World Series: Did You Know?

The leading hitting in 1919, only played in games pitched by opposing pitcher Eddie Cicotte. Cincinnati Reds' catcher Ivey Wingo made the most of his limited duty, though. Ivey, it should be noted, has variations of his first name. But one way or the other, as I said in my publication, 114 World Series In 1 Book, the Reds' catcher was "Poison Ivey" to Chicago. It is a shame that regardless of if you call him "Ivey" or "Ivy", you'd think he should have been used more!

The reason for this, is Cincinnati used Bill Rariden, behind the plate in 52 games against left-handers in the '19 season. Rariden hit just .210 against portsiders that year. So it's an odd choice. Ivey Wingo, by comparison, was used in just four games against lefties. Wingo hit .000 (0-7) against portsiders, but .281 against righties.

There was little to choose between the two defensively. Wingo caught 48 percent of stolen base attempts, Rariden 46. The other catcher used by Cincinnati was Nick Allen. He played in just a dozen contests, nabbing 40 percent of theft attempts. Though Allen was on the Reds' postseason roster in 1919, he did not see any action.

But Wingo had caught seven runners leaning off the bases after a pitch. Rariden had just four pickoffs. Rariden had bit of an upper hand in range factor per game, 5.00 to Wingo's 4.96. Perhaps where the edge lies is in the team's earned run average: When Ivey caught, it was 2.41, which was more than Rariden! Rariden caught pitchers to a tune of a 2.14 ERA.

But since game one of the 1919 World Series was started by Eddie Cicotte, the right-hander of Chicago, it was Ivey Wingo catching. The Reds would be at home. Opposing Cicotte was Dutch Reuther, who'd won 19 games and posted a 1.82 earned run average.

It seemed like Reuther was the wrong man to be on the hill early, and it took Dutch a while to settle down. Reuther, who's given name was actually Walter, would form one excellent battery with Wingo.

He pitched. Wingo caught. He hit. So did Wingo. Key hits, both.

Well, it seemed that the Reds' lefty-handed starter needed some consoling. Shano Collins batted first for the Pale Hose. He greeted the Cincinnati starter with a single. This was not a good start at all, for the next batter was Eddie Collins. Eddie, not related to Shano, was one of the all-time greats, who had a reputation for raising his game come October. Three times before, Collins had hit .400 in the World Series.

So here, Reuther got him to hit into a force. The next batter was third basemen Buck Weaver. Buck was an excellent fielder, who hit .296 in 1919. But on a hit-and-run play, Weaver (for reasons unknown) took a pitch from Reuther, enabling Ivey Wingo to nail Eddie Collins at second.

Buck Weaver is a bit of a mystery as far as the 1919 World Series goes. Was he involved? He was thrown out of baseball after the 1920 for his part in throwing this Fall Classic. There is little to no evidence that he took any money. There is, however, evidence Buck sat in meetings with the conspirators. It seems perhaps here, not swinging raised some eyebrows. According to Chick Gandil in a 1956 Sports Illustrated article, Weaver came up with the idea for the conspirators to get their money before the Fall Classic went down. Gandil was adamant that the eight players who were thrown out of baseball on the Chicago White Sox had given it their all.

And if Buck was really involved, why did he smack the next one real good? Weaver gave it a ride to left, for what appeared to be two, maybe three bases. That's where a great catch by Edd Roush in centre. finally got Dutch Reuther out a tough inning. His catcher and centre fielder deserve at least a bit of credit.

But what is known is that Eddie Cicotte hit leadoff hitter Morrie Rath in the bottom of the inning. This was supposedly the signal to the gamblers that "it" was "on". Jake Daubert's single and Heinie Groh fly to left cashed in the first run of the 1919 Fall Classic. Ivey Wingo would contribute, but later.

The fielding had been good for Cincinnati in the first. In the second, it was bad. Joe Jackson led off the inning by reaching second on an error. Jackson, like Buck Weaver, is linked to the fix. But, Jackson hit ..375 and Weaver hit .327. They were held to just one hit combined in the first contest, but would get better as the series moved on.

So, Happy Felsch bunted Jackson to third. Ringleader Chick Gandil plated Jackson with a hit just out of the reach of the star centre fielder. Well, Gandil seemed to be trying, as he'd add a single later in the contest. However, if Chick thought that he could just get into scoring position for Swede Risberg (Still another fixer, along with Felsch), then think again! Wingo made it 2-2 in runners caught stealing.

Risberg coaxed a bases on balls from Dutch Reuther, who was struggling. It was not all his fault. Dutch got Ray Schalk to fly out to Roush in centre.

Reuther appeared to settle down after this. But what about his catcher? When did he finally do something with the stick? All he could do is hit a high fly to centre. Happy Felsch put the squeeze on it.

In the bottom of the fourth, the battery for the Reds put the game out of reach. Oddly enough, the inning started out bad for Cincinnati. Edd Roush decided to see if Happy Felsch had as good a range as he did in centre. The Reds centre fielder hit one deep to centre on the first offering from Eddie Cicotte. But Felsch turned on the jets to haul it in. 

Felsch may have gotten to that one, but Pat Duncan (Who flanked Roush on the left side of the outfield) wasn't about to be denied. He sent one to right, collecting a one-out single.

The Reds continued to hit the ball well, but with mixed results. Larry Kopf hit a hot one back to the mound. Eddie Cicotte fielded it, and got it to Swede Risberg for the force at second. The play had taken a tad longer than it should have, because Cicotte seemed a little slow getting it to Risberg. It seemed like a double play ball, but Risberg added to the issue, as he was also a little slow. The throw didn't have the muscle behind it, so Chicago had the settle for the force at second. Had Cicotte and Risberg both deliberately screwed up that play?

There were two outs, keep in mind. And just Koft on. Greasy Neale hit a ball to short, that Swede Risberg managed to knock down, but didn't have anywhere to make a play. This was probably not an intentional misplay, but the important thing is the Reds had two on, with two out.

Ivey Wingo was next. His clutch hit to right (On the very first offering from Cicotte) cashed in Larry Koft, sent Neale to third, and put Cincinnati ahead for good, 2-1. Shano Collins, the Chicago right fielder, got to the ball, making it merely a long single. However, Neale made it to third, and Wingo took second on Collins' throw home.

A Reds' scribe noted this the next day in The Cincinnati Enquirer.

"Wingo drove a liner into right field scoring Koft from second and advancing Greasy to third, while Ivy [Or Ivey] took second on the foolish throat of the plate."

The Reds kept the onslaught going.

Dutch Ruether then put the next one into the crowd. On a hop that is. Under todays' ruling, it would be a ground-rule double. But back in 1919, it was a ground-rule triple. The battery of Cincinnati had three RBIs and a run scored so far in the fourth inning alone. And the Reds were up, 4-1.

Before Cicotte could get another out, the White Sox pitcher was done. Actually, it Roy Wilkinson who got Chicago out of the inning. But two more runs scored. But the Reds had scored five runs on six hits, all off Eddie Cicotte. And it was the battery that did most of the work.

Well, Dutch Reuther was having himself quite a game, and now it was up to him to make a five-run lead stand up. He didn't need any more offence. But it's not like the Reds put their big bats away. They hit Wilkinson hard in the fifth, but didn't score. Pat Duncan was caught stealing, so Cincinnati was 0-2 on theft attempts.

It hadn't been a total lackluster effort from Chicago, but the longer the contest went on in this October afternoon, it seemed the better Cincinnati got. You had the battery clicking, and then you had the opposition, understandably discouraged. 

"They [Chicago] stood up this well under the terrific bombardment administered to their pitchers, and stuck it out to the finish," noted Jack Ryder, "though towards the end, they were hopelessly beaten and looked the part."

So Greasy Neale was determined to make Roy Wilkinson look like Eddie Cicotte. He singled to centre to start the sixth. A potential uprising. Maybe our boy took Wilkinson too lightly. All Ivey Wingo could do was strikeout. This probably hurt a potentially big inning. Wingo's batterymate, Duth Reuther was back up, but the odds of him driving in a run went down when Wingo couldn't as much as advance Neale.

Reuther, 1-1 with a walk, make it 2-2 with a single. All this was for naught at Morrie Rath lined into an inning-ending double play.

The Reds eventually added two more runs in the eighth, and might have gotten more if the rally died as a result of Larry Kopf grounded into a double play. Two straight innings for Cincinnati ended on twin killing!

There was one last chance for Ivey Wingo to flourish. Against new pitcher Grover Lowdermilk in the bottom of the eighth, Greasy Neale again got Cincinnati off on the right foot. His single, like it had in the sixth, opened the bottom of the frame. Neale had three hits, joining teammate Jake Daubert for game high. They'd have some company soon.

Ivey Wingo didn't strike out this time. His bunt moved Neale into scoring position. And it set up pitcher Dutch Reuther for another big wallop. The hurler continued to help out his own cause with a long triple to the fence in centre. 9-1, Cincinnati. Nothing like having a pitcher go 3-3 with a walk at the dish in a game. This, however, wasn't a regular season contest. It was game one of the World Series.

The Reds appeared poised to make it double digits when they loaded the bases with two outs on a hit by pitch and a walk. But Edd Roush forced Heinie Groh at second.

So Ivey Wingo finished the game 1-3 with a run scored and another knocked in. One sacrifice hit. Two base runners nailed trying to steal. Ivey way overshadowed by the man on a mound, who allowed not a single earner run and just six hits. Plus, Dutch Reuther had the big bat. Without these two men, the opening tilt might have been a lot closer.

From there, the 1919 World Series was close. Cincinnati took a close second game, 4-2. This time, Chicago collected ten hits. In the third game, in Chicago, the Pale Hose regrouped. Dickie Kerr hurled the first shutout of the postseason, and the White Sox won, 3-0. The home team had held serve through three contests.

Eddie Cicotte was back on the hill for the pivotal fourth contest. It would be either a 2-2 series or 3-1. Cicotte pitched much better.

The game was scoreless through four innings. In the third, Ivey Wingo helped the Reds, then hurt them. He singled with one away. But Jimmy Ring, who was having some difficulties on the hill with the White Sox, struck out. Wingo then tried to steal second, and was himself caught.

Ring had survived a tough bottom of the second as Chicago did everything but score. A double. A bunt. A walk. A steal of second. And another walk that filled the bases with two away. It was a good thing Jimmy Ring had only Eddie Cicotte to deal with. Even there, Cicotte hit the ball well. And only a tremendous fielding play by second basemen Morrie Rath put an end to that.

In the third, Ring hit Eddie Collins. There was one out. A grounder moved Collins to second. Joe Jackson reached first on an error, putting runners on the corners with two out. Happy Felsch grounded out to third to end the danger.

Two errors and two hits broke the ice on the ballgame. It all happened in the fifth. Cincinnati went up two runs, and Ivey Wingo had a chance to widen the gap. Greasy Neale had delivered a clutch double, and was in scoring position with just one away. This gave Ivey Wingo a chance. Wingo grounded out. Neale made it to third, but remained there as Jimmy Ring grounded out.

Ring might not have been able to help with the lumber, but appeared to settle down. Chicago got a man to second in the bottom of the frame, but Nemo Leibold was erased on a fielder's choice. By the time the top of the seventh had concluded, it appeared as though Eddie Cicotte had things in order: He'd retired eight men in a row!

We can't overlook how good the fielding was in this game. Ironically, it was Cicotte that had hurt his own cause with two errors in that fateful fifth. The Reds made two errors of their own. One play that was not an error was a catch by Pat Duncan, just shy of the wall in left. That happened in the sixth, as Happy Felsch got a hold of one and sent it to left. Buck Weaver had made a good play to end the top of the sixth. The next inning, Weaver again flashed the hot glove. The White Sox weren't going to be making things easy for the Reds' bats.

So, someone had to get into the act of hitting if Cincinnati was to tack on another run. In the eighth, Greasy Neale led off. Eddie Cicotte made it nine in a row retired when he took Neale's grounder and had no trouble going to first. 1-3. One away.

But Ivey Wingo broke up any thoughts of an easy inning with a single. Jimmy Ring, Cicotte's mound adversary, came back up. Cicotte was fielding a lot better than he had in the fifth. He took Ring's grounder. To second for one. Swede Risberg to Chick Gandil at first...Double play!

Wingo didn't get to bat again, but led all players with a game-high two hits. Which is impressive when you consider Cincinnati had five hits, total. Chicago managed just three themselves. Cincinnati won 2-0, and were up 3-1 in this best-of-nine affair.

Hod Eller followed up Jimmy Ring's three-hit shutout with one of his own in the fifth contest. Ivey Wingo watched from the sidelines. This really should have taken the starch out of Chicago. But as the teams returned to Redland Field, it seemed like the White Sox were a reborn team. Their bats came alive. The Pale Hose overcame an early 4-0 deficit, winning 5-4 in extras.

So the Reds still could clinch with a win in the sixth contest. What Cincinnati didn't want to do was lose and go back to Chicago for game eight.

Eddie Cicotte (0-2) started again. While he'd lost two starts, his earned run average had been 0.00 in his complete game gem tossed in the fourth contest. Here though, he'd have to face a Cincinnati team that was bound and determined to end this nonsense. And catching for the Reds? Ivey Wingo. There was not MVPs given out back then, but had there been, Ivey would surely have been in the running after his performance in the sixth game.

Perhaps a mistake by Cincinnati manager Pat Moran was starting Slim Sallee, who Chicago had gotten ten hits off in the second contest. Worse still, the White Sox had experience against him, having seen Sallee in the World Series two years earlier (And having great success). It didn't take the Pale Hose very long to get to Slim.

After giving up a single in the top of the first, Sallee appeared to be ready to get out of this jam. He got Eddie Collins to bunt for the first out. Buck Weaver flied to second, and Shano Collins did not make it to third. 

But Joe Jackson singled to left to make it 1-0. The comedy show started for Cincinnati. Pat Duncan got to the ball, tossed it to Heinie Groh at third. Jackson had rounded first...A little bit too much. Groh tossed to Jake Daubert at first, and the runner was caught in a rundown. However, second basemen Morrie Rath's toss to Daubert was dropped by the first basemen, and the inning was still alive. Happy Felsch beat out a bunt. Chick Gandil killed the rally by hitting into a force.

In the second inning, it was Larry Kopf with a one out single. Greasy Neale sent one to Buck Weaver's right, the third basemen making the catch in foul territory. Ivey Wingo came to the plate, but Koft was caught stealing to end the inning.

Things didn't get any better for Slim Sallee or the Reds in the top of the third. Shano Collins and Eddie Collins opened it with singles. Buck Weaver hit into a double play, on which Eddie Collins was called for interference, meaning Shano had to go back to second. No matter. Joe Jackson, as he had in the first, cashed in Collins with a single to left. Slim Sallee got out of further trouble when Happy Felsch forced Jackson at second.

Ivey Wingo was hitting .500. He led off the third by drawing a bases on balls. That didn't improve the batting average, but Wingo's on-base percentage was now .667. Slim Sallee needed to help out a mess he'd created. He sent one to right, where Happy Felsch was now playing. Felsch made the catch right on the foul line. Morrie Rath then hit into a force for the second out. Jake Daubert got all of it and sent a hard one to the mound. Cicotte made the play with one hand to first.

Two singles and two errors finished off both Slim Sallee and the Reds in the top of the fifth. 4 1/3 innings pitched, 9 hits, four runs. In the bottom of the the frame, Cincinnati tried all they could to make a game of it again.

With one away Greasy Neale singled. Our boy was back up at the plate. 0-0, 1 BB. He coaxed another walk from the Chicago pitcher, and maybe the Reds had something going?

Dutch Ruether, in a play that would not happen today, batted for the pitcher. That's right. The hot-hitting pitcher was being used to bat for reliever Ray Fisher, who'd gotten the last two outs of that disaster Sallee an his infield had created in the top of the frame. Remarkably, Ruether had followed up his 3-3 game one performance with a 1-2 day at the dish in game six. But the pitcher failed to deliver the World Championship to Cincinnati. Here, Dutch failed again. He popped it up to Buck Weaver, who put the squeeze on the ball in foul territory. The Reds had one last chance, and turned to leadoff hitter Morrie Rath to get at least one man home. All Rath succeeded in doing is shattering his bat in two. The sweet spot and beyond were wooden comebackers to Cicotte, but the ball went to Weaver. Buck got his man at first.

Dolf Luque took over, and he and Ivey Wingo kept the game somewhat interesting from here on in. The Reds broke the shutout bid in the sixth, and Luque went four strong innings, holding Chicago scoreless. With that, it began to look like a game again.

Cicotte fanned Greasy Neale to start the bottom of the seventh, but he still couldn't solve Wingo. Wingo was officially 0-0, but had walked twice. Eddie perhaps being a little too careful with the Reds' catcher, walked him again. Ivey Wingo was a "perfect" 0-0, but had reached base three times.

Dolph Luque, pitching one awesome outing in relief, was allowed to hit for himself. Cicotte fanned his mound adversary. But then Morrie Rath kept the inning alive by stroking a base hit to centre.

Remarkably, the home team had the tying run on board. Jake Daubert, the Cincinnati first basemen, got the meat o the bat on it, but Eddie Collins made the play, and tossed to first for the third out.

Cicotte raced through the eighth, no problem. Meanwhile, Dolph Luque was holding Chicago in check, keeping Cincinnati within striking distance. He got the Pale Hose 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth. Ivey Wingo and the Reds would have one last crack at Eddie Cicotte.

Larry Koft popped out. Greasy Neale sent one to Joe Jackson in left. Eddie Cicotte had now pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits and one (earned) run. So basically on par with his game four outing. Only this time, Eddie had four runs to work with.

All that stood between Cicotte and victory was his personal tormentor all series long: Ivey Wingo!

Pat Moran, the Cincinnati manager, probably uttered some prayers.

Wingo...Single! Finally, he'd gotten a hit. But it sent his batting average to an astonishing .571, and on-base percentage to an amazing .700. Now, with four hits and three walks, Ivey met the minimum requirements for leading a World Series in batting average and on-base percentage.

Dolph Luque was the next scheduled batter. But there was no way he'd hit for himself. Sherry Magee grabbed a bat. Sherry stroked a base hit of his own. The Reds had the tying run at the plate!

Sherry Magee was not staying in the game, but Ivey Wingo was. Jimmy Smith came in to run for Magee, while Wingo took it all in at second. Morrie Rath sent one to the gap in right. But Happy Felsch got there, ending the contest 4-1 in favour of Chicago.

Ivey Wingo had appeared for the last time in the Fall Classic. Bill Rariden took over behind the plate in game eight, going 2-5 as Cincinnati won a slugfest, 10-5.

Rariden contributed two RBI in a wild game that saw the teams combine for 26 hits (16 by the Reds). Because of the impressive all-around performances by a number of the Cincy players and Wingo absence, the contributions of Ivey are somewhat forgotten. But, the fact remains whether you like it or not: Ivey Wingo led all players in batting average and on-base-percentage in the 1919 World Series!

Well, maybe not everyone forgot. A humourous scribe wrote in the Fresno Morning Republican not long after the Fall Classic ended, this passage:

"The Rath of Cincinnati fell upon the White Sox. More and more did it Groh upon them each time the Reds did Sallee forth. They heard their death-knell Ring. Luque and see. It was a dump Koft who pulled a Rariden a bone, but errors were not so bad in fact Rariden in other Series. Moran and more the White Sox worried until finally they were made to see Red when Ivey let his Wingo."



References

Cook, William A. The 1919 World Series: What Really Happened? Kindle ed., McFarland, 2001. 

Dunn, Jay. “Jay Dunn: A Look Back at the Infamous 1919 World Series Scandal.” Trentonian, MediaNews Group, 19 Aug. 2021, https://www.trentonian.com/2019/05/08/jay-dunn-a-look-back-at-the-infamous-1919-world-series-scandal/. 28 Mar. 2023.


Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.


Fountain, Charles. Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball. OXFORD University Press, 2017. 

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020. 

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993. 

Ryder, Jack. “Chicago, Outclassed, Loses First Game 9-1.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 1919. (Reprinted in 1919 Cincinnati Reds, Sewell, J. Scott)


----------------“Cicotte Keeps Socks in Series, Trimming Cincinnati 4 to 1.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Oct. 1919. (Reprinted in 1919 Cincinnati Reds, Sewell, J. Scott)

Sanborn, I E. “Sox Humbled In Fourth Game, 2-0.” Chicago Sunday Tribute, 5 Oct. 1919. (Reprinted in 1919 Cincinnati Reds, Sewell, J. Scott)

Sewell, J. Scott. 1919 Cincinnati Reds. J. Scott Sewell, 2020. 


Society For American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 28 Mar. 2023.


Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame, https://www.blackbetsy.com/. 28 Mar. 2023.

“Sport Jottings.” The Fresno Morning Republican, 22 Oct. 1919, p. 17, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/607256071/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023. (Via Newspapers.com)


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 28 Mar. 2023.


Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 28 Mar. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

The leading hitter in 2010, was the only member of his team to bat over .250. Poor Mitch Moreland had to feel that he was essentially carrying the load for the Texas Rangers. Quite a burned for a rookie with only 47 games of big-league experience. 

The World Series itself that year pitted Moreland Rangers against the San Francisco Giants. Texas was making their first Fall Classic appearance (And they'd return next season), having begun play as the Washington Senators (The second version, as the original team had moved to Minnesota in 1960). Washington would abandoned DC Stadium after 1971, and head to Texas.

Well, the days of Nolan Ryan and company were long gone, but Texas was the best team in the American League in 2010 (Proved by beating the defending champion Yankees in the American League Championship Series). The Rangers had won two less games than the Giants.

But while Texas pushed across two early runs in the opening tilt in San Fran, it merely woke the Giant(s). The home team erupted for two runs in the third, and another six in the fifth. Moreland, batting in the eighth slot ahead of the pitcher, had struck out in the second inning, even though his Rangers tacked on their second run. In the fourth, he hit a double, only to be stranded.

So Texas wanted to at least make a game of this contest, to prove their was plenty of fight in them. Trailing 6-2 in the top of the sixth, their first two men up struck out. A walk and a double gave the team a run, and some hope. Our boy Mitch kept the rally going with a single, laying the foundation for a substitution.

Darren O'Day was due to hit next, but seeing as how he was the pitcher, you knew he wasn't grabbing any lumber. Instead, out trotted David Murphy. Murphy came through! His single off Tim Lincecum plated the fourth run of the contest for Texas, who suddenly trailed by only two runs.

Sadly, Mitch Moreland did not finish the contest. In the top of the eighth, he gave way to a pinch hitter. It didn't help, as Jorge Cantu grounded out. San Francisco came up in the bottom of the frame, and appeared to put the game out of reach, scoring three runs on four hits. But Texas answered that with four more runs of their own in the top of the ninth, making the final score closer, 11-7, for the home team.

Well, that was the one and only slugfest of this 2011 World Series. But Texas was determined to come back. However, it seems that they just mailed it in come the second contest.

Mitch Moreland found it a tough go. In the top of the third with one away, he collected a base hit. A bunt moved him into scoring position. Alas, the Rangers didn't come through in situations like this in the second game. Elvis Andrus flied out to end the threat.

Two innings later, the game was still scoreless. But Texas appeared to have another rally going.

It all started with a leadoff double by Ian Kinsler. Matt Cain bore down and got David Murphy to line out. Matt Treanor was out on a grounder to Edgar Renteria at short. Kinsler held. This brought Moreland back up to the dish. San Francisco had taken note of him. They put Moreland on first. The rally ended as pitcher C.J. Wilson could only ground out to first basemen Aubrey Huff, who made the putout himself.

Edgar Renteria broke the scoreless ballgame with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame. Texas continued to play with confidence in the sixth, as they got men to second and third on two singles and a wild pitch. There was only one out, but Nelson Cruz popped out and Ian Kinsler was retired on a fly. The Rangers were squandering golden opportunities to score.

San Francisco tallied another run in the seventh, but the game remained close until the bottom of the eighth. The Texas Rangers imploded. The first men fanned, and then Parker Posey singled to keep the inning alive. It seemed harmless, but then four straight walks forced in runs three and four. Edgar Renteria cashed in two more with a single. Before the third out could be recorded, the Giants had crossed the plate seven time.

The series headed to Texas for the cities' first World Series game, ever. Mitch and company needed this one.

Colby Lewis stared the game for the home team. He looked a little shaky for Texas. Nolan Ryan had thrown out the ceremonial first pitch, and after what happened the previous contest, there had to be at least a few Rangers' fans who wished he could be on the mound one more time.

Well, nervous or not, it was Mitch Moreland that put the Texas Rangers and their fans a little bit at ease in the bottom of the second. Nelson Cruz got it off on the right foot with a two-bagger. Though Jonathan Sanchez retired the next two batters, there was still Bengie Molina to deal with. If Molina got on, the next batter was Mitch Moreland. Bengie did his job. He coaxed a walk off Jonathan.

So it was a lefty-lefty situation. But no matter. Moreland got ahead 2-0 before Sanchez battled back to even it at 2-2. The Ranger batter showed tremendous perseverance, fouling off four straight pitches. Then, on the fifth, 2-2 delivery, Moreland warmed the hearts of Texas. The first basemen teed off on a fastball. Into the stands for a three-run home run! The crowd erupted. It was their day, their game. The rookie was rockin' the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington!

"The sequence was impressive for anybody," wrote Tyler Kepner in The New York Times, "Let alone a rookie who was pitching in instructional league two years ago."

The new kid on the block, who didn't even get into a major league game until July 29th of this season, was improbably showing the Rangers the way on this special night. But getting to the Fall Classic had been merely half the fun.

Writing for Sports Illustrated (online), Tom Verducci wrote about the man of the moment, and his 2010 journey from the minors to World Series hero.

"Moreland, 25, had started only four times this year against lefthanders and never had hit a home run against one. (Sanchez had never allowed a three-run homer to a lefty.) He was so buried in the minors behind Justin Smoak and Chris Davis this year that the Rangers had him playing the outfield -- until the day Texas traded Smoak for Cliff Lee and his Triple-A manager told him to start working at first base."

It ended up being the rookie's only hit of game three. In the fourth, Mitch swung on the first pitch, popping out. That stranded Bengie Molina. In the seventh, Moreland grounded out.

No matter. The Rangers were inspired. Their starter, Colby Lewis settled down, and the Giants would be held off the scoreboard through six. Meanwhile some other Texas' players were doing their thing, too. Josh Hamilton made it 4-0 for the Rangers in the fifth with a longball of his own. From there, the Giants' bullpen entered the fray and kept the Texas bats' at bay.

The game was made a little closer by Cody Ross, who broke up Lewis' shutout bid in the seventh. He hit a solo shot of his own. Andres Torres added another for San Francisco an inning later, but the game ended 4-2 for Texas.

So game four was the big one, and manager Ron Washington may have made a mistake. Through three games of this 2010 October Finale, Mitch Moreland was hitting .500 (4-8). If you went back to the second contest of the American League Championship Series, Mitch was hitting .400 since. Clearly, the kid was swinging the hot bat.

"Manager Ron Washington said Moreland would continue hitting ninth, which is where he was destined to bat, in one role or another," wrote Kepner.

Why not put him higher up than the ninth slot?

Not that if would have mattered. Madison Bumgarner took the hill for San Francisco. This was one of his vintage nights in the Fall Classic (Through the 2016 World Series, all Madison has done is go 4-0 with a 0.25 earned run average in the World Series). It was quickly apparent that the Texas Rangers had no chance. The foundation of a World Series legend would be laid down tonight.

Mitch Moreland had a tough first trip to the dish. After taking the first pitch for a strike, Moreland fouled a pitch off the difficult lefty pitcher, breaking his back. The new stick didn't help. The next pitch came in at eighty-eight miles an hour, which must have made Rangers fans think of the film, Back to the Future. But it was, Back to the Bench for Moreland, as he swung on the offering and missed. 

Moreland had become a strikeout victim of Bumgarner, one of six that the Giant starter had over his eight shutout innings of work. The next time up, though, Mitch collected a one-out single. It was one of only three base hits the Rangers would get.

Elvis Andrus followed Moreland's single by grounding into an inning-ending double play. It was "one of those nights" for Texas.

But the game was only 2-0 for the Giants. Rangers' starter Tommy Hunter allowed two runs over four innings of work. The bullpen did the job for Texas for a while, as the score stayed close. That is until San Francisco came back up to hit in the top of the seventh.

Andres Torres' clutch two-out doubled cashed in Edgar Renteria, who'd singled earlier that inning.  Buster Posey added a home run to the Giants' cause in the eighth, effectively sealing the deal on this big game.

Mitch Moreland would bat one last time this night. He came up with two away and the bases empty in the bottom of the eighth. Madison Bumgarner was still throwing pitches over 100 MPH. Moreland, to his credit, battled from 1-2 to 3-2. But the payoff pitch was a sweeping breaking ball, that Mitch didn't get the bat off the shoulders on. Strike three, looking. Bumgarner had faced his last batter, but had thoroughly dominated Texas.

When reliever Brian Wilson finished of Texas 1-2-3 in the ninth, it was the home team down 3-1 in the 2010 World Series. Game five would be the last game at home for the Rangers, one way or another.

Tim Lincecum, the San Francisco starter, faced three batters in the first, and three more in the second. The bottom of the third saw him fan David Murphy on three pitches. Then Bengie Molina came (Up to bat) and went (down on three pitches).

So eight up, eight down for Lincecum was pitching one awesome game. Mitch Moreland was next. His average was "down" to .455 in the Fall Classic, but the Giants still had to be careful with him. A fan shouted their encouragement to the big star of this Fall Classic, "Come on, Moreland!"

Tim Lincecum started him off with a fastball, which Moreland fouled off. Of the nine batters that the San Francisco starter had faced so far, seven had the count 0-1. There would be a bit of a twist in this encounter, though.

The next pitch was way high, and nearly sailed over catcher Buster Posey's head. But time had been called, so the count was still no balls, one strike. The pitches that followed were away, with the 1-1 just out of the strike zone. The good eye of Mitch was about to pay off.

Lincecum came in high, 3-1. Then low with a fastball. Ball five. Well, four.

This excellent showing of patience did not help the Texas cause. Tim Lincecum's control returned when he faced the very next batter, Elvis Andrus. Elvis would not leave the building, but he did leave the plate when he fanned. 

Texas started Cliff Lee hung in their with Lincecum, keeping the game scoreless. San Francisco had a total of just five runs over the last two contests, plus the first six innings of this game. Texas wasn't hitting. Or maybe the San Francisco pitching was too strong?

Moreland made it officially one for one, by singling to start the last of the sixth. And, Mitch was now batting .500 (6-12). But no one else was helping. The Rangers had three hits the previous contest. They'd end up with three more in game five.

Tim Lincecum got the next three men out. The San Francisco starter had allowed just one walk and had six strikeouts in as many innings. His team, riding the momentum of Lincecum's strong pitching, got on the board the next inning, as Edgar Renteria hit a three-run home run (Edgar would finish the 2010 World Series leading all batters in runs with six, RBI with six, and home runs with two). The Giants had all the offence they would need.

Nelson Cruz got the home team on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all she wrote for Texas, as three of their batters fanned that inning. Mitch Moreland was first up in the bottom of the eighth, and Lincecum fanned him, too. It was Moreland's last time at bat in 2010.

Reliever Brian Wilson closed the deal on the World Series, getting Texas in order in the ninth. The Rangers could take some solace in the leading hitter was Mitch Moreland. The problem was, Mitch was basically carrying the entire offence. 

The next-best hitters on the Texas Rangers were Michael Young and Nelson Cruz. Young hit .250 and Cruz just .200. Cruz tied Moreland for team lead in RBI with three.

Nonetheless, this Fall Classic was a great experience for Texas, who'd return to the World Series the next year, coming within a whisker of beating St. Louis, and Mitch Moreland himself. Moreland played in two more World Series, and while he didn't hit anywhere near as good again in either, he'd sip champagne with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

References

Kepner, Tyler. “Toeing Line, Not Rubber, and Fulfilling Expectations.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 30 Oct. 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/sports/baseball/ 31kepner.html. 27 Mar. 2023.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 27 Mar. 2023.

2010 World Series. Episode 1-5 (Miniseries), Fox, 2010, http://www.youtube.com. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023. 

Verducci, Tom. “Five Cuts: History Finally Befriends Rangers in Game 3 of World Series.” Sports Illustrated, ABG-SI LLC, 31 Oct. 2010, https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/10/31/world-seriesgame3fivecuts. 26 Mar. 2023


Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 27 Mar. 2023.

YouTube, Google, https://www.youtube.com/. 27 Mar. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

It was the great Grover Cleveland Alexander to the rescue of the Cardinals more than in just the finale in '26. Old Pete, as he was sometimes called, picked up two wins before he got the save in the seventh contest.

Alexander's St. Louis Cardinals would have to contend with the 1923 World Series winners, the New York Yankees, if they were to be held in high regard. The Yankees had added Lou Gehrig in the three years since the Bronx Bombers last appearance.

The Yankees took a tight 2-1 win in the opening bout at Yankee Stadium, so the second contest was a must. The Cardinals turned to their man.

Grover Cleveland Alexander was 39 years old in 1926, and had last appeared in the World Series back in 1915. That's where Babe Ruth's Boston Red Sox beat his Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1. Would eleven years make a difference?

Well, Ruth only appeared once in '15 as a pinch hitter. So in 1926, the Sultan of Swat was an established star. But if Babe Ruth and the Yankees thought it'd be easy, Old Pete didn't get uptight. First time up in the second contest, The Babe fanned.

St. Louis batted in the top of the second, and Alexander had a chance to help out the cause. Bob O'Farrell and Tommy Thevenow kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles. Alexander came up to face Urban Shocker, one of the most underrated pitchers of his time. Pete got under it, and skied it behind third base. Shortstop Mark Koenig put the squeeze on it.

New York then looked to that impressive escape by Shocker as a momentum shifter. Sure enough, the men hitting behind Babe Ruth made Pete Alexander pay. Bob Meusel singled. After Lou Gehrig was retired on a grounder, it was Tony Lazzeri who plated Meusel with a single. A single and a strikeout put runners on the corners with two away. Lazzeri, at third, made a daring play. 

Joe Dugan, whose single moved Lazzeri to third, took off towards second. When Bob O'Farrell threw to Tommy Thevenow, Tony Lazzeri took off. A double steal! But Tony was hung up between O'Farrell and third basemen Les Bell.

It was on this very play, where the pitcher made a bad throw. Pete Alexander joined the fray, and eventually ended up with the ball. Lazzeri was still trying to stay between third and home. With Tony heading back to third, it was the grizzled veteran who threw it past Les Bell, allowing Lazzeri to score, while Joe Dugan made it to second.

Down 2-0, runner on second. Pete had to settle down. His mound adversary was up when this went down. Alexander fanned Urban Shocker.

The Cardinals tied the ballgame in the third. In the top of the fourth, Alexander was retired as part of a 1-2-3 inning by Urban Shocker, who was staying right with the legend.

But if Alexander had fanned at the dish, he could strike 'em out on the hill. The Yankees went by the waist side in the bottom of the frame. Gehrig, Lazzeri, Dugan, all were victims of the Alexander K.

Pete had to settle for just one strikeout in each of the next two innings, but in the top of the seventh, he came up to the plate with a chance to be the hero. Bob O'Farrell had started the inning with a double. Tommy Thevenow followed with a single. Pete Alexander was up. But all he could do was pop out again.

Taylor Douthit was then retired on a fly. The rally didn't die, as Billy Southworth hit a three-run home run! 5-2, Cardinals. Could the old man make it stand?

Alexander fanned still another batter in the bottom of the eighth, and then saw his team to work again with the lumber come the next frame. With one out, Tommy Thevenow hit a ball by Babe Ruth in right, then raced around the bases for a home run. They don't have to all leave the park.

The hit seemed to inspire St. Louis, but Alexander caused a setback when he fanned. Urban Shocker had left the game in the eighth with one away, but Pete couldn't help out his own cause, no matter who was on the hill.

The out was big. Taylor Douthit walked. Billy Southworth followed with a single. Runners on the corners. The great Rogers Hornsby was up. He walked. Bases loaded. Jim Bottomley flied to centre.

However, Pete still had it on the mound if not with the lumber. The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth, as the great Alexander finished this second contest with ten strikeouts. The great New York Yankees got just two runs and four hits, total.

Going into game six at Yankee Stadium, it was 3-2 for New York. It seemed like it was all a lost cause for St. Louis. But Pete Alexander refused to let them die.

The Cardinals scored three early runs, and the visitors were on their way. The Bronx Bombers got two men on with only one out in the bottom of the third, but here's where their ageless wonder showed poise. Mark Koenig was set down on a fly to right. The ever-dangerous Babe Ruth was then showed the dugout when he grounded out to first.

But Bob Meusel greeted Pete with a triple in the bottom of the fourth. A groundout by Tony Lazzeri cashed in Meusel. 3-1. Alexander gave up another hit before the inning came to an end. No doubt Pete was determined to help with his bat. He'd given the ball quite a ride in the fourth.

In the fifth inning, Alexander watched as Tommy Thevenow singled to start the frame. Alexander was up, and the last thing St. Louis player-manager Rogers Hornsby wanted was a double play in this close contest. So Hornsby called it right. Alexander got the bunt down, with first basemen Lou Gehrig making the putout unassisted. Thevenow was on second, but only for a moment. Wattie Holm drove him home with a big single.

The Babe was still not to be taken lightly. The Cardinals pitched carefully all series long, it seemed. Pete was too careful with George Herman Ruth in the bottom of the sixth. Ball four. Bob Meusel flied out. With Gehrig back up, Ruth turned on the wheels, swiping second. But on the pitch that second was stolen on, The Iron Horse fanned. Two away. Tony Lazzeri sent one to centre field, where Wattie Holm settled under it.

The seventh inning was a big one for St. Louis. First, Thevenow singled. Alexander bunted again, but even the pitcher made it on, as an error by Tony Lazzeri put two on with nobody out. Holm tried to bunt himself, but all Wattie did was force Tommy Thevenold at third. There was still only one out, however.

Billy Southworth doubled home Alexander, to make it 5-1, St. Louis. Before New York could get that third out, the visiting team scored four more times. The Yankees managed to get a run back in the bottom of the frame via an Earle Combs' single. There were two on a one out. But once again, Grover bore down. Mark Koenig grounded out. Babe Ruth was up with two men in scoring position, but Alexander got him to ground to short. Pete had a seven-run lead after seven!

Alexander again was bunting in the eighth after Thevenow was hit by a pitch. But all Pete did was force the man at second. Wattie Holm ended any hope of scoring by hitting into an inning-ending double play.

The Cardinals themselves were in a bit of a jam in the bottom of the frame. Bob Meusel started it with a walk. Lou Gehrig followed with an infield single. Tony Lazzeri flied out. And then Joe Dugan sent one to the outfield. Even though this game was a done as dinner, the liner was sinking...It could be 10-4.

That's when right fielder Billy Southworth made a great diving catch. From there, to the shortstop. Meusel was doubled off! Southworth was worth playing with that glove. How about Billy's bat?

He led off  the top of the ninth, and belted a triple. That was followed by a Rogers Hornsby grounder. Southworth scored, 10-2. St. Louis was in double digits. This thing was obviously going to a seventh game.

So Pete and St. Louis had a laugher. But you know, the Cards could have used some of that offence in the seventh game. Unlike the sixth contest, it was close.

Babe Ruth hit his fourth home run of the series in the bottom of the third. The saving grace was it was a solo shot. St. Louis struck back in the top of the fourth.

All this after Rogers Hornsby was retired by Waite Hoyt. But just you wait and see.

Jim Bottomley, single. Les Bell aboard on an error by Mark Koenig. Chick Hafey, single. Bases loaded.

Bob O'Farrell sent a ball to left. It was a can of corn for Bob Meusel. The play was deep enough to score Bottomley, but there was more. Meusel dropped it. 1-1. Tommy Thevenow singled to right, scoring both Bell and Hafey.

The Cardinals now led by two runs, and were in a great position to add to it. Runners on first and second with just one out. But Wait Hoyt, who hadn't been entirely at fault for this mess of an inning by New York, fanned Jesse Haines. Wattie Holm hit into a force at second. St. Louis had still scored three (unearned) runs. This would be the extend of their offence in game seven.

The Yankees, to tell you the truth, were plain unlucky not to score at least once in their half of the  fourth. Lou Gehrig walked to start it. Tony Lazzeri sent it to deep right, but it was just a long, loud out. Joe Dugan bounced it back to the pitcher, who went to first for the sure out. Gehrig was now in scoring position.

That appeared to be huge, as Hank Severeid lined one to left. But the buck stopped here. Tommy Thevenow leaped up, and snared it, saving a run. The home team put two more on in the fifth, but failed to score again.

The Cardinals appeared to be safe in the bottom of the six Jessie Haines, their pitcher, had battled all day. Apart from Babe Ruth's earlier blast, their gutsy pitcher had come through. Lou Gehrig grounded out. Tony Lazzeri fanned.

But then Joe Dugan singled to keep the inning alive. When Hank Severeid doubled to left, the home team finally had it's second run. A one-run game. An inning later is where the real dramatics began.

It all started with Earle Combs lining a single to left. Mark Koenig bunted him to second. Babe Ruth was up, and the Cardinals wisely took the bat out of his hands. The intentional walk was the tenth bases on balls to The Bambino. And we still have a ways to go, no?

Bob Meusel grounded out, but both runners advanced. A great place to have a big RBI man like Lou Gehrig up. Speaking of which, The Iron Horse was next. St. Louis took the bat out of his hands, too.

Now, the stuff that dreams are made of. One run game. Bases loaded. Two outs.

The onus was on Tony Lazzeri. But here's where Jessse Haines' time on the hill came to an end. It had been a courageous effort on his part. Jesse was looking for his second win of the 1926 World Series, but now a blister had burst on his hand. But he would not be the man to seal the deal. 

Well, Rogers Hornsby sure had prepared for this moment. Out in the Cardinals' bullpen, two pitchers were throwing: Art Reinhart (left-handed) and Herman Bell (right-handed)

But the player-manager would choose neither.

Instead, it was our boy. Grover Cleveland Alexander, comin' on to face Lazzeri. Winner of two games, and now on to preserve the biggest victory in St. Louis Cardinals history (At least up 'till that point).

Young Tony was no slough. Maybe not a Ruth or Gehrig. But try 18 home run and 114 RBI. All this, and Lazzeri was just a 22-year old rookie. The kid was on his way to a Hall-of-Fame career. This moment coming up, could be Lazzeri's!

Alexander threw the first pitch, but it was a ball. A curve was taken for a strike. Tony then got a pitch he liked, as Bob O'Farrell would recall years later.

“...The second one comes in high and Tony smacks a vicious line drive that lands in the left-field stands but just foul. Oh, it's foul by maybe 10 feet.  Actually from home plate I can see it's going to be foul all the way, because it's curving from the time it got halfway out there. Of course I'm giving it plenty of body english too just to make sure.”

So, the count was 1-2 to Tony. Old Pete then threw him a curve. Lazzeri swung at the offering... And connected with nothing! The old man had done it.

Well, not quite. There was still two innings to go. Herb Pennock had taken over from Waite Hoyt after the latter was pinch hit for. The Cardinals themselves got runners to the corners in the top of the eighth, but Pennock was too tough.

After retiring the side in order in the last of the eighth, it was time again for Grover to grab a bat and go. Well, Pete went up to the plate with one away in the ninth, but could only ground out. St. Louis was retired 1-2-3, setting up the home team try one last time.

Earle Combs was up. He grounded to third base. One away. Mark Koenig was up. Grounder to third. Two away. Now, only Babe Ruth separated Grover Cleveland Alexander from a moment of glory.

But Alexander did the smart thing. He got ahead in the count 1-2 to Ruth, but ended up too cautious. The Babe had free pass number eleven of the 1926 World Series.

The next batter, most modern baseball fans would swear, would be Lou Gehrig. This is incorrect, as The Iron Horse batted in the fifth slot. Bob Meusel would bat. Should he get on, Gehrig would follow. Of course, if Alexander retired Meusel, it was over. There was also the possibility of a walk-off two-run blast. The batter had hit only a dozen in 1926, but a league-leading 33 the year before.

On the first pitch, something very odd happened. Babe Ruth had second base in mind. Bob Meusel swung and missed. Leave it to Bob O'Farrell to tell what happened next to Lawrence Ritter.

"I fired the ball to [Roger's] Hornsby and caught Babe stealing and that was the last play of the game and the Series.”

A caught stealing to end all the drama? It seemed odd. Even a bit anti-climatic. But that was it. The Cardinals had their first World Championship. And sure, they'd gotten plenty of offence all series long from the likes of Jim Bottomley, Tommy Thevenow and Bill Southworth, each of whom had ten hits (Plus pitcher Jesse Haines hit .600). But St. Louis needed pitching, above all else, to beat the New York Yankees. Lawrence Ritter also interviewed pitcher Sam Jones later. Jones talked about how the Yankees of the 20s could beat your with their bats, their gloves, and pitching. This Cards team of 1926 overcame that. Put in perspective, the Bronx Bombers would sweep both Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the two following Fall Classics, so the win here stood out. A great moment of Old Pete, who either won 'em or saved 'em in '26!



References

Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005.

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020. 

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

--------------. The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903-1989, St. Martin's Press, 1990.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Publications International, 1993. 

Ritter, Lawrence S. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It. Harper Perennial, 2010. 



Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. Carol Pub. Group, 1992.

Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. Chronicle Books, 1995.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 26 Mar. 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 26 Mar. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

The 1919 Cincinnati Reds used five starting pitchers to help proper them to victory. The Chicago White Sox, due to an injury to Red Faber (A future Hall-of-Famer), had to make due with two great starters and one average one.

So putting aside all this "Black Sox" talk, it's fair to say that Cincinnati had the edge in the World Series where it counted in 1919, on the hill. And while Dickie Kerr of Chicago was a surprise star in the Fall Classic, Red Faber (Who was only 11-9 with a 3.83 earned run average during the regular season) was needed.

Faber's loss meant that Chicago had to use other pitchers more than the White Sox would have wanted. Manager Kid Gleason knew a thing or two about pitching, having won 138 games on the hill himself back in his playing days, but now had to make a choice on who's arm would get some serious strain. There was an option with Grover Lowdermilk and Dickie Kerr, and obviously the manager went with the later. Lowdermilk had appeared in twenty games in '19, starting eleven. He was 5-5 with a 2.79 earned run average.

Kerr started seventeen games, and relived an additional twenty-two times. He finished 1919 13-7 with a 2.88 ERA.

So, things didn't get off on the right foot for the Chicago White Sox. Their starting pitcher, Eddie Cicotte, was routed. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits. His relievers didn't stop Cincy, either. Roy Wilkinson gave up two more runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Lowdermilk gave up the ninth and final Reds' tally in the eighth.

Meanwhile, it was Cincinnati's pitcher Dutch Ruether that was masterful. He allowed just one run. The only Chicago player to really hurt him was Chick Gandil. Gandil, who was by so many accounts the mastermind behind this World Series fix, was the only White Sox player to pick up more than one hit.

Early on, though, the Cincinnati pitcher was having problems. The defence behind him could be good, but then it could also let him down.

In the top of the first, Eddie Collins was on with one out, but Chicago did not score. Collins was caught stealing, and then Buck Weaver was robbed of a hit on a fine catch by centre fielder Edd Roush.

The Cincinnati Reds had gotten good pitching from Dutch Ruether all season long. Ruether, in fact, had starred in a 6-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on opening day. The Cards managed just six hits off the Reds' starting pitcher, who even added a single of his own.

Well, here in October, the left-handed was trying to set the tone. His team, playing at home at Redland Field, wasted no time in getting ahead. They scored a run in the first, but left a man on and earlier committed a dumb baserunning mistake as Jake Daubert was caught stealing.

The run that Chicago scored was unearned. Larry Kopf made a bat throw to first in the second on a grounder. Joe Jackson made it all the way to second. And to third on a bunt. And home on a single to left by Chick Gandil. Gandil was then promptly thrown out by catcher Ivey Wingo on an attempted swipe of second base. Wingo was 2-2 on runners trying to steal. A walk to Swede Risberg was merely stranded. Still, it had been a bit of a rough start by the Reds' pitcher.

The lefty got helped out his battery mate in the fourth. Ivey Wingo put Cincinnati ahead for good with a single in the bottom of the fourth. It was a clutch hit, as there were two away. Dutch Ruether was the next batter. If Eddie Cicotte retired him, it would be a fairly tame inning. But the left-handed pitcher drove home Greasy Neale and Wingo with a triple! The Reds' battery were having themselves quite a game! Ruether scored on a Morrie Rath double.

Chick Gandil was also having himself quite a game. Though Cincinnati ended up scoring five times in the fourth, Gandil greeted Dutch Reuther with a single in the fifth. Swede Risberg, who was also in on the fix, gave it a ride to the gap in right, but the ball was caught. The Reds' lefty made sure Chicago didn't hit the ball out of the infield in the inning. The White Sox got two hits in the sixth, before Reuther got out of there.

Evidentially, a 6-1 deficit did not discourage Chicago. But what about Reuther's big stick. Big stick? Yeah, his bat! His single in the bottom of the sixth didn't do anything, but his triple in the eighth did. It scored the final run of the ballgame. Long after the Reds had disposed of Eddie Cicotte, it was their own hurler who stood alone in all facets of the game when the opening tilt ended.

“While the Reds were boring their way through Eddie [Cicotte]'s delivery,” wrote Jack Ryder in The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Walter Ruether was setting back the White Sox sluggers with regularity and precision.”

Dutch Ruether. Complete game, six-hitter. Three for three at the plate. You ask me, it appears the pitcher of Cincinnati beat Chicago, not the play of the Black Sox. Two hits by Chick Gandil, another by pinch hitter Fred McMullin. Joe Jackson scores the lone run. Buck Weaver, who's involvement in the scandal was minimal (Like Joe Jackson's), also came up with a hit. These guys weren't trying? Then neither were the rest of the team, who collected just two hits. Don't let what you know about 1919 take away from the Cincinnati pitcher's dominance!

"In five of the nine rounds Walter [Reuther] retired the side in order and they (Chicago) could never stage any sort of approach to a real attack," summed up Ryder in the same article.
 
So for second game, the Reds turned to Slim Sallee. Sallee had seen this Chicago team two years before, in the 1917 World Series. They'd given him a tough time. At this point, is it worth bringing up, the obvious question: Who was the Cincinnati ace?

Well, with five quality pitchers, it's hard to choose just one. Sallee was the only one to win twenty games. 21 wins against just 7 losses. Dutch Reuther had looked awesome in game one, and pretty much all year. Nineteen wins, 1.82 earned run average. Hod Eller, who'd be heard from later, also won nineteen games.

Should Sallee have started the opening tilt? His 2.06 ERA would justify that without a second guess. Two years earlier, Slim had won eighteen, lost just seven, and posted a 2.17 earned run average for the New York Giants. In the World Series that year, Sallee took a tough loss in the opening game, 2-1. The fifth contest, which Slim started, wasn't good. He allowed thirteen hits in just seven-and-a-third innings, taking another loss, this time 8-5.

So which version of the Reds' pitcher would show up? Like Reuther, he threw from the port side.

The White Sox pressed the attack from the get-go. They found Sallee much easier to hit than Reuther. A double play got him out of a one on, one out situation in the top of the first.

Shoeless Joe Jackson sure had himself a great game. Three hits, two of them doubles. But Sallee would strand him at third all three times the outfielder reached first. Lefty Williams, the Chicago starting pitcher, seemed to take a page out of Dutch Reuther's book in this contest. Not only was he pitching well, but Williams even collected a single in the top of the third.

Maybe Chick Gandil was to blame for this debacle. The White Sox didn't get a key hit all game long, while the Cincinnati fielders did the trick. At least, until the top of the seventh. Both Buck Weaver and Joe Jackson singled in the top of the fourth. With two on and nobody out, Happy Felsch got them both into scoring position with a bunt. There was no way a grounder would get Slim Sallee out of this. He wasn't about to walk the next batter, Chick Gandil. Gandil did hit a grounder, and Buck Weaver tried to score. First basemen Jake Daubert made a great effort to stop the ground ball, and then gunned out Weaver at the dish. The play caught Buck by such surprise, he didn't even bother to slide!

But the Reds battery failed to keep Gandil at first. It seems like Bill Rariden and Sallee weren't invested in Chick Gandil as they were Joe Jackson at third. Rariden perhaps wasn't the fielder that Ivey Wingo was, at least as far as holding runners on. Wingo had gunned out 66 baserunners trying to steal in 1919, good enough for fourth place in the National League. Rariden had 42 himself. The stolen base percentages off Wingo (.481) and Rariden (.461), were close, though. They'd split the catching duties.

Here though, Rariden just returned a pitch to Sallee. And...Gandil stole second. There was no way the battery wasn't wearing red faces. The Reds had to get out of this. Swede Risberg was up. And Jake Daubert did the third out honours by catching up to his pop fly.

The Reds broke the game open in their half of the fourth with timely hitting. With two on and just one out, Edd Roush singled to break the ice. Roush, though, took his turn as a Red-Faced-Red. He tried to steal second, only to a dead duck. While Cincinnati was going with a platoon in regards with catchers, as Ivey Wingo faced righties and Bill Rariden faced portsiders, it was different for the Pale Hose. The White Sox went with Ray Schalk for all eight contests (Well, sort of). Schalk could nail 'em trying thievery. Back in 1915, Ray led all American League catchers in caught stealing (53%). Schalk nailed Jake Daubert and Pat Duncan in the first contest, to keep pace with Ivey Wingo. 

But Pat Duncan then drew the third walk of the inning off Lefty Williams. Larry Koft came up with the biggest blow of the ballgame, driving home two with a three-bagger. 

Slim Sallee seemed to settle down after that, but it was time for his defence to shine. Buck Weaver doubled in the top of the sixth. He made it to third on a balk. With two away, Happy Felsch seemed to have driven him home on a well-hit ball to centre. That's where Edd Roush leather made a most-welcome appearance. As Jake Ryder saw it:

“...Roush turned instantly and his long stride carried him rapidly towards the boundary. He had judged the ball before it was twenty feet from the ground and he rushed backward at a full speed without turning again to mark its course. When he had reached the point where he had marked the fall, he swung around. But even then he had to jump to reach the sphere, so extended was the drive. He had barely checked his speed when he was forced to leap high in the air, but he came down with the ball firmly gripped. He was within a few feet of the centerfield wall when he made the catch and just missed colliding with the concrete as he staggered back with the ball in his glove.” 

Although Cincinnati added a seemingly meaningless run in the sixth, they'd need it. And Greasy Neale ended the inning by getting caught stealing. Don't run on Ray Schalk. The Reds' run proved to be big, and their catcher would soon regret trying to swipe second.

The White Sox scored two runs in the top of the seventh, to narrow this contest to 4-2. The runs came via two hits and an error. The poor fielding was a case of trying to do too much. One run would not have been so bad, but in trying to get Ray Schalk at second, all the home team did was give out two unearned runs.

Cincy tried to get it back. Edd Roush wanted to make Lefty Williams pay for his wildness. Another walk in the bottom of the eighth gave the Reds' centre fielder a plate appearance with one on and one out. He sent one to short centre, where Happy Felsch got payback on Roush. He made the catch. He doubled Heinie Groh off first. This left it all up to Slim Sallee to get it done in the ninth.

The pitcher had not helped with the bat, as Sallee was 0-3. The top of the ninth started badly. Chick Gandil greeted him with a single. Swede Risberg then hit into a double play, and suddenly Cincinnati was but one out away from a 2-0 lead in this 1919 World Series. Ray Schalk kept the game going with a single. Lefty Williams was next, but Fred McMullin hit for him. McMullin was looking to add to his pinch-hit single in the first contest. No one knows for sure his involvement in the scandal, as there have been no interviews uncovered of Fred. No one seems to know how much money he got, either.

But what we do know, is McMullin only batted twice, total, in the 1919 World Series. Slim Sallee got him to ground out, and Fred McMullin would watch the rest of this Fall Classic from the sidelines.

The Reds had collected just four hits, and knew they would need more to keep the ball rolling as they boarded a train to Chicago. But there, it seemed like Cincinnati had the edge for the third contest.

They trotted out Ray Fisher, 14-5, to try and make it a 3-0 series lead. Ray did well. That 2.17 earned run average in the regular season was about to be demonstrated.

Dickey Kerr might not have been the pitcher that Fisher was, but was determined to make a series out of this. The Reds had trouble hitting Lefty Williams the previous contest, collecting just four hits. It was worse in game three for Cincinnati.

After going down in order in the first, it was Pat Duncan with the game's first hit in the top of the second. But Pat, who'd have a fine World Series himself in 1919, was stranded. Chicago jumped on Ray Fisher in the bottom of the frame. Joe Jackson singled to start it. Bad fielding undid Fisher.

Happy Felsch tried to get Jackson into scoring position. By bunting it back to the mound, it looked like a force at second. But all Ray Fisher did was make a throwing miscue. Larry Koft was already on the second base bag, and perhaps a double play wouldn't be out of the question had the pitcher pegged it better. But the ball never got to second. It was too high. So it went a sailin' into centre field. When the dust had settled, Jackson was on third, and Felsch on second.

Two on for Chick Gandil. He'd had an RBI with a single in game one. Chick got two more here with a single to right, against a drawn-in infield. So it was 2-0, Chicago. But neither run was earned. The problem was, Ray Fisher was in bad situation. Gandil ended up on second on the throw home. Still nobody out. Swede Risberg initially tried to bunt, but then got on via ball four.

Ray Fisher faced Ray Schalk. The Chicago catcher did get the bunt down, but Gandil seemed to go at 3/4 speed. So the mastermind of the fix was not trying? Perhaps. Fisher to Heinie Groh covering third...Out! That was just the break the pitcher and his team needed, as Ray settled down and got two more force plays to keep the rally at just two tallies.

Fisher himself got a hit in the top of the third, and the tying run was on for the Reds. But it was Dickie Kerr's day. He stranded Fisher that inning. In the fourth, Heinie Groh opened with a walk, and a grounder moved him to second. Pat Duncan, who'd have a great series both at the dish and in left field, lined into a double play.

The White Sox added a run in the bottom of the frame as Risberg tripled and Ray Schalk got the bunt down. Schalk and his teammates had done the old squeeze play to perfection. But then Ray was caught stealing and Dickie Kerr grounded out. The run was earned, but Ray Fisher settled down.

The Reds kept trying to get into the contest, but it seemed like either Kerr or the White Sox infield kept turning 'em back. They got the leadoff man on in the fifth, but then no one could get it out of the infield. No one knew it at the time, but the Chicago White Sox's starter went into God-mode after that. Kerr finished the game having retired the last fifteen men.

Not that Fisher conceded anything. I was too hard on his catcher, too. While Bill Rariden might have had to take a backseat to his Chicago counterpart behind the plate here, the Reds' man behind the dish made it clear no one tries for second on him.

Come the bottom of the sixth, Joe Jackson singled. And was caught stealing. Happy Felsch followed with a walk. And was caught stealing. Ray Fisher took over from there, fanning Chick Gandil.

After a fine 1-2-3 seventh, where Chicago did not get it out of the infield, manager Pat Moran lifted his superb hurler in favour of a pinch hitter. Sherry Magee batted for the pitcher, but could only fly out to Shano Collins in right.

The final score was 3-0, White Sox. But, it wasn't as if the Cincinnati pitching was bat. Fisher lasted seven innings, allowing just one earned run and seven hits. But just one over the last three frames. Reliever Dolph Luque had himself a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth.

So, the home team had held sever through three games. But here is where Cincinnati had the big edge. They sent out Jimmy Ring for game four, whereas Chicago had to go back to Eddie Cicotte.

Ring seemed to have some control problems early. After a good first inning, the second frame started out on the wrong foot. No one could come up with Joe Jackson's short fly. And by the time someone got it back to the infield, the White Sox had a man at second. Happy Felsch then got Jackson to third with a bunt.

It appeared that Jimmy Ring righted the ship when he got Chick Gandil to get under one. Heinie Groh got under it. Two away. But then Swede Risberg walked.

Now, we've seen this before. Jackson ninety feet away, also a runner on first. Too much time spent worrying on Joe at third? I guess so. Risberg stole second on a bad pitch that catcher Ivey Wingo blocked from getting away from him. With Ray Schalk up and Eddie Cicotte due to bat behind him, the Reds decided it would be wise to put the catcher on. Cicotte almost made them pay. 

Cicotte, whose start in the opening tilt must have raised some eyebrows, made a good bit for a hit. Second basemen Morrie Rath had to do a bit of glove work to get to it, and get it over to Jake Daubert at first. Jimmy Ring had gotten out of this mess, barely.

Ring himself walked up to the plate with his battery mate Wingo on first in the next inning. However, Jimmy Ring was not much of a hitter (.097) in 1919, compared to his superb pitching (10-9, 2.26 earned run average). Ring went down swinging. Wingo decided to test his counterpart on Chicago. The White Sox catcher gunned out the Reds' catcher at second.

So in the bottom of the third, Chicago was at it again. This time, though, it was half the pitcher's fault, half Morrie Rath's.

Jimmy Ring got the first batter out, then hit Eddie Collins. Buck Weaver grounded to Jake Daubert at first for the second out, as Collins made it to second. Joe Jackson hit a grounder towards second basemen Morrie Rath, but the Reds' second basemen couldn't come up with it. Here we go again, runners on the corners.

Joe Jackson did not attempt to steal second. It took Ring just one pitch to correct this problem. Happy Felsch grounded out to third basemen Heinie Groh.

So Cincinnati waited until the fifth frame to make their move. With one away, it was Pat Duncan who got a good piece of it and sent it towards the mound. It was too hot to handle for the pitcher. Eddie Cicotte eventually came up with it, but his heave to first was wide. This got Duncan to second.

Larry Kopf followed with a single to left. Joe Jackson came up with it, only to see his pitcher screw up the peg. Eddie Cicotte deflected the ball out of catcher Ray Schalk's reach, and Pat Duncan crossed the dish. A double to left by Greasy Neale plated a second run.

So with a man on second, there was just one out. The Reds should have been thinking, "Hit the ball to the pitcher!" But Ivey Wingo hit it to second and was retired. Neale made it to third, so Jimmy Ring had another chance to help out the cause. Just like his battery mate, Ring was retired on a grounder to Eddie Collins, the second basemen.

The defence behind Jimmy Ring was mixed this afternoon. Heinie Groh made a two-base error in the fifth, which put Nemo Leibold in scoring position in scoring position. Ring again rose to the challenge. Eddie Collins grounded to Groh, who redeemed himself. Heinie saw that Nemo Leibold was trying to make it to third. Forgetting about Eddie Collins, Groh fired to second, and Leibold was a dead duck.  Buck Weaver grounded out.

How about some nice defence? Happy Felsch smashed one deep to left in the sixth, where Pat Duncan retreated just a few feet shy of the wall. That was two up, two down. Chick Gandil followed with a hit, so the inning continued. Swede Risberg hit it to right in foul territory. That's where Greasy Neale ran full pelt to grab it, before slamming into the wall. Neale held on.

Chicago got a nice play themselves when third basemen Buck Weaver robbed Pat Duncan of a hit in the seventh. It went into the books as just a 5-3 putout. The defence for the Pale Hose was very good this day, with the exception of the pitcher. This put the onus squarely on the visiting Cincinnati Reds to make the 2-0 lead stand up. Eddie Cicotte would finish the game without allowing another hit. The Reds would finish the game with five hits, total. 

As for Jimmy Ring, he found ways to make life a little of a walk on the wild side this game. In fact, he hit another batter, Ray Schalk to put a man on to start the last of the seventh. But again, Ring settled down. He got the next three men out. 

Come the top of the eighth, was the last chance for Cincinnati to get another run. Jimmy Ring was scheduled to bat second. In today's day and age, he would likely not have hit for himself, especially when Ivey Wingo got the inning off on the right foot. The Reds' catcher singled. Wingo really liked hitting against Eddie Cicotte!

The crowd saluted the Cincinnati pitcher, who stepped in. But really, Jimmy Ring was on a wing (Not Wingo) and a prayer. He grounded into a double play.

More good defense was on the way behind Jimmy, however. Buck Weaver started the eighth by lofting one behind Jake Daubert at first. It was too far in front of Greasy Neale. So it was up to Morrie Rath to race over and snare it. This stopped any potential uprising, although Happy Felsch got a meaningless two-out single. Ring, who'd fanned Joe Jackson earlier this inning for his first K, then got his second and Chick Gandil fanned.

The White Sox got one last batter on in the ninth, as Ray Schalk walked, but Jimmy Ring stranded him. It was an odd game for him. He'd allowed just three hits. However, Jimmy walked three men and hit two batters. Plus, Cincinnati had made two errors. So, ten men had reached base against the Reds in this big game four. Ring did good to make sure Chicago didn't score. The Cincinnati pitcher had impressed at least one Chicago scribe.

"Ring had the White Sox feeding out of his hands," wrote I.E. Sanborn of the Chicago Sunday Tribute, "As the two hits and a scratch [hit] credited to them demonstrates. He was not as steady as Cicotte, giving three base hits on balls and hitting two batsmen, while not a man of the visitors walked, but when he was rough going ring was there or thereabouts every time. 

As, too, did Hod Eller the next contest. Eller, making his first World Series appearance, went out of his way to ensure it was memorable.

But just as Jimmy Ring had experienced some trouble the previous game, so too did Hod Eller in the fifth contest. Nemo Leibold led off the Chicago half of the first by walking. Ironically, Lefty Williams had done the exact same thing by issuing a bases on balls to the fist batter of the game.

But the walk against Williams was all Cincinnati got. Chicago's Eddie Collins grounded out, but that moved Leibold into scoring position. Buck Weaver then singled, the first of two hits on the afternoon. Eller got Joe Jackson to pop out to third and Happy Felsch to fly out to left.

The White Sox would rue this missed opportunity. Hod Eller struck out the side in the second. And third.

Eller waved the big bat, too. His double in the top of the sixth was a good omen. Actually, the hit was somewhat gifted to the Reds' pitcher. The outfield had seen the centre fielder shifted towards right, leaving a bigger gap than normal between Joe Jackson in left and Happy Felsch in centre. Worse still for Chicago, Felsch made a bad throw to Swede Risberg after getting to the hit, enabling the Cincinnati pitcher to get to third. Felsch had himself a bad inning.

Morrie Rath singled home Eller. It was all the offence the Cincinnati pitcher would need. A bunt and a walk put runners on first and second. That's when Edd Roush send one to centre that Happy Felsch completely misplayed. It ended up being scored a triple, but it was clearly a bad play on Felsch's part. In any event, it seemed to Chicago that only one run should have scored. The throw came into catcher Ray Schalk in what the masked man felt was in time to get Heinie Groh. Schalk was so mad, he ended up getting ejected.

A fly to left followed off the bat of Pat Duncan. Joe Jackson made the catch for the second out. The throw home wasn't properly handled by new catcher Byrd Lynn. The play was scored a sacrifice fly.

A tough series of events for Chicago. In particular Lefty Williams, who pitched well outside this fatal sixth. His mound adversary, however, gave a performance in a big contest worthy of praise from both teams.

Eller had no problem with Chicago in the sixth, seventh and eighth, although Eddie Collins sure gave it a ride when the White Sox finally got a chance to bat again following that debacle. Collins also made a fine play on Greasy Neale grounder in the seventh. But in the eighth, the second basemen made a crucial error. Cincinnati took advantage of it, as they scored their fifth and final run off reliever Erskine Mayer. The Reds managed to do that without a hit.

Buck Weaver, having himself a fine game, launched a two-out triple in the ninth, but Hod Eller retired Joe Jackson on a grounder to end that. There was no celebration on the field or in the dugout. This was a best-of-nine affair, so Cincinnati needed one more win.

Heading home, the Reds turned to their game one winner to do it again. Dutch Reuther was looking to build on an amazing performance that got this whole show going. And for a while, his pitching and hitting overwhelmed Chicago again.

The stage appeared to be set for a quick a decisive win for the hometown boys. Though the Reds didn't score until the third inning, the pitching and defence of Cincinnati was clicking.

Happy Felsch had given one a rid into deep right in the second. But it was just a long, loud out. Cincinnati got two hits in the bottom of the first, but did not score. In the second inning, Swede Risberg (Who was in on the fix, as was Felsch), made the first of two errors on the afternoon, but Cincinnati did not score. This was a missed opportunity for Dutch Reuther. He came up with runners on a the corners and two away, but Dickie Kerr got him on a comebacker.

In the top of the third, the home team started to get all the breaks. Chicago had a man on second with two away for Eddie Collins, who lashed one to left. Pat Duncan somehow got to it.

Cincinnati showed Chicago how it's done in the bottom of the frame. Jake Daubert was on first, but there were two outs. Then Daubert was on second, having swiped the bag. Edd Roush was then hit by a pitch, and Pat Duncan hit a two-run double to break the ice.

After blanking the White Sox in the top of the fourth, Dutch Ruether picked up some lumber, and got an RBI. His one-out double scored Greasy Neale to make it 3-0. A grounder to short saw Swede Risberg at it again. Instead of getting the sure out at first, Swede tried to get Ruether at third. He got him, alright. On the back. Before any Chicago player could get to the projectile, the Cincinnati pitcher crossed home. 4-0.

Morrie Rath made it to second when all these shenanigans were transpiring. Then, he stole third. Jake Daubert flied out to Joe Jackson in left, but when Rath tried to tag up and cross home, he was DOA at the dish.

Chicago countered with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. A mix up at second saw the inning end via Dickie Kerr running into an occupied base. For this, the White Sox ran themselves out of the inning, and Edd Roush had his first of two double plays turned in this contest.

The Reds did not score again, alas. They still had a winnable lead. Pat Duncan even made it to third in bottom of the fifth on Happy Felsch's error. Happy was having his troubles in the field in games five and six. He was in on the fix, perhaps "earning" his pay.

In any event, it seems ironic that Happy played a part in getting rid of Dutch Reuther. Three straight hits by the White Sox is what happened to start the top of the sixth. Had Duncan scored the previous inning, it might not have been such a big deal. But now, Buck Weaver, Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch had made it a 4-3 ballgame. Felsch was the last batter a now totally-hittable Dutch Reuther would face.

Jimmy Ring came in, and retired the next two batters. But when Ray Schalk singled to score Happy Felsch, there went any chance of Dutch Reuther from picking up his second win of the 1919 World Series.

Both pitchers hung on until extras. The Reds hit Dickie Kerr well, finishing with eleven safeties. There was even a time in the eighth where it appeared Kerr might be finished after Larry Kopf lined one right at the Chicago hurler. The White Sox seemed to have the same problem the Reds did from innings six through nine: They just couldn't get that one key hit!

In the tenth, though, Chicago did. Two on, one out. It was Chick Gandil with a hit to centre, not getting all of it. Had Cincinnati played the infield back, they get a glove on the ball. Not that you could say they didn't have sharp defence this inning. With more runners on, Swede Risberg smashed a hard one. Much better struck than Gandil's. But this time, the infield was amazing. Larry Kopf snared the missle, and doubled Joe Jackson off second!

All for naught. The Reds went down in order against Dickie Kerr. A winnable game, eleven hits for Cincinnati, and three White Sox errors, but not enough clutch hits!

The nice things about this situation for Cincinnati is that game seven was at home again, so plenty of time to regroup. The problem was, Chicago would get the pitcher they'd had a lot of success with in the past, Slim Sallee.

I'm not sure this was a good move by the Reds' manager Pat Moran. The last two times out against the Chicago White Sox (Game five of the 1917 Fall Classic, the second contest of this World Series), Sallee had given up 23 hits in just 16 1/3 innings. Maybe Chicago wasn't trying, and maybe the White Sox had a questionable Eddie Cicotte going themselves, but this looked like a bad move.

It was quickly apparent it was Chicago's day. This was the third time in the 1919 World Series the Pale Hose would reach double digits in hits. But like the previous contest, their bats cooled off once Cincinnati brought in someone for mop-up.

Joe Jackson singled home a run in the first. Another in the third. Sallee got through the second inning without allowing a run, but his team seemingly hit the wall rather than the ball against Eddie Cicotte. Morrie Rath reached on an error in the first, but was stranded. Larry Koft singled in the second, only to then be caught stealing. Ivey Wingo walked for the first of three times the next frame, but was left at first when the third out occurred.

Slim Sallee got through the fourth without anyone scoring, but that was the last time it was really a game. Happy Felsch's two-run single in the fifth finished Sallee. To be fair, the Reds committed two errors that inning, so none of the runs were earned. Ray Fischer got Cincy out of that inning with no further scoring.

And from there, the bullpen of the Reds did the job. It was their starter that cost 'em.

Well, Cincinnati tried to get back in the contest. But it seemed like a futile effort for so long. Greasy Neale singled with one out in the fifth. Ivey Wingo (You guessed it) drew a bases on balls of Eddie Cicotte.

A most surprising cameo in this game then made an appearance. The very man who couldn't get the job done yesterday on the hill was sent up to bat. Yes, Dutch Reuther hit for Ray Fischer. A pitcher, pinch-hitter. Dutch was hitting .800 (4-5). Your manager Pat Moran. You got anyone better in mind?

Ruether popped up, however. Morrie Rath grounded out, the bat shattering on impact with the projectile. So much for a good scoring opportunity.

Cuban Dolf Luque took over on the mound. It would be nice if I could tell you his four shutout innings, one-hit ball weren't wasted, but they were. What a difference: Slim Sallee allows nine hits in four and a third innings, whereas Ray Fischer and Dolph Luque combined for four and two-third innings, one hit allowed! (Amazing, when you consider it was Cincinnati who committed four errors in this contest. Which begs the question, "What team was throwing it, again?")

Eddie Cicotte finished with a fine seven-hitter. The 4-1 win by the White Sox sent the World Series back to Chicago. It would be Hod Eller again.

Now, this looked better. Big shutout man against the man with two losses (Lefty Williams). And Cincinnati started better. They put up a four on in the top of the first to give Eller some runs to work with. Hod no doubt was a tad disappointed with himself. He left men on second and third by flying out to Happy Felsch in right. That was the third out, finally.

Hod had his troubles, though. Chicago wasted no time in getting to him. It looked like another hitting exhibition for the Pale Hose on this day. Nemo Leibold greeted him with a single to start the bottom of the first. Eddie Collins, who's bat had been warming up, stayed hot with a two-bagger.

So, it appeared that it could be early showers for Hod Eller. He settled down. Buck Weaver went down on strikes. Joe Jackson popped it up behind third. Larry Kopf, the Reds' shortstop, raced back for it, hauling it in on a fine play. For some reason, which has never to this day been explained, Nemo Leibold decided not to tag up, in a situation that clearly called for it. It still would have been 4-1, Cincinnati, but at least Chicago would have broke the shutout bid. It stayed 4-0 as Happy Felsch batted. Eller made him strikeout victim number two.

The Reds managed to survive another scare in the second as the White Sox got a walk and a single. Hod Eller ended the inning with his third K of the afternoon, Nemo Leibold the victim. Chicago was now desperate, as Edd Roush had made it 5-0 in the top of the inning with a double to centre, on which he got too aggressive. Roush was nailed trying to stretch a double into a triple.

Still, Chicago did not get on the board until Hod Eller gave up a solo home run to Joe Jackson in the third. But Cincinnati made it 6-1 in the fifth. And then in the sixth, turned to Hod Eller for more.

The Reds' pitcher had gotten Chicago 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth, collecting two more strikeouts on the way. It was a most dominating performance, which proved his game five win was no fluke.

Now, if you are a pitcher, you are happy with a 6-1 lead, allowing just four hits and fanning five (In as many innings), but not Hod. His single in the top of the sixth led to three more runs. And it could have been more had Larry Koft not been picked off second base with the bases loaded. An odd way to end a big inning for Cincinnati. But now, with the score 9-1, it was just a matter of counting down the last few innings.

In the bottom of the inning, Chicago showed some fight. Buck Weaver led off with a single. Joe Jackson hit a deep drive, “...which was nearly as long as his homer...” in the words of Jack Ryder. Edd Roush, who'd been a star all throughout the 1919 World Series, got under it. Hod Eller was the big star of this game through six frames, though. He was doing it all. He got Felsch and Chick Gandil to fly out, and was working on a five-hitter by the time this contest concluded seven frames. With the lumber, Eller was 1-2 through six. Hod also had reached on base when reliever Bill James hit him with a pitch back in the forth. If you want to find a fault with the Cincinnati starter, you could bring up Hod was nailed at home trying to score on a single that inning. In the seventh, he fanned against Roy Wilkinson.

The Reds scored one last run in the eighth, and it looked like Cincinnati might get more. Bill Rariden singled home Edd Roush, and advanced two more runners into scoring position. So Hod Eller would bat with two on and two out. Alas, the pitcher grounded out.

It was in the bottom of the frame that Chicago woke up. But the thing is, it wasn't exactly Eller's fault the Pale Hose plated four runners. Two were Hod's fault. Eddie Collins singled with one out. Buck Weaver and Joe Jackson followed with two-baggers. However, that made it just 10-3. Happy Felsch was retired on a pop fly to first. So then Chick Gandil hit one to centre that the afternoon sun blocked Greasy Neale's vison. It ended up being a triple instead of an inng-ending fly. The normally sure-handed Edd Roush got in on the shenanigan's act by muffing up a fly that came his way off the bat of Swede Risberg. The White Sox had only three hits, yet four runs. Eller's day suddenly wasn't looking so good. Ray Schalk finally ended the inning by grounding out.

Roush redeemed himself in the ninth. Hod Eller hit pinch hitter Eddie Murphy to start the bottom of the frame. Eller didn't want Chicago getting any closer. Yet Nemo Leibold sent one to centre. It looked like a hit until the Reds' centre fielder made a diving grab of the projectile. Edd Roush had been doing it with the glove all series' long.

But he couldn't get anything on Eddie Collins hit to centre, which got Eddie Murphy to second. Two on, one out. Today, Hod Eller's day would be done. But in 1919, it was Eller or bust.

He got Buck Weaver, who'd finish the World Series with no RBIs, to fly out. Nemo Leibold tagged and made it to third. With Joe Jackson up, things were tough. Jackson was 2-4, having hit the ball well all day. Two runs scored, three RBIs, two balls smoked to the outfield. Had Leibold tagged up when he should have back in the first, who knows how that affects the outcome.

Jackson hit it on the ground where "[Morrie] Rath made a fine stop of his (Jackson's) wicked grounder...Which wound up the game after the Sox threatened to count a few more runs," wrote Ryder.

So Hod Eller had his second win, and Cincinnati had the World Championship, five games to three. It can certainly be said that, come the second time around, things weren't so easy for Cincinnati. Dutch Ruther and Hod Eller both were hit hard in games six and eight. Slim Sallee got rocked for ten hits in the second contest, and nine more in the seventh. Jimmy Ring ended up with an excellent start very good relief outing, for a 0.64 earned run average (Tops on both teams).

It is a bit of a shame, as Ray Fisher also had a great ERA, 1.17. A second start by either Ring or Fisher seemed more than warranted. Such was the depth on the Cincinnati pitching staff, that these two were held back a bit. Eller was actually the only Red to win two games, joining Dickie Kerr for tournament lead. The White Sox could have used that kind of pitching depth.



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