There is no year of 1919 in the Chicago White Sox timeline on their facebook page. That is because they lost the Fall Classic that season when eight men conspired with gamblers to lose the best-of-nine to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds won in in eighth games, as it nearly went the limit regardless of the fix. The White Sox really only played badly in one game, and that was the first contest. But by losing it 9-1 to Cincinnati, Chicago had a surprising loss. Well, to many.
The White Sox actually out-hit the Reds in game 2, 10-4, but somehow lost. And even that, only 4-2. It was also Cincinnati that made three errors to Chicago's one. One of the Reds' errors came in the top of the eighth. After Joe Jackson, of all the players, singled to keep the inning alive. A throwing error moved Joe to second. It was 4-2 at this point. It also marked the second straight inning Cincinnati had made an error. The previous inning saw Chicago, down 4-0, score twice on two hits and two errors. Swede Risberg, one of the eight Chicago players involved, made the only White Sox error, but it did not lead to any scoring.
Chicago, having lost twice at home, came home and won anyways, 3-0. Dickie Kerr pitched the shutout, and the home team had won all three games so far. However, the joy was short lived. It was Cincinnati, the unwelcome visitors, who won the next two games in Chicago. Both were via the shutout. The White Sox only got three hits in game four as the Reds won 2-0. Ironically, the three Sox hits were all by three players involved in the fix: Joe Jackson, Happy Felsch and Chick Gandil!
Back to Redland Field for game six, it looked like Cincinnati was going to wrap it up with another shutout. Chicago couldn't do anything with Cincy starter, Dutch Ruether. Especially Joe Jackson. Ruether got him to pop out in the top of the first and fourth. Meanwhile, Cincinnati got to Dickie Kerr this time around. They'd touched him up for four runs in only four innings. Were the game played today, Kerr would have been long gone.
Eddie Collins got one back on a sac fly. Kerr, however, got doubled up on the play to end any further thoughts of Chicago scoring. It was still 4-1, Reds.
But Jackson singled home Buck Weaver, who'd started the sixth with a double. The Sox woke up. Cincinnati blinked twice more, and Chicago scored twice more to tie it.
Kerr continued to be hit hard, but it was the Reds who seemed to lack the knockout punch, much like the White Sox couldn't in game two against Slim Sallee. Eventually, the game went into extra where Chick Gandil, of all people, knocked home the winning run. Gandil was also in on the fix.
Eddie Cicotte, another fixer, started game seven in Cincinnati. He wasn't as sharp as the clean White Sox had hoped, but it proved to be enough. Actually, it was more than enough. The Reds just didn't have it. Much like game two, Cincinnati made errors. This time four (Chicago made only one). Unlike the second contest, Chicago won.
Like the Reds the previous game, it was quickly 4-0. Obviously, it was the Sox with the 4-0 lead. And like the preceding game, the Reds scored the next run. Reds reliever Dolph Luque had come in for starter Slim Sallee (And a 2/3 inning effort from Ray Fisher), and done the job. Chicago got exactly one hit (A Shano Collins double) and no runs in the last 4 2/3 innings. It was back to Chicago for game eight.
There, the Reds decided it early. The knocked out Lefty Williams and build up a 5-0 lead before Jackson hit a home run. Hod Eller was the starter for Cincinnati. He was unfazed by that awesome power display. The next eight batters were retired. Buck Weaver (Like Jackson, he was involved, although his guilt is still the subject of considerable debate.) singled to start the bottom of the sixth. The Reds had scored four more times since Jackson's four-bagger. Guess who was next? Why Shoeless Joe. Joe blasted this one too, but this time, it stayed in the park. Edd Roush made the catch in centre. The next two batters gave it a ride for good measure. But they were all caught in the outfield.
Cincinnati made it double digits before Chicago looked to get something back at Eller. He'd had a nice 1-2-3 seventh before the White Sox woke up again. Eddie Collins singled with one out. Weaver doubled. Collins did not score, but Chicago had two runners in scoring position with only one out. Jackson was back at the dish, and made sure that both of 'em made it home with a double. It was 10-3, but then the rally seemed to die as Felsch was retired. Gandil hit what looked like a harmless fly to right, but Greasy Neal couldn't quite track it. The sun had blinded him. Jackson scored. 10-4. Risberg hit a fly to centre. Now the inning is over, right? Wrong. Edd Roush made Cincinnati's second error of the game, and sixth of the last two games. And twelfth of the 1919 World Series. Gandil scored. 10-5. Ray Schalk, the catcher (Who ironically enough, made the only White Sox error of the afternoon despite not being in on the fix), was retired to end that.
The White Sox mounted another rally that might have cut into the lead some more in the last of the ninth. Leibold pounced on a pitch with a man on and looked like he had a hit. Roush made amends for his error the last inning with a great catch. Eddie Collins followed with a single. Neal hauled down Weaver deep fly. Eddie Murphy, pinch-running, dashed to third. With Jackson back again at the dish, Collins stole second. Jackson had three RBIs and two runs scored. But with a chance for more, he grounded out to end the tainted World Series.
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. 91. 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. 76-81 Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
The Reds won in in eighth games, as it nearly went the limit regardless of the fix. The White Sox really only played badly in one game, and that was the first contest. But by losing it 9-1 to Cincinnati, Chicago had a surprising loss. Well, to many.
The White Sox actually out-hit the Reds in game 2, 10-4, but somehow lost. And even that, only 4-2. It was also Cincinnati that made three errors to Chicago's one. One of the Reds' errors came in the top of the eighth. After Joe Jackson, of all the players, singled to keep the inning alive. A throwing error moved Joe to second. It was 4-2 at this point. It also marked the second straight inning Cincinnati had made an error. The previous inning saw Chicago, down 4-0, score twice on two hits and two errors. Swede Risberg, one of the eight Chicago players involved, made the only White Sox error, but it did not lead to any scoring.
Chicago, having lost twice at home, came home and won anyways, 3-0. Dickie Kerr pitched the shutout, and the home team had won all three games so far. However, the joy was short lived. It was Cincinnati, the unwelcome visitors, who won the next two games in Chicago. Both were via the shutout. The White Sox only got three hits in game four as the Reds won 2-0. Ironically, the three Sox hits were all by three players involved in the fix: Joe Jackson, Happy Felsch and Chick Gandil!
Back to Redland Field for game six, it looked like Cincinnati was going to wrap it up with another shutout. Chicago couldn't do anything with Cincy starter, Dutch Ruether. Especially Joe Jackson. Ruether got him to pop out in the top of the first and fourth. Meanwhile, Cincinnati got to Dickie Kerr this time around. They'd touched him up for four runs in only four innings. Were the game played today, Kerr would have been long gone.
Eddie Collins got one back on a sac fly. Kerr, however, got doubled up on the play to end any further thoughts of Chicago scoring. It was still 4-1, Reds.
But Jackson singled home Buck Weaver, who'd started the sixth with a double. The Sox woke up. Cincinnati blinked twice more, and Chicago scored twice more to tie it.
Kerr continued to be hit hard, but it was the Reds who seemed to lack the knockout punch, much like the White Sox couldn't in game two against Slim Sallee. Eventually, the game went into extra where Chick Gandil, of all people, knocked home the winning run. Gandil was also in on the fix.
Eddie Cicotte, another fixer, started game seven in Cincinnati. He wasn't as sharp as the clean White Sox had hoped, but it proved to be enough. Actually, it was more than enough. The Reds just didn't have it. Much like game two, Cincinnati made errors. This time four (Chicago made only one). Unlike the second contest, Chicago won.
Like the Reds the previous game, it was quickly 4-0. Obviously, it was the Sox with the 4-0 lead. And like the preceding game, the Reds scored the next run. Reds reliever Dolph Luque had come in for starter Slim Sallee (And a 2/3 inning effort from Ray Fisher), and done the job. Chicago got exactly one hit (A Shano Collins double) and no runs in the last 4 2/3 innings. It was back to Chicago for game eight.
There, the Reds decided it early. The knocked out Lefty Williams and build up a 5-0 lead before Jackson hit a home run. Hod Eller was the starter for Cincinnati. He was unfazed by that awesome power display. The next eight batters were retired. Buck Weaver (Like Jackson, he was involved, although his guilt is still the subject of considerable debate.) singled to start the bottom of the sixth. The Reds had scored four more times since Jackson's four-bagger. Guess who was next? Why Shoeless Joe. Joe blasted this one too, but this time, it stayed in the park. Edd Roush made the catch in centre. The next two batters gave it a ride for good measure. But they were all caught in the outfield.
Cincinnati made it double digits before Chicago looked to get something back at Eller. He'd had a nice 1-2-3 seventh before the White Sox woke up again. Eddie Collins singled with one out. Weaver doubled. Collins did not score, but Chicago had two runners in scoring position with only one out. Jackson was back at the dish, and made sure that both of 'em made it home with a double. It was 10-3, but then the rally seemed to die as Felsch was retired. Gandil hit what looked like a harmless fly to right, but Greasy Neal couldn't quite track it. The sun had blinded him. Jackson scored. 10-4. Risberg hit a fly to centre. Now the inning is over, right? Wrong. Edd Roush made Cincinnati's second error of the game, and sixth of the last two games. And twelfth of the 1919 World Series. Gandil scored. 10-5. Ray Schalk, the catcher (Who ironically enough, made the only White Sox error of the afternoon despite not being in on the fix), was retired to end that.
The White Sox mounted another rally that might have cut into the lead some more in the last of the ninth. Leibold pounced on a pitch with a man on and looked like he had a hit. Roush made amends for his error the last inning with a great catch. Eddie Collins followed with a single. Neal hauled down Weaver deep fly. Eddie Murphy, pinch-running, dashed to third. With Jackson back again at the dish, Collins stole second. Jackson had three RBIs and two runs scored. But with a chance for more, he grounded out to end the tainted World Series.
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. 91. 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. 76-81 Print.
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