World Series: Did You Know?

Pitchers Dutch Ruether and Hod Eller had quite a Fall Classic at the dish in 1919. And it wasn't just because the White Sox weren't trying. Ruether hit .667 and Eller hit .286. The had to earn most of their hits.

Ruether got Cincinnati off on the right foot in the opening tilt. Before, no doubt, an approving audience at Redland Field, he won 9-1 over Chicago, holding the mighty Sox to just six hits and one (unearned) run. The great Shoeless Joe Jackson had no hits. The Red pitcher had three in three at bats.

In the bottom of the fourth, it was 2-1 Cincinnati, when Dutch hit a two-run triple. Breathing room! And then Ruether scored the fifth Red tally moments later. Old Dutch wasn't through. He added a single in the bottom of the sixth and another triple in the last of the eighth. The ninth and final Cincy run as a result.

Hod Eller got his chance in game five in Chicago. But he didn't look like he or any of his teammates could do much with Claude, "Lefty" Williams. Yes, Williams was in on the fix, but he'd given Cincinnati all of four hits over eight innings in game two, which Lefty loss 4-2. Here, he'd give the Reds just four more hits over eight innings, again.

Eller could only pop out in the top of the third. Williams retired the side in order for the second straight inning, making it look easy. Eller was doing a bit of that himself: He fanned six batters in a row over the course of the third and fourth frames!

Then in the top of the sixth, with the crucial contest still scoreless, Eller delivered. He doubled to leadoff the inning. When he trotted around to score on a single, Hod had all the offence he needed. The Reds scored three more times of Williams that inning, although Ray Schalk behind the White Sox play didn't think one of them beat a throw from the outfield. He got ejected as a result. The next batter, Pat Duncan, hit a sacrifice to Shoeless Joe in left. That was the last run Williams would allow.

Eller batted again in the top of the seventh, and Williams fanned him. 1-2-3 went the Reds that inning and the next. While the Reds scored a fifth run off reliever Erskine Mayer, it was Eller who finished with a shutout!

So back home for game six (This series was best-of-nine), it looked all over. Dutch Ruether was back. He hit a double to left in the fourth to score the third Red run of the game. 3-0, to be exact. Ruether then scored the fourth run when Swede Risberg, the shortstop, made an error. Deliberate? I guess so.

But down 4-0, the White Sox rallied. Can you believe they knocked Dutch out of the game? Yep. Chicago came back to win in extras. But game seven was also at home, and Dutch actually became a part of it.

However, once again Chicago won, sending it back to the Windy City. Actually, it was all Chicago in this game. 4-1 was the final score. Ruether came in with the hot bat to hit for pitcher Ray Fisher. Ray had relieved Slim Sallee. Slim had been routed by the White Sox.

It was 4-0 when Ruether got to the dish in the bottom of the fifth. Two on, one down. All Dutch could do was pop to Weaver in foul territory at third. Weaver then grabbed Morrie Rath's grounder to end that threat.

So it was up to Hod Eller to finish off the White Sox. This time, they nailed Williams for four runs in the top of the first, as the visitors went for the quick kill. Eller ended the onslaught by flying out. Joe Jackson hit a home run off him in the bottom of the third, but the Reds made sure to score another run before Shoeless could do that. So it was 5-1. Would Eller do more?

He was hit by a pitch in the fourth, but stranded despite two singles by Cincinnati. Eller settled down after the Jackson home run and got the side out 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth. And Hod got 'em going against the Sox bullpen with a single to start the top of the sixth. Not only did Eller score, but it was the Reds who tacked on three more. 9-1. Just like the final score in game one.

Eller fanned in the top of the seventh, although the Reds continued to get men on. The White Sox didn't that inning. They went down 1-2-3. Eller made the final out of the eighth, but the Reds were making this one a real rout as they scored again.

But Eller faltered himself in the bottom of the frame. A singled by Eddie Collins was followed by doubles by Weaver and Jackson. Okay, 10-3. What's the big deal. Then, some sloppy fielding by the Reds, which consisted of a misjudged fly and a dropped gimmie catch. Two more runs scored. 10-5. Amazingly enough, the carnage was caused by four fixers (Although Oscar Felsch was retired for the second out). Ray Schalk finally made the last out.

Hod didn't get to the dish in the top of the ninth. Rath started it with the sixteenth and final Cincinnati hit. He made it to second on a bunt, but no further. Eller needed just three more outs. The White Sox got two men on themselves before Weaver and Jackson were retired to end it.

The White Sox weren't giving it their all in some of the games. But the Reds certainly did their share of damage to earn some of their offence. Everyone has to get in on the act in the Fall Classic. The Cincinnati Reds had two pitchers who didn't shy away on the hill or at the dish.


References


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. 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. 6 May 2016.