The Chicago White Sox got a shutout of their own in the 1919 World Series. I guess they were due by game three, right? I mean, didn't anybody care on that team, on that Fall "Classic"?
The White Sox may have given the Fall Classic of that year to the Cincinatti Reds, but not all the players were dishonest. And actually, not all the games were thrown. It helped in game three that Dickie Kerr, not Claude Williams or Eddie Cicotte, was pitching this crucial tilt. Williams and Cicotte were clearly in on the fix, but Kerr was not. The White Sox were down 2-0 after two games. It was going to be best-of-nine, but to fall behind 3-0 would have meant Chicago needed to go 5-1 in the rest of this tainted Series to pull it off. You think the odds are against Cincy or Chicago at this point? I wonder what people who had gambled on Chicago winning were thinking at this point?
So Kerr took the hill in game three. But Ray Fisher was going for Cincinnati and was no slouch. 14-5 with a 2.17 ERA for the Reds in 1919, he was looking to put Chicago down again!
So Kerr had a 1-2-3 top of the first for Chicago, but Fisher had a 1-2-3 of his own in the bottom of the frame. Kerr allowed a single in the top of the second, but got out of there with the shutout intact. Fisher was not so lucky in the bottom of the inning.
Shoeless Joe Jackson, with three hits in game two, led off with a single here. But this time, Chicago did not strand him. Joe, who scored a run in game one, but had been stranded three times in game two (twice at third and once at second) would get around! Happy Felsch hit a comebacker to Fisher, but his throw to second was wild. Jackson made it all the way to third and Felsch pulled up at second. Chick Gandil, one of the main men in the scandal, then stroked a single to left, which scored Jackson. Felsch roared in behind him for good measure. On the throw home to try and nail Felsch, Gandil made it to second. 2-0, Chicago. They then looked like they were ready for more, only the guys trying screwed up badly.
Swede Risberg, the fourth straight suspected or proven fixer of the inning for Chicago, drew a walk. With two on and nobody out, plus two runs already in, things must have been looking up for Chicago. But it was not to be!
Ray Schalk, who had been mad at his teammates efforts, forced Gandil at third as Fisher got the throw on the money this time. Dickie Kerr then hit it to his mound adversary, who again made the play at third. Did Chicago suspect Fisher of throwing the game? He had already made three fielding plays in the inning. Odd for a pitcher. Nemo Leibold grounded out to third and the inning was over.
Kerr returned to his duties with a slim lead in the top of the third. With one out, Ray Fisher showed him how a pitcher hits by reaching first on a single hit right back to Kerr. But Dickie settled down and got the next two batters out.
Chicago went looking for more in the bottom of the third. Eddie Collins started it with a single. Then it was time for Buck Weaver with one of his own. Weaver was one of two suspected (but not proven) fixers, the other being Shoeless Joe. Speaking of which, guess who was now at the dish with two on and nobody out?
Jackson tried to bunt, but all he could do was pop to third. And then Felsch, perhaps resorting back to his throwing the Series ways, hit into an inning-ending double play!
Heinie Groh got Cincinatti out on the right foot by drawing Kerr's first walk of the afternoon in the fourth. Edd Roush grounded out, with Groh making it to second. But then Pat Duncan hit a line drive that Swede Risberg made the catch on. Roush had taken off, and Swede threw to second for the putout and the double-play!
Gandil also went back to his losing ways with a groundout to start the bottom of the frame. But Risberg, seemingly doing it all, hit a triple! When Schalk got a hit on a bunt (Fisher perhaps not getting to it?), Swede scored to make it a 3-0 lead. Schalk though, tried to steal and was gunned out. Kerr ended the inning by grounding out.
In the top of the fifth, it was Larry Koft getting a single for the Reds. But the next three Cincinatti batters failed to get the ball out of the infield, and the inning was over.
But Fisher stayed right in there by getting all three batters in the bottom of the frame to ground out. The last two batters were retired when Ray made the play to first. So much for any strategy that Chicago may have had with that, eh?
Kerr got two of the three batters to ground out in the top of the sixth. Jake Daubert, the second batter, lined out to Jackson.
Joe himself started the bottom of the sixth inning by hitting a single. But with Felsch up to the dish, Jackson's wheels let him down. As with Ray Schalk earlier, Joe tried for a steal of second and was thrown out. Felsch drew a walk. But then Felsch himself was gunned out at second. Chicago was now 0-3 in steal attempts for the game. And it wasn't just the suspected or proven fixers getting nailed. Gandil fanned and a potentially huge inning was over without a batter reaching second base!
Dickie Kerr got Edd Roush to pop out to Chick Gandil at first in the top of the seventh. Pat Duncan fanned for the second out. Larry Koft flied out to Nemo Leibold in right.
Ray Fisher was finding his range however. Risberg grounded out to third, as did Schalk. When Kerr himself grounded out to second, the bottom of the seventh inning was over.
But Kerr still had it! Greasy Neale went down on strike three. It was Dickie's third of the day! Billy Rariden grounded out. Sherry Magee batted for Fisher and was out on a fly to Leibold.
Dolph Luque came in to pitch for Cincinatti in the bottom of the ninth. Leibold fanned. Collins grounded to first and Luque made the putout himself after taking the throw from Jake Daubert. Buck Weaver, hitting with Jackson right behind him, grounded out to end that.
Rath grounded out as Cincinatti came to the plate one last time. Daubert fanned for Kerr's fourth K in 8 2/3 innings. Now, all that separated Chicago from their first win in the 1919 World Series was Heinie Groh. He hit a grounder to Buck Weaver at third and the Reds were done. Chicago had it, 3-0. Dickie Kerr had a shutout!
The White Sox may not have given it all the got in the 1919 World Series, and even here in game three Chicago made some dumb mistakes. But with Kerr pitching so well and Jackson and Gandil providing some clutch hits, they at least avoided the sweep!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. 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.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 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.
The White Sox may have given the Fall Classic of that year to the Cincinatti Reds, but not all the players were dishonest. And actually, not all the games were thrown. It helped in game three that Dickie Kerr, not Claude Williams or Eddie Cicotte, was pitching this crucial tilt. Williams and Cicotte were clearly in on the fix, but Kerr was not. The White Sox were down 2-0 after two games. It was going to be best-of-nine, but to fall behind 3-0 would have meant Chicago needed to go 5-1 in the rest of this tainted Series to pull it off. You think the odds are against Cincy or Chicago at this point? I wonder what people who had gambled on Chicago winning were thinking at this point?
So Kerr took the hill in game three. But Ray Fisher was going for Cincinnati and was no slouch. 14-5 with a 2.17 ERA for the Reds in 1919, he was looking to put Chicago down again!
So Kerr had a 1-2-3 top of the first for Chicago, but Fisher had a 1-2-3 of his own in the bottom of the frame. Kerr allowed a single in the top of the second, but got out of there with the shutout intact. Fisher was not so lucky in the bottom of the inning.
Shoeless Joe Jackson, with three hits in game two, led off with a single here. But this time, Chicago did not strand him. Joe, who scored a run in game one, but had been stranded three times in game two (twice at third and once at second) would get around! Happy Felsch hit a comebacker to Fisher, but his throw to second was wild. Jackson made it all the way to third and Felsch pulled up at second. Chick Gandil, one of the main men in the scandal, then stroked a single to left, which scored Jackson. Felsch roared in behind him for good measure. On the throw home to try and nail Felsch, Gandil made it to second. 2-0, Chicago. They then looked like they were ready for more, only the guys trying screwed up badly.
Swede Risberg, the fourth straight suspected or proven fixer of the inning for Chicago, drew a walk. With two on and nobody out, plus two runs already in, things must have been looking up for Chicago. But it was not to be!
Ray Schalk, who had been mad at his teammates efforts, forced Gandil at third as Fisher got the throw on the money this time. Dickie Kerr then hit it to his mound adversary, who again made the play at third. Did Chicago suspect Fisher of throwing the game? He had already made three fielding plays in the inning. Odd for a pitcher. Nemo Leibold grounded out to third and the inning was over.
Kerr returned to his duties with a slim lead in the top of the third. With one out, Ray Fisher showed him how a pitcher hits by reaching first on a single hit right back to Kerr. But Dickie settled down and got the next two batters out.
Chicago went looking for more in the bottom of the third. Eddie Collins started it with a single. Then it was time for Buck Weaver with one of his own. Weaver was one of two suspected (but not proven) fixers, the other being Shoeless Joe. Speaking of which, guess who was now at the dish with two on and nobody out?
Jackson tried to bunt, but all he could do was pop to third. And then Felsch, perhaps resorting back to his throwing the Series ways, hit into an inning-ending double play!
Heinie Groh got Cincinatti out on the right foot by drawing Kerr's first walk of the afternoon in the fourth. Edd Roush grounded out, with Groh making it to second. But then Pat Duncan hit a line drive that Swede Risberg made the catch on. Roush had taken off, and Swede threw to second for the putout and the double-play!
Gandil also went back to his losing ways with a groundout to start the bottom of the frame. But Risberg, seemingly doing it all, hit a triple! When Schalk got a hit on a bunt (Fisher perhaps not getting to it?), Swede scored to make it a 3-0 lead. Schalk though, tried to steal and was gunned out. Kerr ended the inning by grounding out.
In the top of the fifth, it was Larry Koft getting a single for the Reds. But the next three Cincinatti batters failed to get the ball out of the infield, and the inning was over.
But Fisher stayed right in there by getting all three batters in the bottom of the frame to ground out. The last two batters were retired when Ray made the play to first. So much for any strategy that Chicago may have had with that, eh?
Kerr got two of the three batters to ground out in the top of the sixth. Jake Daubert, the second batter, lined out to Jackson.
Joe himself started the bottom of the sixth inning by hitting a single. But with Felsch up to the dish, Jackson's wheels let him down. As with Ray Schalk earlier, Joe tried for a steal of second and was thrown out. Felsch drew a walk. But then Felsch himself was gunned out at second. Chicago was now 0-3 in steal attempts for the game. And it wasn't just the suspected or proven fixers getting nailed. Gandil fanned and a potentially huge inning was over without a batter reaching second base!
Dickie Kerr got Edd Roush to pop out to Chick Gandil at first in the top of the seventh. Pat Duncan fanned for the second out. Larry Koft flied out to Nemo Leibold in right.
Ray Fisher was finding his range however. Risberg grounded out to third, as did Schalk. When Kerr himself grounded out to second, the bottom of the seventh inning was over.
But Kerr still had it! Greasy Neale went down on strike three. It was Dickie's third of the day! Billy Rariden grounded out. Sherry Magee batted for Fisher and was out on a fly to Leibold.
Dolph Luque came in to pitch for Cincinatti in the bottom of the ninth. Leibold fanned. Collins grounded to first and Luque made the putout himself after taking the throw from Jake Daubert. Buck Weaver, hitting with Jackson right behind him, grounded out to end that.
Rath grounded out as Cincinatti came to the plate one last time. Daubert fanned for Kerr's fourth K in 8 2/3 innings. Now, all that separated Chicago from their first win in the 1919 World Series was Heinie Groh. He hit a grounder to Buck Weaver at third and the Reds were done. Chicago had it, 3-0. Dickie Kerr had a shutout!
The White Sox may not have given it all the got in the 1919 World Series, and even here in game three Chicago made some dumb mistakes. But with Kerr pitching so well and Jackson and Gandil providing some clutch hits, they at least avoided the sweep!
References
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.
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 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.
Retrosheet. Web. 17 Jul. 2014. <www.retrosheet.org>
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 17 Jul. 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment