed Weaver of a double.
Roush, playing in front of his fans at Redland Field, must have had a big grin on his face the first time up in the opening tilt. There was Jake Daubert on first. The Reds had a 1-0 lead on the White Sox, and Edd Roush wanted to extend that. But then, Daubert then got caught stealing. So much for an opportunity to drive in an insurance run. With two away, Edd drew a bases on balls of Chicago pitcher Eddie Cicotte, and then stole second. This gave the aforementioned Pat Duncan a chance at an RBI himself, but Cicotte got him to ground out.
Chicago countered with a run in the top of the second, so Cincinnati didn't get to enjoy the lead long. Chick Gandil got a single to centre, but Roush sure made an effort to catch it.
Cincinnati's big inning came in the bottom of the fourth. It was Pat Duncan that got it all going with a one-out single. The Reds were about to blow open this opening tilt to this awesome extravaganza!
With two out, Greasy Neale kept the inning alive with a single. This brought catcher Ivey Wingo to the dish. Ivey had failed the first time up, but here, he gave the Reds the lead for good with a clutch two out single. The scoring had merely begun. By the time the inning was over, the home team had put a "5" on the scoreboard. The game was effectively over. Eddie Cicotte had been routed.
The Reds didn't stop there. The new pitcher was Roy Wilkinson. In the fifth, he got Edd Roush out on a long fly to centre. He'd given it quite a ride back in the third. Despite hitting the ball so well, Roush did not end up getting a hit this game. But Pat Duncan was a man on a mission. Proving he belonged in the Fall Classic, as a Red regular, he singled. Nothing came of it, but when Duncan batted again two innings later, something did!
Cincinnati had already scored one run that frame, and were looking for more. Edd Roush laid down a bunt to third. Buck Weaver, the Chicago third basemen, picked it up. But his throw to first took Chick Gandil into Roush, who was scrambling to first. Contact was made between the Roush and Gandil, the end result a dropped ball. The error opened the door for Pat Duncan.
Pat could only hit into a fielder's choice which erased Roush, but it scored Heinie Groh. Remarkably, enough the home team continued to pour it on. They scored a ninth run in the eighth, and looked to Edd Roush for more.
Pitcher Dutch Ruether had added a run-scoring single to make it 9-1. But Morrie Rath then retired for the second out. The Reds then manufactured two more runners to load the bases, without the benefit of a hit. Jake Daubert was hit by a pitch. Heinie Groh walked.
Alas, all Edd Roush could do was force Groh at second. There was no more scoring in the contest. It was a laugher.
The Reds trotted back out the next day, to try and make it two straight over the White Sox. Edd Roush drew a walk off Lefty Williams in the last of inning two. Lefty, who's first name was actually Claude, pitched a pretty good game. Cincinnati would have to make due with just four hits.
They did not get one in the last of the second. Pat Duncan lined to second basemen Eddie Collins. The legendary second basemen doubled Roush off first.
So it became clear early on that Lefty Williams was "on". Both he and Eddie Cicotte would later be kicked out of baseball for their part in throwing this World Series. However, each would later imply that they had tried, at least in their second and third starts of the 1919 Fall Classic. So maybe we shouldn't say that what Roush, Duncan or any of the Reds accomplished is tainted.
Williams pitched well this game, too. However, perhaps the issue was not that he couldn't give up a hit. Rather, it was his control that was the the enigma.
The Reds had two men on via (you guess it) walks in the bottom of the fourth. Up stepped the Cincinnati centre fielder. Edd Roush came through for the visitors with a single, cashing in Morrie Rath. Roush, though, may have hurt a potential big inning. He was caught stealing.
It was up to Pat Duncan to keep this inning alive. He drew Williams' third free pass of the inning. The Reds took advantage, adding a second and third run of the frame on Larry Kopf's triple. It was 3-0. However, it could have been 4-0.
Cincinnati had to wait three innings to score again. And again it was an inning that featured a walk by Edd Roush. Pat Duncan bunted him into scoring position. Eventually, Roush scored a run (The Reds' last of the ballgame) on a Greasy Neale two-out single.
The run was big. Chicago rallied with two runs of their own in the top of the seventh to break the shutout. Roush, though, appeared to have his second hit of the ballgame (To go along nicely with a pair of bases on balls) in the bottom of the eighth.
Heinie Groh became the sixth Red to read first off Lefty Williams via ball four. This put one on with one out. So Edd Roush sent one to shallow centre. It appeared to be a hit, and Cincinnati seemed destined for another run or two.
That is, until Happy Felsch arrived. Rushing in, the Chicago centre fielder made a spectacular catch (Ironically, Felsch himself was later implicated in the scandal). The end result was Groh doubled off first.
Slim Sallee pitched a fair ballgame for Cincinnati, although he allowed two singles in the ninth before getting the last out. When the series moved to Chicago, the Reds' momentum seemed to dissappear.
Dickie Kerr, the left-hander for the White Sox, had no involvement in the fixing of the 1919 Fall Classic. It seemed, also that his team was trying their best in the third contest.
The very man that put the fix together, Chick Gandil, singled home two runs in the bottom of the second. Before that, Pat Duncan had come up with a one-out single in the top of the frame. There was a bit of a suspicious play that followed. Larry Kopf hit a ball that Swede Risberg took too long with. They got the out at first, but Duncan had made it to second in time. But the Reds failed to take advantage of it, stranding Duncan at second when Greasy Neale grounded out to Eddie Collins.
Heinie Groh led off the third with a walk. Edd Roush then grounded out, but it worked like a bunt, as Groh was now at second. Pat Duncan took a rip at a pitch and sent it to left. But this time, Swede Risberg was there. The shortstop not only made the catch, he doubled Groh off second, ending the the top of the fourth. A Risberg triple would lead to an eventual third Chicago run in the bottom of the frame.
The Reds were essentially beaten right there and then. Kerr pitched amazing. Cincinnati got just one more hit. They were frustrated by the superb effort by the Chicago lefty, who ended the game in style. The last fifteen Cincinnati batters were sent back to the dugout in frustration. Roush was scheduled to bat next as Heinie Groh grounded out to end the contest.
So Dickie Kerr had a three-hit shutout. Edd Roush and Pat Duncan were a combined 0-6.
Game four of this best-of-nine affair was big. It turned into a superb pitchers' duel. Jimmy Ring started for Cincinnati, and had some trouble. Edd Roush was one awesome centre fielder. However, he couldn't come up with Joe Jackson's hit to centre. Joe ended up on second with a leadoff two-bagger. The next two men were retired via a sac bunt and a pop up. Ring seemed safe, but walked Swede Risberg to keep the inning alive. Swede made the Reds pay by stealing second. The White Sox had two men in scoring position. Ring walked catcher Ray Schalk intentionally. Eddie Cicotte, the opposing pitcher, actually made quite bid for a hit, but a fine play by Morrie Rath at second ended the inning.
The next inning saw Chicago have Eddie Collins on third and Joe Jackson on first with two away. Again, Jimmy Ring made sure to get the next batter to hit it on the ground. Happy Felsch was retired 5-3.
So Ring had survived two tough innings. Though he settled down after that, he'd need some help from his left fielder to keep Chicago at bay.
With one out in the top of the fifth, it was Pat Duncan with a hard grounder to Cicotte. While the pitcher got to it, his throw to first missed the mark. Duncan had done little, but now was on second base. And Pat would score as Larry Kopf hit the ball to left. Joe Jackson fielded it and threw it home to stop Duncan. But, Eddie Cicotte made a bad play on the ball, redirecting it out of catcher Ray Schalk's position behind the dish. The costly mistake not only scored a run, but meant another runner was at second. Greasy Neale doubled to left over Joe Jackson's head to cash in a second Red run. It actually appeared as though Cincinnati would get more. Red-hot catcher Ivey Wingo was next. Wingo was 1-1 in this contest (To go along with 1-3 in the opening tilt), with another base hit on the way. But Ivey couldn't come through in the biggest moment for him in this game, only grounding out. Neale advanced to third, so there was still a chance for more. But Reds' manager had to let pitcher Jimmy Ring bat, and he too, grounded out.
Cincinnati had all the offence they needed, however. But Pat Duncan would find a way to contribute in other ways. With one away in the bottom of the sixth, he robbed Happy Felsch of extra bases by making a great catch. Just a few feet shy of the stands in left.
Poor Edd Roush didn't get to do much, sadly. He failed to get a hit in three times up at the dish. Pat Duncan was also held hitless. The final score was only 2-0 for the visitors. The teams combined for just eight hits.
But it was all about great timing when it came to the Reds. The fourth game was big.
Edd Roush came up with a man on second in the top of the first. Two outs. He hit a grounder to Chick Gandil at first. Lefty Williams got over to cover the bag. The pitcher received the ball before the batter made it to first, for the putout. The play ended the inning.
Chicago looked to get it going in the bottom of the first. The White Sox had runners on the corners. But with one out, Joe Jackson popped to third. So two men were on, but now two were out. The batter was Felsch, who would hit the ball well all series, but not always get the results. Here, he lofted one to short left, where Pat Duncan put the squeeze on it.
The game seemed to evolve into a strikeout affair. Williams fanned two in the top of the second (Including Pat Duncan), but the Reds were inspired by pitcher Hod Eller's own exploits. At one point, the Cincinnati starter fanned six batters in a row!
Edd Roush reached on an error by shortstop Swede Risberg in the fourth, then stole second (Catcher Ray Schalk couldn't come up with a pitch when Roush broke). All this with two away. The Reds' centre fielder was making what looked like an easy 1-2-3 inning for Lefty Williams, interesting. Pat Duncan sent one to Joe Jackson in left, and that was it.
Roush would play the hero role in this contest, or maybe co-hero with his pitcher. The Reds would use a big sixth inning to go ahead of the Sox.
Hod Eller had started it all with a double. This was somewhat a result of poor managing. Chicago manager Kid Gleason had his centre fielder, Happy Felsch, playing Eller a bit towards right. This created the space needed for the Cincinnati pitcher to drop one it. This was the start of a huge rally. Happy Felsch then made a throwing error, and suddenly Cincinnati had a man on third, no outs. Morrie Rath brought Eller home with a single. A bunt and a walk brought Roush back to the dish, and the centre fielder of Cincinnati did not disappoint.
Edd turned on a Williams pitch, and sent it to centre. It appeared to fool Felsch. The misjudgment resulting in him seemingly having butter fingers, or a butter glove. The triple by Roush plated both Morrie Rath and Heinie Groh.
Well, not everybody thought that Groh was safe. Catcher Ray Schalk of Chicago was sure thought Heinie was DOA at the dish. All that anger resulted in him bumping into someone of authoritative measures who was also behind the plate. Needless to say, Schalk was ejected for bumping home plate umpire Cy Rigler. Byrd Lynn came in, and Pat Duncan came up with a way to challenge the new catcher.
Duncan again sent one to left for the second out. Roush tagged and scored when the catcher for Chicago couldn't handle the heave from Joe Jackson. It was 4-0 for the visitors.
Roush started a mild rally in the eighth when he reached on an error by Eddie Collins. Pat Duncan followed with a walk. Lefty Williams had departed the game when Eddie Murphy batted for him in the bottom of the seventh. And new pitcher Erskine Mayer couldn't stop the bleeding.
Larry Kopf got the two runners into scoring position with a bunt. And then Greasy Neale grounded to short, Edd Roush scoring the fifth (And final) run of the ballgame. Hod Eller completed the shutout, and it seemed Cincinnati now had a stranglehold on the series. Roush had driven in two and scored as many runs. Pat Duncan had to settle for just one RBI.
So going into the potential clincher in the sixth contest at Redland Field, Pat Duncan had played outstanding. He'd only joined the Reds in August, but now was proving he belonged in left for Cincinnati. Roush was Roush in centre, but was hitting just .133. However, looking at the RBI totals from the first five games, Duncan was a little short of them. Driving in 17 in just 31 regular season games was impressive. But here, Pat had just two in five games. Normally, the World Series was a best-of-seven affair, as this was the first extended Fall Classic since 1903 (Although 1912 had a tie, making it eight contests).
Roush's three RBIs actually looked good when you look at his batting average, but he'd wowed the Chicago White Sox with his glove. And the White Sox hadn't seen it all from Roush yet. His fielding in the sixth contest was amazing.
Heinie Groh was on second in the bottom of the second. Roush singled to short. However, Groh overran third base, and Swede Risberg nailed him there. A potential big inning came to an end on that miscue.
Roush would get a second attempt at greatness in the third, and heroically extended the inning by taking one for the team. The hit by pitch took away an RBI chance for Edd, as Jake Daubert had singled earlier in the inning, then stole second as Roush batted.
And Pat Duncan delivered a clutch hit. His two-out double to right scored both Daubert and Edd Roush, and the Reds were off and flying against the White and pitcher Dickie Kerr. Duncan wasn't just waving his bat this game. In the top of the fourth, he took a base hit away from Buck Weaver.
The Reds saw Duncan doing it all, and they in turn touched home two more times in the bottom of that inning. 4-0, and the champagne was all but on ice.
The White Sox appeared to have a big rally going in the bottom of the fifth. But they still hadn't figured out a way to eliminate the great Reds' centre fielder as a factor. The bases were loaded, and only one out. And the batter was Eddie Collins. The future Hall-of-Famer sent one to centre that cashed in Swede Risberg. However, Dickie Kerr ran from first to second after the catch, not realizing that Ray Schalk had remained there. So when third basemen Heinie Groh received the toss from centre, he noticed Kerr's flight towards second. Groh motored over and applied the tag on the Chicago pitcher. That play meant Edd Roush to collect an assist to go along with his putout. The double play got Cincinnati out of a potentially big inning. They still led, 4-1.
Pat Duncan extended the Cincinnati half of the inning, but only when centre fielder Happy Felsch muffed his fly. Larry Kopf grounded out to end the fifth.
The sixth inning was a lost one for the Reds. The White Sox had their biggest inning of the Fall Classic (So far) by crossing home three times to square it. Schalk capped it by sending home Felsch with a single.
Cincinnati, although at home, failed to score again. Dickie Kerr didn't pitch anywhere near as well as he had in game three, but was conceiving to nothing. Roush ended the seventh by hitting into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play (Started by fixer Swede Risberg, ironically).
But if the bat of the Cincinnati centre fielder had ended one half of an inning, then his glove turned the trick as the game moved to the eighth. Chicago had Joe Jacksons on second and Chick Gandil on first. Risberg flied to centre, and Roush got even with the White Sox shortstop. He not only robbed Risberg of a hit, but he doubled Jackson off second! With that the Reds' centre fielder became the first outfielder to turn a pair of double plays in the same World Series contest!
But the defence of Chicago didn't make many mistakes the rest of the way. Kerr had a tough eighth inning as Cincinnati got two more men on via base hits. Cincinnati couldn't get either home.
Jimmy Ring had relieved Dutch Ruether in the top of the sixth inning, and pitched a whale of a game. It looked as though Dickie Kerr would finally crack at any moment. Edd Roush himself came up with Heinie Groh on first in the bottom of the eighth. Roush never got to finish his plate appearance as Groh was caught stealing.
And Chicago rode the wave of the momentum created by Groh's attempt to pilfer second. They scratched across a run in the top of the tenth, then watched as their courageous pitcher retired the side in order. Dickie Kerr had extended the Fall Classic for Chicago. It took him 128 pitches.
Oddly, enough, the winning RBI came off the bat of Chick Gandil, the supposed ring-leader of the fix. Though he'd driven home five runs in the 1917 World Series, Gandil had only 60 in the 1919 regular season. The game-winning run driven in by Chick in the top of the tenth in this game six gave him four RBIs. This means he was threatening to lead this extended Fall Classic in that statistic. He actually had as many as Pat Duncan. Edd Roush was stuck at three. There was still a Fall Classic to win by Cincinnati, and some RBI work to be done by Roush and Duncan.
Still, the situation seemed in the Reds' hands, as they were at home for the next contest. Cincinnati had a second chance to clinch at home in game seven. Chicago sent Eddie Cicotte (0-2) out to the hill. The problem was Cincinnati sent Slim Sallee out to finish the White Sox off. However, the Reds should have known Sallee was not the man to get it done. He'd surrendered ten hits in the second contest.
Here, Chicago pounced on him. By the top of the fifth, it was 4-0 for the visitors. The big blow in the game was Happy Felsch's two run single that inning. As for the Reds' bat, they were being stymied. Cincinnati had one hit and one walk.
Greasy Neale got a one-out single in the bottom of the inning. Ivey Wingo was next. The catcher, who only got into three World Series games, was one tough out for Chicago. He was batting .500 coming into this game. The reason I'm bringing Wingo up is that Cincinnati would waste his fine game. Wingo walked for the second time here in the fifth, which could have led to a big inning.
Instead, Dutch Ruether was sent up to hit for pitcher Ray Fisher. Reuther, the pitcher, had hit .261 in the regular season, plus had pitched well in the first contest. But here, all he could do was pop out. Morrie Rath was then retired. The mini rally did mean, however, that the two big guns on the Reds would hit in the sixth.
Heinie Groh hit a one-out double, and it appeared Cincinnati was in business with Edd Roush up. The Reds' centre fielder could only hit one back to the mound. Groh made it to third, but now there were two away.
Just when things were looking bad, it was the bat of Pat Duncan that came through. Pat made it three games in a row with at least one RBI by singling Groh home. The shutout was gone, and Duncan was up to five runs driven in.
It's not as if Cincinnati went quietly after that. Actually, it was the Chicago bats that were silence on a superb relief outing by Dolf Luque. His pitching seemed to give the Reds hope.
With one away in the bottom of the seventh, Wingo made it to first on his third bases on balls of the afternoon. Then, with two away, Morrie Rath singled. Jake Daubert grounded out. From there, the last chance the Reds had to win this game came in the ninth.
Ivey Wingo and Sherry Magee singled with two away. But then Morrie Rath flied out to end it. So Roush and Duncan had been held to just one hit and one RBI.
It seemed like, aside from their RBI totals, Edd Roush and Pat Duncan were in slumps. Roush was hitting .130 and Duncan just .227. Compare that to:
Greasy Neale, .360
Ivey Wingo, .571
Dutch Reuther, pitcher, .667
Neither Wingo or Reuther would appear in the eighth contest, which was back in Chicago.
The vesting Reds decided it early.
Left Williams was back, and would retire the leadoff batter, Morrie Rath, to start the contest. This was the only batter Williams got out.
Jake Daubert singled. So did Heinie Groh. The Chicago bullpen got going as Bill James started to throw. Catcher Ray Schalk approached Williams. Most likely, this was to give James more time to get loose. It was obvious the White Sox starting pitcher didn't have it.
And then it was Edd Roush getting the scoring going with a two-run double. When Pat Duncan followed suit, it was 3-0, Cincinnati. Lefty Williams threw one more pitch, a ball. Bill James replaced him on the mound. James would end up not walking Larry Koft. Before the inning ended, Cincinnati had added another run.
Heinie Groh came back up with two away in the top of the second. He ended up collecting his second hit to keep the inning alive. That was all Edd Roush needed. Roush singled. Though Groh scored, Roush ran past first and was erased before he could scamper back.
It was 5-0, and Chicago did not score until the third inning. Joe Jackson's home run was just a solo shot. Cincinnati kept hitting Bill James well, as they got two singles that led to nothing in the top of the fourth. But it got the Reds to the big artillery come the next frame. Roush in fact, would lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, but James retired him. Pat Duncan didn't get the ball out of the infield for the second out, but Cincinnati still ended up tacking on a sixth run.
Edd Roush wasn't finished. He came back up again the next inning. Bases loaded. One away.
And two more runners would score thanks to Roush, who made it 3-4 at the plate with a single. Pat Duncan followed with a single of his own, which made it 9-1. Would the 1919 World Series end the same way it started?
Nah, Cincy wanted more.
A mini-rally died in the seventh with no scoring by the Reds. But again, it helped Edd Roush. Once again, he would lead off an inning. Roush took one for the team, as Roy Wilkinson (Who'd relieved Bill James in the top of the sixth) hit him.
Duncan bunted. Larry Kopf popped out for the second out, and it appeared that the inning would be for not. However, Greasy Neale walked and Bill Rariden singled. Roush scored!
So Cincinnati was feeling pretty good. Ahead 10-1 after 7 1/2. The bottom of the eighth was a frustrating adventure for the visitors.
Chicago made a comeback attempt. They scored twice on a Jackson double. But it appeared to be over when Happy Felsch was retired for the second out. Chick Gandil extended the inning, however, with a triple. Then the inning should have ended as Swede Risberg hit a harmless fly to centre. Edd Roush couldn't come up with it. Gandil scored, unearned. Ray Schalk was retired to finally end the eight inning.
Due up for Cincinnati in the top of the ninth was Morrie Rath, Jake Daubert and Heinie Groh. Roush batted after Groh, but would he get a chance?
Rath started the inning out on the right foot with a single. Daubert got a sac bunt down, and now Groh was looking at an RBI opportunity. Groh flied out to centre.
It was up to Roush to get 'er done. Alas, he grounded out to Buck Weaver at third.
The good news was, of course, the Reds were three outs away from champagne. But starting pitcher Hod Eller hit pinch hitter Eddie Murphy. Nemo Leibold hit one to centre. It seemed like a hit. A big inning for Chicago loomed.
At least, that was until Edd Roush got his glove on it. A great catch, and some redemption for Edd for his error the previous inning.
Eddie Collins followed with a single. The catch by Roush was huge by this point. Buck Weaver flied out to right. Murphy strode into third after the catch. With Joe Jackson back up (2-4 with 3 RBI). Collins stole second, and the pressure on Hod Eller mounted. But Jackson would ground out, and Cincinnati had won the 1919 World Series.
Although Hod Eller had won two games (Dickie Kerr, too), plus Greasy Neale finished with a .357 batting average (Topps among all Reds' regulars), the big Cincinnati guns were clearly two-thirds of their outfield. While Pat Duncan had to settle for a .269 batting average, he'd end up leading all players in RBIs in the Fall Classic, with eight.
References
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