The 1917 Chicago White Sox won the World Series, but were no-hit in back-to-back days in the regular season! Then, they were shutout in back-to-back games in the Fall Classic! In order to win, you have to overcome obstacles.
The no-hitters were not in back-to-back games, however. But it seems odd that it was done by the same team, and it was against the same team. The team that no-hit the White Sox? The St. Louis Browns!
The first no-hitter was on May 5th. But Chicago got a fine 5-hitter from Eddie Cicotte, who was one of the eight White Sox players banned for life after throwing the 1919 World Series.
Cicotte even walked twice to help his own cause. The other White Sox player to walk twice in the game was the most famous member of the 1919 team to get kicked out of baseball, Shoeless Joe Jackson. But the only other White Sox player to reach via the walk was Swede Risberg. He too, was one of the eight Black Sox. Risberg also made the White Sox only error of the game. St. Louis made two.
The pitcher who tossed this masterpierce was Ernie Koob. Despite this, he finished the 1917 season with a record of just 6 wins and 14 losses. When he left the majors after the 1919 (All signs pointing to that season, eh?) Koob's lifetime W-L record was just 23-31. However, against the Sox, he overcame those five walks and two errors to win the game, 1-0.
The next day was a doubleheader between the same teams. In the opener, it was the White Sox taking an 8-4 loss. They picked up eight hits. In the second game, it was the White Sox going down 3-0. Chicago picked up zero hits.
It was Bob Groom who did the honours for the Browns this time around. Groom would also finish his career with a losing record (119-150). And yes, he also has two "O's" in his last name. In 1917, like Koob, Groom would post a losing record 8-19. The 19 losses would lead the AL.
Groom was better than Koob in his no-hitter. The White Sox collected just three walks. Jackson, Risberg and Nemo Leibold each walked once. Buck Weaver, again part of the eighth Black Sox, was hit by a pitch from Groom. There were no errors in this game.
Cicotte atoned for his loss by winning game one of the 1917 Fall Classic against the New York Giants, 2-1. But it was another classic pitching duel that he would be involved in. Each team got 7 hits. Slim Sallee took the hard-luck loss.
In game two, it was Red Faber who fired a fine 8-hitter and won, 7-2 to put Chicago up 2-0. Then, Chicago went into a hitting slump at the wrong time.
Cicotte took the hill again in game three. But instead of putting Chicago up 3-0, he took the loss. That was because his own team couldn't get a run for him!
It was Rube Benton who went all the way for the Giants. And he tamed the White Sox on a five-hitter. The White Sox collected no walks off him. Cicotte wasn't too bad. But Chicago made three errors to New York's two. Chicago lost a close one, 2-0. Both runs scored in the bottom of the fourth and were earned. New York collected eight hits.
Faber returned to the hill for Chicago in game four, looking for another win. But like Cicotte, he could not. Again the White Sox were blanked. This time, they managed to get seven hits, but Chicago took a decisive 5-0 loss. Their big gun, Shoeless Joe Jackson, could do little. He was hitless in four trips to the plate. Eddie Collins got the only walk off a masterful Ferdie Schupp.
The NL leader in W% in 1917 (.750 after going 21-6), Schupp fanned 7 and faced just 33 batters. Only Shano Collins and Ray Schalk managed to get more than one hit. The Giants made only one error in the game. Chicago did not commit one. The Giants got ten hits this time.
But Chicago took game five, 8-5 to take a 3-2 lead in the 1917 World Series. And when Faber tossed a splended 6-hitter in a 4-2 triumph in game six, the White Sox were champions!
Chicago may not have always had the most honest players on the team around this time, but they sure knew how to come back from being no-hit in the regular season and shutout in the postseason. Do it to them once, fine. Do it to them twice back-to-back, and Chicago would fine a way to wake up!
References
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
The no-hitters were not in back-to-back games, however. But it seems odd that it was done by the same team, and it was against the same team. The team that no-hit the White Sox? The St. Louis Browns!
The first no-hitter was on May 5th. But Chicago got a fine 5-hitter from Eddie Cicotte, who was one of the eight White Sox players banned for life after throwing the 1919 World Series.
Cicotte even walked twice to help his own cause. The other White Sox player to walk twice in the game was the most famous member of the 1919 team to get kicked out of baseball, Shoeless Joe Jackson. But the only other White Sox player to reach via the walk was Swede Risberg. He too, was one of the eight Black Sox. Risberg also made the White Sox only error of the game. St. Louis made two.
The pitcher who tossed this masterpierce was Ernie Koob. Despite this, he finished the 1917 season with a record of just 6 wins and 14 losses. When he left the majors after the 1919 (All signs pointing to that season, eh?) Koob's lifetime W-L record was just 23-31. However, against the Sox, he overcame those five walks and two errors to win the game, 1-0.
The next day was a doubleheader between the same teams. In the opener, it was the White Sox taking an 8-4 loss. They picked up eight hits. In the second game, it was the White Sox going down 3-0. Chicago picked up zero hits.
It was Bob Groom who did the honours for the Browns this time around. Groom would also finish his career with a losing record (119-150). And yes, he also has two "O's" in his last name. In 1917, like Koob, Groom would post a losing record 8-19. The 19 losses would lead the AL.
Groom was better than Koob in his no-hitter. The White Sox collected just three walks. Jackson, Risberg and Nemo Leibold each walked once. Buck Weaver, again part of the eighth Black Sox, was hit by a pitch from Groom. There were no errors in this game.
Cicotte atoned for his loss by winning game one of the 1917 Fall Classic against the New York Giants, 2-1. But it was another classic pitching duel that he would be involved in. Each team got 7 hits. Slim Sallee took the hard-luck loss.
In game two, it was Red Faber who fired a fine 8-hitter and won, 7-2 to put Chicago up 2-0. Then, Chicago went into a hitting slump at the wrong time.
Cicotte took the hill again in game three. But instead of putting Chicago up 3-0, he took the loss. That was because his own team couldn't get a run for him!
It was Rube Benton who went all the way for the Giants. And he tamed the White Sox on a five-hitter. The White Sox collected no walks off him. Cicotte wasn't too bad. But Chicago made three errors to New York's two. Chicago lost a close one, 2-0. Both runs scored in the bottom of the fourth and were earned. New York collected eight hits.
Faber returned to the hill for Chicago in game four, looking for another win. But like Cicotte, he could not. Again the White Sox were blanked. This time, they managed to get seven hits, but Chicago took a decisive 5-0 loss. Their big gun, Shoeless Joe Jackson, could do little. He was hitless in four trips to the plate. Eddie Collins got the only walk off a masterful Ferdie Schupp.
The NL leader in W% in 1917 (.750 after going 21-6), Schupp fanned 7 and faced just 33 batters. Only Shano Collins and Ray Schalk managed to get more than one hit. The Giants made only one error in the game. Chicago did not commit one. The Giants got ten hits this time.
But Chicago took game five, 8-5 to take a 3-2 lead in the 1917 World Series. And when Faber tossed a splended 6-hitter in a 4-2 triumph in game six, the White Sox were champions!
Chicago may not have always had the most honest players on the team around this time, but they sure knew how to come back from being no-hit in the regular season and shutout in the postseason. Do it to them once, fine. Do it to them twice back-to-back, and Chicago would fine a way to wake up!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
2005. Print.
Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.
Gropman, Donald. Say It Ain't So, Joe!: The True Story Of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Revised ed. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.
Gropman, Donald. Say It Ain't So, Joe!: The True Story Of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Revised ed. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Neft,
David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St.
Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
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