World Series: Did You Know?

Dickie Kerr's 1.42 earned run average in 1919 was only good enough for third best among hurlers (Min. 9 IP). It seemed like even one of the honest White Sox in '19 only went so far, and even today might not get noticed. There were five solid starters on the Cincinnati Reds that year. And even the very man Kerr beat in game three was no slouch.

Well, a precedent was set by the Cincy hurlers in the first two contests. Playing at home, it seemed the Reds' pitching held up. There fielding wasn't always sharp, alas. Dutch Ruether went out and sort of set the tone, beating Eddie Cicotte 9-1. The only run Ruether gave up was unearned, and the Cincinnati pitcher even went 3-3 at the dish. Let me put it to you in plain and simple terms: It wasn't the Pale Hose' day!

The Reds, with one win in the bag, extended the series lead to 2-0 with a 4-2 win in the second contest. Slim Sallee won it, and like Ruether, did not allow an earned run.

So, the 1919 Fall Classic moved to Comiskey Field in Chicago, and the White Sox had to get a move on. Dickie Kerr would pitch for the home team, while Ray Fisher went for Cincinnati.

The game was close, and Fisher found his wait for run support in vain. Even the fielding continued to be an issue. Kerr maybe needed a little more breathing room, as the game stayed close all the way. However, Dickie sent a message to the Reds: This is my day!

He got the side 1-2-3 in the first,, collecting a K of Heinie Groh. At first the defence was good behind Fisher. The very first batter of the game for the Sox, Nemo Leibold, sent a sinking shot to right. Greasy Neale snagged it at his shoestring!

Cincinnati would get men on, but couldn't get that one key hit. In the second, Pat Duncan singled, only to be stranded. Kerr got all three outs via grounders.

Chicago got two men on in the second, as Shoeless Joe Jackson opened with a single, Oscar "Happy" Felsch following with a bunt. The fielding behind Ray Fisher was bad here. But here's a little secret: It was the pitcher who tried to get the force on Jackson at second...Larry Kopf was there waiting for the ball...It seemed like an easy play as the bunt had been pretty much right to Fisher...But instead, a poor throw led to the ball going into centre field! Jackson actually went down in the process of passing the bag, but Edd Roush's throw from centre was too late. Felsch took advantage and motored into second. What should have been an easy force play was now second and third, nobody out!

Chick Gandil drove both men home with a single against a drawn-in infield. That 2-0 lead would prove huge. Dickie Kerr had all the offence he needed.

Fisher tried to help out his own cause in the top of the third. He sent a slow one towards third with one away. Kerr got over to it, and then smothered it with his whole body, the ball appearing to be headed over the foul line. Dickie taken a tumble! Alas, there was no rumble for Cincinnati. Kerr, getting himself back on top of things, got the next two batters out.

Ray Fisher battled on. He allowed two more hits in the third, but got Joe Jackson to pop up while trying to bunt. Then, he got Happy Felsch to hit into a double play, around the horn (5-4-3).

Kerr got a nice double play himself to get out of the fourth. The Reds had a man on for Pat Duncan. Duncan was having a great World Series so far, his batting average at exactly .500 (3-6). His bid for a second hit this afternoon ended when he lined to shortstop Swede Risberg (The last of the eight "Black Sox" to pass away). Heinie Groh had left second base, and was doubled off.

Chicago scored their third and final run of the afternoon in the fourth via a Risberg tripled and Ray Schalk single. Ray Fisher settled down, and Schalk got caught stealing. Cincinnati got the leadoff man on in the fifth, but again Dickie Kerr was ever the battler. Greasy Neale hit into a force. So did Bill Rariden, on which Eddie Collins made a nice play to stop the grounder. Reds manager Pat Moran allowed Fisher to bat for himself, and the pitcher grounded out.

Dickie Kerr's 3-0 began to look like 100-0 for the Reds. Down they went 1-2-3 in the sixth. Same thing in the seventh, as Kerr fanned Duncan. The eighth inning began with Greasy Neale whiffing. Bill Rariden followed by grounding out. Ray Fisher's day came to an end as Sherry Magee batted for him. Magee flied out to right.

The White Sox were retired in order by reliever Dolph Luque in the eighth, and that set the stage for Dickie Kerr to finish the ballgame. With a shutout?

Morrie Rath went out, Eddie Collins to first basemen Chick Gandil. Jake Daubert then became Kerr's fourth strikeout victim (And third in the last three frames). The game came to an end as Heinie Groh grounded out to third basemen Buck Weaver.

Kerr had been great. He'd finished with a flourish, retiring the last fifteen men to face him. The Reds managed just three hits, total. Dickie Kerr had been a master of control, four strikeouts against just one bases on balls. Ray Fisher had not pitched poorly, but took the loss. One earned run over seven innings. 

It seemed as though Kerr's win might be the only one for Chicago in this Fall Classic. Jimmy Ring went out and tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout for Cincinnati in game four. He was masterful, despite allowing three walks. Still, the game was close, ending only 2-0. Then, Hod Eller won game five with a three-hit shutout of his own. The Reds broke it open with four runs in the top of the sixth.

So Dutch Ruether's earned run average was 0.00, and so was Slim Sallee's, Jimmy Ring's, and now Hod Eller's. Dickie Kerr's was also 0.00, but now he'd be up against Ruether in game six of this best-of-nine affair. Something had to give. As it turns out, both pitcher's ERA's did. So did Ring's.

Still, the focus (From the Chicago standpoint) was on Dickie Kerr. He didn't come away from this empty-handed. In fact, before the game, he got something.

"Just before the game," wrote W.O. McGeehan, "a delegation of Texas oil men presented Kerr with a gold watch."

It seemed, for a while, to be the best moment of the game for the Chicago starting pitcher. 

It was all Cincinnati early. Kerr was not as sharp as he'd been in the third game. Redland Field was ready to celebrate a World Championship. Why not? Given the way that things were going for Cincinnati, the championship seemed a formality.

The big thing seemed to be that not only did the Reds have pitching, they had fielding. The White Sox had their fielding problems, which had undone their pitching. This game continued that trend. Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch had a bad game. Risberg had committed two errors in five games coming into action here in the potential clincher, and he added to it. Happy Felsch had made a two terrible plays in game five, though charged with only one error. He'd commit another error in this contest.

Cincinnati had a whole lot of leather. Shano Collins sent one to short centre in the first. It appeared to be a hit, but second basemen Morrie Rath made the catch.

So Dickie Kerr had a tough first, having seen his team go down 1-2-3 in their half. The Reds were hitting his pitches. With two away, Heinie Groh sent one to right. It was good for two bases. Not three, only because Shano Collins scrambled to the ball, stopping it. Edd Roush sent one to short. While Swede Risberg got to it, there appeared to be no play for him. However, Groh went past third. Too far. Risberg pegged to Buck Weaver. Buck slapped the tag on him.

Kerr had managed to escape, and for a while, that was the story of his game. The Reds' gloves were scoring rave reviews from the sports writers of the day. Happy Felsch made a bid for a home run in the top of the second, only to have Greasy Neale, who caught it not to far from the wall.

Then came the errors for Chicago. Swede Risberg couldn't come up with Pat Duncan's grounder in the second. A bases on balls to Larry Kopf put two on. A bunt attempt by Greasy Neale resulted in a force at third. It was a big play. Still, Cincinnati had two men and only one out.

Dickie Kerr endued Bill Rariden to force Neale at second. Koft was now on third, however, and the Reds were getting closer and closer to scoring. Dutch Ruether was next, but Kerr got his mound adversary out on a comebacker. No easy task getting Ruether out. He was 3-3 off Eddie Cicotte in game one.

And then there was Dutch Ruether the pitcher, who had seemingly settled down. Dutch held Chicago in check in the White Sox's half of the third, despite walking Ray Schalk. And there was still more great defence from Cincinnati. Eddie Collins was having his troubles hitting in the 1919 World Series. But with Schalk on second and two away, Collins sent one to left,  "...and it looked like a double or better but Pat Duncan, the best late-season find of [Reds' Manager] at Moran, came scooting in and caught it before it fell and produced the ominous thud that seemed imminent," wrote McGeehan.

So the Reds were catching everything. The same could not be said for Swede Risberg. Not that he was to blame for Cincinnati breaking the ice in the last of the third.

Jake Daubert singled with one out. Dickie Kerr bore down and fanned Heinie Groh for his first K of the game. However, Cincinnati wasn't about to go away this inning. Edd Roush was up, and Daubert stole second. When Kerr hit Roush with a pitch, he had to face Pat Duncan. Duncan added to his early game six heroics by stroking a two-run double, plating Daubert and Roush.

Buck Weaver tried to start a rally in the top of the fourth. Duncan made another fine catch! So all Chicago got was Happy Felsch's single. It seemed like there would be little to no run support for Dickie Kerr this afternoon.

And how about these clowns in the field? They weren't helping either. Kerr couldn't be the only one at fault for the tragic events that unfolded for the Pale Hose in the bottom of the fourth. You couldn't blame Chicago manager Kid Gleason had he pulled his starter. 

Greasy Neale started it all with a triple, but the three-bagger had a bit to do with Shano Collins mistiming the shot. Bill Rariden grounded out, Neale holding at third. Dutch Ruether was back at the dish. He made it 4-5 at the dish in the 1919 World Series with a run-scoring ground-rule double. 3-0, Reds.

Cincinnati was not done. Swede Risberg got a hold of a grounder, and tried to make the play at third. Well, all Risberg did was hit Ruether in the back, and the Cincinnati pitcher ended up scoring on the play. The Reds were really playing well.

Morrie Rath, whose grounder should have resulted in the second out, then made Chicago pay even more by swiping third. Jake Daubert was up. Kerr started him off badly. Ball one. Ball two. On the next pitch, Daubert got a hold of one and sent it to left. Joe Jackson made the catch, but Rath tagged...Out at home!

That was a lucky break by Chicago, but they still trailed 4-0. When would these guys wake up? They hadn't scored since the bottom of the fourth inning in Dickie Kerr's last start. A span of twenty-six innings.

But then, the first two men drew free passes of Ruether in the top of the five. Dickie Kerr was next up. He must have felt, "No one else is hitting in the clutch, so I'd better." Kerr got an infield single.

The sacs were full of White Sox. Swede Risberg was on third. Ray Schalk, second. And now their surprising star pitcher was on first. Shano Collins flied out to Edd Roush. Then, Eddie Collins sent one to centre, on which Risberg tagged up and scored. Kerr, though, seemed to be like Risberg: Making mistakes! Accidentally, mind you. Kerr went to second, only to find catcher Ray Schalk there. Edd Roush tossed it in to Morrie Rath, and Kerr was tagged out. A potentially big inning and all Chicago had was one puny run. The scored was still 4-1 for Cincinnati. Were the Pale Hose good at screwing up or what?

Esteemed writer Grantland Rice certainly thought so. "The Sox were not only floundering in the field," he said, "but when their chance arrived on attack, they were even more futile."

Still, any scribe would have had nothing but praise for the White Sox one inning later. They got rid of Dutch Ruether. His mastery of the Pale Hose went south, all at once.

It all started when Buck Weaver led off the sixth with a double, that fell between Larry Koft in short and Pat Duncan in left. Following this game, Heinie Groh pointed out the Weaver double was huge. Did the Reds' third basemen ever get that right! Joe Jackson only singled, but that cashed in Weaver, and the lead was slashed to 4-2. Happy Felsch doubled, and Jackson scored. Chicago was suddenly within a run of Cincinnati. Three big blows in a row off a pitcher that had once owned them.

In a curious decision, Pat Moran brought in Jimmy Ring. Ring had been outstanding in his start vs. Chicago in the fourth contest. Why waste him here? If Ring pitched a long relief outing, and Cincinnati lost, then he might not be available until much later in the 1919 Fall Classic.

Well, Ring came in and retired the first two men to face him. So it looked like a genius move by Moran. Ray Schalk, having a fine afternoon, disrupted any thoughts of champagne sipping, tying the game with a clutch single.

It had been a great inning, and why not have their pitcher redeem himself for giving up four runs? Kerr took ball one, then fouled off the next pitch. With his battery mate running, Ring delivered the third pitch. A poor throw by Bill Rariden helped Ray Schalk beat the throw. The count went to 2-2, and Dickie Kerr hit one to right on the ground. That's where third basemen Heinie Groh made a fine play and whipped the ball to first for the last out.

From there, it seemed like Chicago's bats when cold again. Kerr would have to battle this out with Jimmy Ring, who picked up where he left off in the fourth game. Greasy Neale led off with a bit of a fluke hit in the sixth for Cincinnati. But nothing came of it, and Neale ended up getting caught stealing to end the Reds' half of the frame. The next inning, the Reds put two men on with just one out, but then Edd Roush hit into a inning-ending double play. Roush had swung at Kerr's first offering.

The White Sox appeared to carry the momentum as the game headed to the eighth. Ring's control eluded him as he walked Shoeless Joe (On five pitches) and Chick Gandil (On four offerings). But then, it was Edd Roush taking a hit away from Swede Risberg, and Jackson was doubled off second. The Cincinnati centre fielder was having one awesome day with the glove, starting two double plays!

The bottom of the eighth seemed to be no problem for Dickie Kerr. First, Pat Duncan hit one foul to right, and Chick Gandil caught it near the seats. Larry Kopf was up, and got ahead 2-0. Kerr brought it 2-2, and then grabbed a liner. That seemed to be a bit of a turning point for the Reds, as Kerr called time.

His hand was numbed a bit, as well as bruised. Bill James began to throw in the White Sox bullpen. So the Reds appeared to pounce. First, Greasy Neale singled. And then Bill Rariden singled off Kerr's glove. Two on, two out. Jimmy Ring batted for himself, and forced Rariden for the third out. Kerr had really battled to keep this a 4-4 ballgame.

But could Chicago get a run off Jimmy Ring? He now had a dozen innings pitched and the Pale Hose had not scored a run off him. The game went to extras, and Ring had kept his earned run average in the 1919 World Series at 0.00 through thirteen frames.

But, Buck Weaver opened the top of the tenth with a double. Joe Jackson bunted with the intention of getting Weaver to third. Well, it worked out better than that, as Jackson beat the throw to first. Happy Felsch swung and missed on a 2-2 pitch. One out. However, Chick Gandil sent a 0-1 pitch into centre field. Had the Cincinnati Reds' infielders been positioned further back, they just might have had a play on the ball. In any even, Dickie Kerr would go out to the last of the tenth only with a one-run lead. Swede Risberg lined into an inning-ending double play.

But Ed Roush grounded out on an 0-1 pitch. Pat Duncan popped up to Ray Schalk. On the second pitch from Kerr, Larry Kopf grounded to second basemen Eddie Cicotte, who pegged it to Chick Gandil at first. Game over! Kerr had survived eleven hits, winning 5-4.

"Like the boxer he once was," wrote Harvey Frommer, "Dickie Kerr was on the ropes throughout the game. He gave up eleven hits, but he stayed the distance."

As for numbers, Kerr had allowed three earned runs. But combine that with his complete-game shutout in game three, and the White Sox pitcher's earned run average was 1.42. Dutch Ruether, on the other hand, had allowed four earned runs over five innings of work (Plus, he'd pitched to three batters in the sixth). So his ERA was up to 2.57. Jimmy Ring's fine relief outing made his earned run average 0.64.

Slim Sallee took the hill in the seventh game for Cincinnati. He brought with him a 0.00 earned run average of his own. Yet, it was Eddie Cicotte (0-2, 4.26 ERA), beat him, 4-1. Sallee lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and two earned runs. That spiked his earned run average up to 1.35. That was still a bit better than Dickie Kerr. Cicotte had dropped his own earned run average to a respectable 2.91, but it seemed like the Fall Classic was a struggle for him. Even in 1917, the lowly New York Giants had given him all he could handle. The win here only upped his lifetime record in the Fall Classic to 2-3.

Hod Eller, who'd pitched a shutout in the fifth game, seemingly putting Cincinnati in the driver's seat, went into game eight with a 0.00 earned run average of his own. He got out of jams in the first and second inning unscathed. Eventually, Eller allowed a solo home run by Shoeless Joe Jackson, but was cruising. Up 10-1 after seven, Hod faltered. Chicago launched a serious barrage in the eighth, aided by some poor Cincinnati fielding. The Pale Hose scored four times that frame, and even got runners to second and third in the ninth, before the final out was recorded. For his efforts, Eller posted a 2.00 ERA in the 1919 World Series.

Dickie Kerr had to take a backseat to Ring and Eller. If you want to throw in relievers / spot starters, than Dolph Luque and Ray Fisher had better earned run averages. Luque's was 0.00 in five innings, while Fisher's was 1.17 in 7 2/3 innings. But among pitchers with at least nine innings, Dickie Kerr, the "third best" pitcher available for the Fall Classic by the Pale Hose, was right up there with any of Cincy's aces.

References

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. 


Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.


McGeehan, W O. “White Sox Rally For Ten-Inning Victory Over Reds - Ruether Is Battered Out.” New York Tribute, 8 Oct. 1919, p. 14, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/79065594/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2023. 

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. 


“Play-by-Play Story of Game.” New-York Tribute, 8 Oct. 1919, p. 14, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/79065594/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2023.


Rice, Grantland. “Ruether Batted Out of Box; Sox Win in the 10th.” New-York Tribute, 8 Oct. 1919, pp. 1,14, https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2023. 

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.


Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame, www.blackbetsy.com/shoeless.html. 06 Apr. Mar. 2023.

Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 06 Apr. Mar. 2023.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/. 06 Apr. 2023. 

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball, Creative Multimedia Corp, 1994. CD-Rom edition.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 06 Apr. 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.



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/. 23 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. 


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. 


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


---------------. "Reds Defeat Kid Gleason's Second Ace 4-2." The Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Oct. 1919. (Reprinted in 1919 Cincinnati Reds, Sewell, J. Scott)


---------------. "Reds End Series With Slaughter Of Sox Pitchers, Winning Baseball Classic, Five Games To Three." The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 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. 


Shoeless Joe Jackson Virtual Hall of Fame, https://www.blackbetsy.com/. 23 Mar. 2023.


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

Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 23 Mar. 2023.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 23 Mar. 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 23 Mar. 2023.

World Series: Did You Know?

Edd Roush was only second on Cincinnati in RBI in 1919. During the regular season, Edd had led the Reds with 71 RBI.

It was a meager total. Another player, who's totals seemed meager, very meager, was Pat Duncan. Duncan had only 17 RBI in the regular season, but in just 31 games played. The Cincinnati would soon turn to these two men to get 'em across the dish.

Both would have a great Fall Classic against the Chicago White Sox. Were the White Sox trying?

Well, eight members of this squad, which was pretty much the same as the one that had won it all two years later, were banned from baseball after the 1920 season. Some of the players had taken money from gamblers. This alone, tends to take away from the efforts of the Reds, which is unfortunate. 

It seemed like the game would be tough for Cincinnati. The visiting Sox seemed to have something going in the first. But thanks in large part to Roush, the Reds survived it, unscathed.

Shano Collins led off the sixteenth edition of the World Series with a single. A bunt by Eddie Collins, who was not related to Shano, ended up as just a force at second. Buck Weaver was next. Chicago tried a hit-and-run play, but for some reason Buck just took the pitch. Collins was erased at second. Weaver, though, was still up. He rocketed one that the Reds' centre fielder showed off his leather on. With a spectacular one-handed grab, Roush had robbed Weaver of a double. 

Roush, playing in front of his fans at Redland Field, must have had a big grin on his face the first time up in the opening tilt. There was Jake Daubert on first. The Reds had a 1-0 lead on the White Sox, and Edd Roush wanted to extend that. But then, Daubert then got caught stealing. So much for an opportunity to drive in an insurance run. With two away, Edd drew a bases on balls of Chicago pitcher Eddie Cicotte, and then stole second. This gave the aforementioned Pat Duncan a chance at an RBI himself, but Cicotte got him to ground out.

Chicago countered with a run in the top of the second, so Cincinnati didn't get to enjoy the lead long. Chick Gandil got a single to centre, but Roush sure made an effort to catch it.

Cincinnati's big inning came in the bottom of the fourth. It was Pat Duncan that got it all going with a one-out single. The Reds were about to blow open this opening tilt to this awesome extravaganza!

With two out, Greasy Neale kept the inning alive with a single. This brought catcher Ivey Wingo to the dish. Ivey had failed the first time up, but here, he gave the Reds the lead for good with a clutch two out single. The scoring had merely begun. By the time the inning was over, the home team had put a "5" on the scoreboard. The game was effectively over. Eddie Cicotte had been routed.

The Reds didn't stop there. The new pitcher was Roy Wilkinson. In the fifth, he got Edd Roush out on a long fly to centre. He'd given it quite a ride back in the third. Despite hitting the ball so well, Roush did not end up getting a hit this game. But Pat Duncan was a man on a mission. Proving he belonged in the Fall Classic, as a Red regular, he singled. Nothing came of it, but when Duncan batted again two innings later, something did!

Cincinnati had already scored one run that frame, and were looking for more. Edd Roush laid down a bunt to third. Buck Weaver, the Chicago third basemen, picked it up. But his throw to first took Chick Gandil into Roush, who was scrambling to first. Contact was made between the Roush and Gandil, the end result a dropped ball. The error opened the door for Pat Duncan.

Pat could only hit into a fielder's choice which erased Roush, but it scored Heinie Groh. Remarkably, enough the home team continued to pour it on. They scored a ninth run in the eighth, and looked to Edd Roush for more.

Pitcher Dutch Ruether had added a run-scoring single to make it 9-1. But Morrie Rath then retired for the second out. The Reds then manufactured two more runners to load the bases, without the benefit of a hit. Jake Daubert was hit by a pitch. Heinie Groh walked.

Alas, all Edd Roush could do was force Groh at second. There was no more scoring in the contest. It was a laugher.

The Reds trotted back out the next day, to try and make it two straight over the White Sox. Edd Roush drew a walk off Lefty Williams in the last of inning two. Lefty, who's first name was actually Claude, pitched a pretty good game. Cincinnati would have to make due with just four hits.

They did not get one in the last of the second. Pat Duncan lined to second basemen Eddie Collins. The legendary second basemen doubled Roush off first.

So it became clear early on that Lefty Williams was "on". Both he and Eddie Cicotte would later be kicked out of baseball for their part in throwing this World Series. However, each would later imply that they had tried, at least in their second and third starts of the 1919 Fall Classic. So maybe we shouldn't say that what Roush, Duncan or any of the Reds accomplished is tainted.

Williams pitched well this game, too. However, perhaps the issue was not that he couldn't give up a hit. Rather, it was his control that was the the enigma.

The Reds had two men on via (you guess it) walks in the bottom of the fourth. Up stepped the Cincinnati centre fielder. Edd Roush came through for the visitors with a single, cashing in Morrie Rath. Roush, though, may have hurt a potential big inning. He was caught stealing.

It was up to Pat Duncan to keep this inning alive. He drew Williams' third free pass of the inning. The Reds took advantage, adding a second and third run of the frame on Larry Kopf's triple. It was 3-0. However, it could have been 4-0.

Cincinnati had to wait three innings to score again. And again it was an inning that featured a walk by Edd Roush. Pat Duncan bunted him into scoring position. Eventually, Roush scored a run (The Reds' last of the ballgame) on a Greasy Neale two-out single.

The run was big. Chicago rallied with two runs of their own in the top of the seventh to break the shutout. Roush, though, appeared to have his second hit of the ballgame (To go along nicely with a pair of bases on balls) in the bottom of the eighth.

Heinie Groh became the sixth Red to read first off Lefty Williams via ball four. This put one on with one out. So Edd Roush sent one to shallow centre. It appeared to be a hit, and Cincinnati seemed destined for another run or two.

That is, until Happy Felsch arrived. Rushing in, the Chicago centre fielder made a spectacular catch (Ironically, Felsch himself was later implicated in the scandal). The end result was Groh doubled off first.

Slim Sallee pitched a fair ballgame for Cincinnati, although he allowed two singles in the ninth before getting the last out. When the series moved to Chicago, the Reds' momentum seemed to dissappear.

Dickie Kerr, the left-hander for the White Sox, had no involvement in the fixing of the 1919 Fall Classic. It seemed, also that his team was trying their best in the third contest.

The very man that put the fix together, Chick Gandil, singled home two runs in the bottom of the second. Before that, Pat Duncan had come up with a one-out single in the top of the frame. There was a bit of a suspicious play that followed. Larry Kopf hit a ball that Swede Risberg took too long with. They got the out at first, but Duncan had made it to second in time. But the Reds failed to take advantage of it, stranding Duncan at second when Greasy Neale grounded out to Eddie Collins.

Heinie Groh led off the third with a walk. Edd Roush then grounded out, but it worked like a bunt, as Groh was now at second. Pat Duncan took a rip at a pitch and sent it to left. But this time, Swede Risberg was there. The shortstop not only made the catch, he doubled Groh off second, ending the the top of the fourth. A Risberg triple would lead to an eventual third Chicago run in the bottom of the frame.

The Reds were essentially beaten right there and then. Kerr pitched amazing. Cincinnati got just one more hit. They were frustrated by the superb effort by the Chicago lefty, who ended the game in style. The last fifteen Cincinnati batters were sent back to the dugout in frustration. Roush was scheduled to bat next as Heinie Groh grounded out to end the contest.

So Dickie Kerr had a three-hit shutout. Edd Roush and Pat Duncan were a combined 0-6.

Game four of this best-of-nine affair was big. It turned into a superb pitchers' duel. Jimmy Ring started for Cincinnati, and had some trouble. Edd Roush was one awesome centre fielder. However, he couldn't come up with Joe Jackson's hit to centre. Joe ended up on second with a leadoff two-bagger. The next two men were retired via a sac bunt and a pop up. Ring seemed safe, but walked Swede Risberg to keep the inning alive. Swede made the Reds pay by stealing second. The White Sox had two men in scoring position. Ring walked catcher Ray Schalk intentionally. Eddie Cicotte, the opposing pitcher, actually made quite bid for a hit, but a fine play by Morrie Rath at second ended the inning.

The next inning saw Chicago have Eddie Collins on third and Joe Jackson on first with two away. Again, Jimmy Ring made sure to get the next batter to hit it on the ground. Happy Felsch was retired 5-3.

So Ring had survived two tough innings. Though he settled down after that, he'd need some help from his left fielder to keep Chicago at bay.

With one out in the top of the fifth, it was Pat Duncan with a hard grounder to Cicotte. While the pitcher got to it, his throw to first missed the mark. Duncan had done little, but now was on second base. And Pat would score as Larry Kopf hit the ball to left. Joe Jackson fielded it and threw it home to stop Duncan. But, Eddie Cicotte made a bad play on the ball, redirecting it out of catcher Ray Schalk's position behind the dish. The costly mistake not only scored a run, but meant another runner was at second. Greasy Neale doubled to left over Joe Jackson's head to cash in a second Red run. It actually appeared as though Cincinnati would get more. Red-hot catcher Ivey Wingo was next. Wingo was 1-1 in this contest (To go along with 1-3 in the opening tilt), with another base hit on the way. But Ivey couldn't come through in the biggest moment for him in this game, only grounding out. Neale advanced to third, so there was still a chance for more. But Reds' manager had to let pitcher Jimmy Ring bat, and he too, grounded out.

Cincinnati had all the offence they needed, however. But Pat Duncan would find a way to contribute in other ways. With one away in the bottom of the sixth, he robbed Happy Felsch of extra bases by making a great catch. Just a few feet shy of the stands in left. 

Poor Edd Roush didn't get to do much, sadly. He failed to get a hit in three times up at the dish. Pat Duncan was also held hitless. The final score was only 2-0 for the visitors. The teams combined for just eight hits.

But it was all about great timing when it came to the Reds. The fourth game was big.

Edd Roush came up with a man on second in the top of the first. Two outs. He hit a grounder to Chick Gandil at first. Lefty Williams got over to cover the bag. The pitcher received the ball before the batter made it to first, for the putout. The play ended the inning.

Chicago looked to get it going in the bottom of the first. The White Sox had runners on the corners. But with one out, Joe Jackson popped to third. So two men were on, but now two were out. The batter was Felsch, who would hit the ball well all series, but not always get the results. Here, he lofted one to short left, where Pat Duncan put the squeeze on it.

The game seemed to evolve into a strikeout affair. Williams fanned two in the top of the second (Including Pat Duncan), but the Reds were inspired by pitcher Hod Eller's own exploits. At one point, the Cincinnati starter fanned six batters in a row!

Edd Roush reached on an error by shortstop Swede Risberg in the fourth, then stole second (Catcher Ray Schalk couldn't come up with a pitch when Roush broke). All this with two away. The Reds' centre fielder was making what looked like an easy 1-2-3 inning for Lefty Williams, interesting. Pat Duncan sent one to Joe Jackson in left, and that was it.

Roush would play the hero role in this contest, or maybe co-hero with his pitcher. The Reds would use a big sixth inning to go ahead of the Sox. 

Hod Eller had started it all with a double. This was somewhat a result of poor managing. Chicago manager Kid Gleason had his centre fielder, Happy Felsch, playing Eller a bit towards right. This created the space needed for the Cincinnati pitcher to drop one it. This was the start of a huge rally. Happy Felsch then made a throwing error, and suddenly Cincinnati had a man on third, no outs. Morrie Rath brought Eller home with a single. A bunt and a walk brought Roush back to the dish, and the centre fielder of Cincinnati did not disappoint.

Edd turned on a Williams pitch, and sent it to centre. It appeared to fool Felsch. The misjudgment resulting in him seemingly having butter fingers, or a butter glove. The triple by Roush plated both Morrie Rath and Heinie Groh. 

Well, not everybody thought that Groh was safe. Catcher Ray Schalk of Chicago was sure thought Heinie was DOA at the dish. All that anger resulted in him bumping into someone of authoritative measures who was also behind the plate. Needless to say, Schalk was ejected for bumping home plate umpire Cy Rigler. Byrd Lynn came in, and Pat Duncan came up with a way to challenge the new catcher.

Duncan again sent one to left for the second out. Roush tagged and scored when the catcher for Chicago couldn't handle the heave from Joe Jackson. It was 4-0 for the visitors.

Roush started a mild rally in the eighth when he reached on an error by Eddie Collins. Pat Duncan followed with a walk. Lefty Williams had departed the game when Eddie Murphy batted for him in the bottom of the seventh. And new pitcher Erskine Mayer couldn't stop the bleeding.

Larry Kopf got the two runners into scoring position with a bunt. And then Greasy Neale grounded to short, Edd Roush scoring the fifth (And final) run of the ballgame. Hod Eller completed the shutout, and it seemed Cincinnati now had a stranglehold on the series. Roush had driven in two and scored as many runs. Pat Duncan had to settle for just one RBI.

So going into the potential clincher in the sixth contest at Redland Field, Pat Duncan had played outstanding. He'd only joined the Reds in August, but now was proving he belonged in left for Cincinnati. Roush was Roush in centre, but was hitting just .133. However, looking at the RBI totals from the first five games, Duncan was a little short of them. Driving in 17 in just 31 regular season games was impressive. But here, Pat had just two in five games. Normally, the World Series was a best-of-seven affair, as this was the first extended Fall Classic since 1903 (Although 1912 had a tie, making it eight contests).

Roush's three RBIs actually looked good when you look at his batting average, but he'd wowed the Chicago White Sox with his glove. And the White Sox hadn't seen it all from Roush yet. His fielding in the sixth contest was amazing.

Heinie Groh was on second in the bottom of the second. Roush singled to short. However, Groh overran third base, and Swede Risberg nailed him there. A potential big inning came to an end on that miscue.

Roush would get a second attempt at greatness in the third, and heroically extended the inning by taking one for the team. The hit by pitch took away an RBI chance for Edd, as Jake Daubert had singled earlier in the inning, then stole second as Roush batted.

And Pat Duncan delivered a clutch hit. His two-out double to right scored both Daubert and Edd Roush, and the Reds were off and flying against the White and pitcher Dickie Kerr. Duncan wasn't just waving his bat this game. In the top of the fourth, he took a base hit away from Buck Weaver.

The Reds saw Duncan doing it all, and they in turn touched home two more times in the bottom of that inning. 4-0, and the champagne was all but on ice.

The White Sox appeared to have a big rally going in the bottom of the fifth. But they still hadn't figured out a way to eliminate the great Reds' centre fielder as a factor. The bases were loaded, and only one out. And the batter was Eddie Collins. The future Hall-of-Famer sent one to centre that cashed in Swede Risberg. However, Dickie Kerr ran from first to second after the catch, not realizing that Ray Schalk had remained there. So when third basemen Heinie Groh received the toss from centre, he noticed Kerr's flight towards second. Groh motored over and applied the tag on the Chicago pitcher. That play meant Edd Roush to collect an assist to go along with his putout. The double play got Cincinnati out of a potentially big inning. They still led, 4-1.

Pat Duncan extended the Cincinnati half of the inning, but only when centre fielder Happy Felsch muffed his fly. Larry Kopf grounded out to end the fifth.

The sixth inning was a lost one for the Reds. The White Sox had their biggest inning of the Fall Classic (So far) by crossing home three times to square it. Schalk capped it by sending home Felsch with a single.

Cincinnati, although at home, failed to score again. Dickie Kerr didn't pitch anywhere near as well as he had in game three, but was conceiving to nothing. Roush ended the seventh by hitting into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play (Started by fixer Swede Risberg, ironically).

But if the bat of the Cincinnati centre fielder had ended one half of an inning, then his glove turned the trick as the game moved to the eighth. Chicago had Joe Jacksons on second and Chick Gandil on first. Risberg flied to centre, and Roush got even with the White Sox shortstop. He not only robbed Risberg of a hit, but he doubled Jackson off second! With that the Reds' centre fielder became the first outfielder to turn a pair of double plays in the same World Series contest!

But the defence of Chicago didn't make many mistakes the rest of the way. Kerr had a tough eighth inning as Cincinnati got two more men on via base hits. Cincinnati couldn't get either home. 

Jimmy Ring had relieved Dutch Ruether in the top of the sixth inning, and pitched a whale of a game. It looked as though Dickie Kerr would finally crack at any moment. Edd Roush himself came up with Heinie Groh on first in the bottom of the eighth. Roush never got to finish his plate appearance as Groh was caught stealing.

And Chicago rode the wave of the momentum created by Groh's attempt to pilfer second. They scratched across a run in the top of the tenth, then watched as their courageous pitcher retired the side in order. Dickie Kerr had extended the Fall Classic for Chicago. It took him 128 pitches.

Oddly, enough, the winning RBI came off the bat of Chick Gandil, the supposed ring-leader of the fix. Though he'd driven home five runs in the 1917 World Series, Gandil had only 60 in the 1919 regular season. The game-winning run driven in by Chick in the top of the tenth in this game six gave him four RBIs. This means he was threatening to lead this extended Fall Classic in that statistic. He actually had as many as Pat Duncan. Edd Roush was stuck at three. There was still a Fall Classic to win by Cincinnati, and some RBI work to be done by Roush and Duncan.

Still, the situation seemed in the Reds' hands, as they were at home for the next contest. Cincinnati had a second chance to clinch at home in game seven. Chicago sent Eddie Cicotte (0-2) out to the hill. The problem was Cincinnati sent Slim Sallee out to finish the White Sox off. However, the Reds should have known Sallee was not the man to get it done. He'd surrendered ten hits in the second contest.

Here, Chicago pounced on him. By the top of the fifth, it was 4-0 for the visitors. The big blow in the game was Happy Felsch's two run single that inning. As for the Reds' bat, they were being stymied. Cincinnati had one hit and one walk.

Greasy Neale got a one-out single in the bottom of the inning. Ivey Wingo was next. The catcher, who only got into three World Series games, was one tough out for Chicago. He was batting .500 coming into this game. The reason I'm bringing Wingo up is that Cincinnati would waste his fine game. Wingo walked for the second time here in the fifth, which could have led to a big inning.

Instead, Dutch Ruether was sent up to hit for pitcher Ray Fisher. Reuther, the pitcher, had hit .261 in the regular season, plus had pitched well in the first contest. But here, all he could do was pop out. Morrie Rath was then retired. The mini rally did mean, however, that the two big guns on the Reds would hit in the sixth.

Heinie Groh hit a one-out double, and it appeared Cincinnati was in business with Edd Roush up. The Reds' centre fielder could only hit one back to the mound. Groh made it to third, but now there were two away.

Just when things were looking bad, it was the bat of Pat Duncan that came through. Pat made it three games in a row with at least one RBI by singling Groh home. The shutout was gone, and Duncan was up to five runs driven in.

It's not as if Cincinnati went quietly after that. Actually, it was the Chicago bats that were silence on a superb relief outing by Dolf Luque. His pitching seemed to give the Reds hope.

With one away in the bottom of the seventh, Wingo made it to first on his third bases on balls of the afternoon. Then, with two away, Morrie Rath singled. Jake Daubert grounded out. From there, the last chance the Reds had to win this game came in the ninth.

Ivey Wingo and Sherry Magee singled with two away. But then Morrie Rath flied out to end it. So Roush and Duncan had been held to just one hit and one RBI.

It seemed like, aside from their RBI totals, Edd Roush and  Pat Duncan were in slumps. Roush was hitting .130 and Duncan just .227. Compare that to:

Greasy Neale, .360

Ivey Wingo, .571

Dutch Reuther, pitcher, .667

Neither Wingo or Reuther would appear in the eighth contest, which was back in Chicago. 

The vesting Reds decided it early.

Left Williams was back, and would retire the leadoff batter, Morrie Rath, to start the contest. This was the only batter Williams got out.

Jake Daubert singled. So did Heinie Groh. The Chicago bullpen got going as Bill James started to throw. Catcher Ray Schalk approached Williams. Most likely, this was to give James more time to get loose. It was obvious the White Sox starting pitcher didn't have it.

And then it was Edd Roush getting the scoring going with a two-run double. When Pat Duncan followed suit, it was 3-0, Cincinnati. Lefty Williams threw one more pitch, a ball. Bill James replaced him on the mound. James would end up not walking Larry Koft. Before the inning ended, Cincinnati had added another run.

Heinie Groh came back up with two away in the top of the second. He ended up collecting his second hit to keep the inning alive. That was all Edd Roush needed. Roush singled. Though Groh scored, Roush ran past first and was erased before he could scamper back.

It was 5-0, and Chicago did not score until the third inning. Joe Jackson's home run was just a solo shot. Cincinnati kept hitting Bill James well, as they got two singles that led to nothing in the top of the fourth. But it got the Reds to the big artillery come the next frame. Roush in fact, would lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, but James retired him. Pat Duncan didn't get the ball out of the infield for the second out, but Cincinnati still ended up tacking on a sixth run.

Edd Roush wasn't finished. He came back up again the next inning. Bases loaded. One away.

And two more runners would score thanks to Roush, who made it 3-4 at the plate with a single. Pat Duncan followed with a single of his own, which made it 9-1. Would the 1919 World Series end the same way it started?

Nah, Cincy wanted more.

A mini-rally died in the seventh with no scoring by the Reds. But again, it helped Edd Roush. Once again, he would lead off an inning. Roush took one for the team, as Roy Wilkinson (Who'd relieved Bill James in the top of the sixth) hit him.

Duncan bunted. Larry Kopf popped out for the second out, and it appeared that the inning would be for not. However, Greasy Neale walked and Bill Rariden singled. Roush scored!

So Cincinnati was feeling pretty good. Ahead 10-1 after 7 1/2. The bottom of the eighth was a frustrating adventure for the visitors.

Chicago made a comeback attempt. They scored twice on a Jackson double. But it appeared to be over when Happy Felsch was retired for the second out. Chick Gandil extended the inning, however, with a triple. Then the inning should have ended as Swede Risberg hit a harmless fly to centre. Edd Roush couldn't come up with it. Gandil scored, unearned. Ray Schalk was retired to finally end the eight inning.

Due up for Cincinnati in the top of the ninth was Morrie Rath, Jake Daubert and Heinie Groh. Roush batted after Groh, but would he get a chance?

Rath started the inning out on the right foot with a single. Daubert got a sac bunt down, and now Groh was looking at an RBI opportunity. Groh flied out to centre.

It was up to Roush to get 'er done. Alas, he grounded out to Buck Weaver at third.

The good news was, of course, the Reds were three outs away from champagne. But starting pitcher Hod Eller hit pinch hitter Eddie Murphy. Nemo Leibold hit one to centre. It seemed like a hit. A big inning for Chicago loomed.

At least, that was until Edd Roush got his glove on it. A great catch, and some redemption for Edd for his error the previous inning.

Eddie Collins followed with a single. The catch by Roush was huge by this point. Buck Weaver flied out to right. Murphy strode into third after the catch. With Joe Jackson back up (2-4 with 3 RBI). Collins stole second, and the pressure on Hod Eller mounted. But Jackson would ground out, and Cincinnati had won the 1919 World Series.

Although Hod Eller had won two games (Dickie Kerr, too), plus Greasy Neale finished with a .357 batting average (Topps among all Reds' regulars), the big Cincinnati guns were clearly two-thirds of their outfield. While Pat Duncan had to settle for a .269 batting average, he'd end up leading all players in RBIs in the Fall Classic, with eight.


References

Cook, William. 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/. 27 Feb. 2023.


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

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. 

Society for American Baseball Research, SABR, https://sabr.org/. 27 Feb, 2023.

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/. 27 Feb, 2023.

Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. 

Ward, Geoffrey C., et al. Baseball: An Illustrated History. Updated edition. Knopf, 2010.

World Series: Did You Know?

Of Chick Gandil's five RBIs in 1919, three of them either tied the game or put Chicago ahead.

By all accounts the ringleader of the most notorious World Series ever played, Chick Gandil certainly was a player to watch in '19. The way the Fall Classic began to unfold that year, it was obvious some members of the Chicago White Sox weren't trying. Two years later, eight members of the team would be banned for life.

For starters, they got bombed 9-1 in the opening tilt. Their opposition, Cincinnati, was a great team, make no mistake. Should it have been this obvious that National League Pennant winners were better? 

Eddie Cicotte, the starting pitcher on the White Sox that opening tilt, took the hill in Redland Field in the bottom of the first and promptly hit the very first batter he faced. There was something truly amiss here, folks.

Morrie Rath had taken one for the team, but it proved to be worth it. Jake Daubert, the Reds' first basemen, singled Rath to third. Heinie Groh sent one to left. Far enough back that Morrie Rath scored after Joe Jackson made the catch. 

But down 1-0, Chicago came right back and tied it. Leading off the second for the White Sox, Shoeless Joe Jackson sent one to short. Larry Kopf, the Cincinnati shortstop, didn't come up with it the right way. His throw to first was off the mark. Badly enough off the mark that Joe Jackson made it to second. HSo the home team had some problems in the field, too? Well, in any event, there was Shoeless Joe, waiting to be driven home. Happy Felsch had bunted, you see. So now there was one out, with a man on third. It was our boy Chick Gandil that came through with an RBI single. 1-1. 

The problem was, that was "All she wrote" for Chicago in this game. Cincinnati scored eight runs after that, winning it easily. Chick had certainly had a very interesting game. He made it 2-2 at the dish with a single to start the fifth. But was stranded. In the field, he made an error in the bottom of the seventh.

Jake Daubert had tripled to get it all started. Heinie Groh singled him home. At this point, it was the Reds ahead of the White Sox, convincingly. As in, 7-1. Edd Roush bunted to third basemen Buck Weaver. Weaver's throw to first was not a good one. And it was not handled properly by Chick Gandil. To be fair, Gandil lost the ball, only after colliding with Roush. However, an error was charged to Gandil. Groh motored to third. And with runners on the corners, it was Pat Duncan that forced the Groh. The play was Swede Risberg to Eddie Collins. But that was all the White Sox got. Collins' throw to first was too late and Groh scored.

The second contest, also in Cincinnait, was a struggle. The home team came out on top, 4-2, despite being outhit 10-4. Two errors by the Reds in the top of the gave the visitors two runs. Meaning, no RBIs for anyone on the White Sox.

It was a strange game, as even some of the proven or suspected fixers appeared to be trying. Lefty Williams, the Chicago starter, seemed to be giving it his all through three innings. Our boy Chick Gandil had his chances to make a difference, but did not.

It all started in the bottom of the second. A promising first inning for the White Sox had been diffused quickly. Eddie Collins had drawn a one-out walk. But then Buck Weaver lined into an inning-ending double play. The Reds had some back luck of their own in the last of the first. Heinie Groh got a hold of one and hit it well to right. But Shano Collins made a terrific catch to end a 1-2-3 inning by Lefty Williams.

The second frame was better. Shoeless Joe Jackson doubled. Happy Felsch bunted him to third. The Reds played the infield in, and it worked. All Chick Gandil could do was ground out. And when Swede Risberg flied out, a promising scoring opportunity was gone.

The Reds got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the second, but then a double play was turned by the Sox. And when Larry Koft flied out, that was that.

Some good fielding by Cincinnati averted possible trouble for the Reds in the top of the third. Catcher Ray Schalk made some good contact, but Edd Roush went to the gap in right-centre and hauled 'er in. Lefty Williams was not a good hitter. And since he was in on the fix, you'd have figured making an out here would be pretty harmless. Instead, the career .159 hitter singled. It seemd like the Chicago White Sox pitcher was doing everything he could (At this point) to help his team win. Alas, the next two batters couldn't help Williams. Shano Collins lined out. Eddie Collins grounded to first, where Jake Daubert make the play himself.

Lefty Williams got Cincy 1-2-3 in the last of the third, to keep pace with a very ordinary Slim Sallee. The Chicago bats kept coming up with hits, but they lacked that one stroke that could make a difference in this contest.

You'd think Chicago was going to finally score when Buck Weaver and Joe Jackson wasted no time in getting on base in the top of the fourth. Both players found Slim Sallee's first pitch hittable. And each got a single. Happy Felsch liked what he saw in Sallee's first pitch, too. But Happy was up there to get those runners over. So again, Felsch bunted, moving Buck Weaver to third and Joe Jackson to second. Slim Sallee was throwing the ball badly. Not one called strike yet after three batters faced in the top of the fourth. Chick Gandil was up. A single here and it's 2-0. Chick didn't wait. This was the fourth straight batter who swung at the first offering from Slim Sallee. However, the result was a grounder to first, in which Buck Weaver tried to score on but was thrown out at the dish by Jake Daubert. There were still runners on the corners, but now two out.

A possible dumb move was then done by Gandil. Although he'd stolen ten bases in 1919, to attempt so here would be foolish. You don't want to end the inning by being caught stealing. Gandil slid into second...Only to find out he'd caught everybody napping. Cincinnati Reds' catcher Bill Rariden had merely tossed the ball back to Slim Sallee. So I guess Gandil might as well have walked into second. All this was for not, as Swede Risberg couldn't come through. He popped up behind first, Jake Daubert making the catch in shallow right.

Well, that lack of clutch hitting sure cost the visiting team. Cincinnati made 'em pay in their turn at the dish. The bottom of the fourth began with Morrie Rath drawing a walk. A sacrifice bunt moved him into scoring position. Lefty Williams' control was becoming a question mark after issuing another walk. Edd Roush singled to centre, making it 1-0 for Cincinnati. Roush then did the same stupid thing Chick Gandil did earlier this inning. With Heinie Groh on third, Roush tried to make it two runners in scoring position. Unlike Gandil, he was not successful. Chicago got a big out there.

However, Pat Duncan kept the inning alive with, you guessed it, another walk of Lefty Williams. Then, a big hit by the Reds. Larry Kopf send it way over Joe Jackson's head in left. All the way to the screen for a triple. Two more runs and a 3-0 lead for the home team.

Cincy added a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Williams shut them out the rest of the way. Lefty's team wasn't getting the hits when he needed them too, alas. Take Chick Gandil for instance. He started the top of the seventh the wrong way, by grounding out to first. Swede Risberg singled. And when Ray Schalk followed with one of his own, the Reds started having trouble fielding. First, they tried to get Schalk at second (Risberg had made it to third), and failed. The throw from Greasy Neale was way off line. Heinie Groh, who was the Reds' third basemen, had to fetch the thing in foul territory. You see, no one backed up second! Risberg scored. Groh got to the ball, and saw a streaking Ray Schalk. Schalk headed home himself in all this confusion. The throw from third ended up hitting him. But it didn't stop a second run from touching home. So much for Cincinnati having this thing on cruise control the rest of the way.

The home team managed to get just one more baserunner the rest of the way as Lefty Williams held Cincinnati at bay. Actually, credit must go to Happy Felsch in centre, who made a fine catch in the bottom of the eighth and doubled up Heinie Groh. The play went Felsch, to second basemen Eddie Collins, to first basemen Chick Gandil.

So Gandil was involved in a nice fielding play. That's surprising. But what about his bat? The eighth inning had gone by uneventfully for the Chicago bats. Joe Jackson hit a grounder to second with two outs and the bases empty. Morrie Rath got to it, but Jackson beat the throw to first, keeping the inning alive. Worse still, the throw was off the target, and Shoeless Joe made it to second. There, he stayed as Happy Felsch hit a low liner to third. Heinie Groh could only knock it down, so he had to throw to first to get Felsch. And was glad he did, as Heinie had cost his team a run an inning earilier.

Chick Gandil did start the top of the ninth the right way with a single. So the tying run was at the dish in this 4-2 ballgame. But only temporarily, as Swede Risberg hit into a double play. Ray Schalk, as he had in the seventh inning, singled. Fred McMullin batted for Lefty Williams, but ended the game by grounding out.

What did in Chicago was starter Lefty Williams lack of control. Sure, he'd gone eight strong innings, but Williams walked six batters. Remember those three big mistakes by issuing bases on balls in the bottom of the fourth.

Things got better for Chicago when they returned home. Their pitching certainly held up. Dickie Kerr pitched a pretty-much needed shutout. Though the White Sox bats woke up, it was barely enough.

Joe Jackson led off the last of the last of the second with a single on the very first pitch he saw. Happy Felsch tried for still another bunt, and pitcher Ray Fischer tried to get Jackson at second. All Fischer ended up doing was tossing the ball into centre field. Shoeless Joe fell after passing second, but the fleet-footed outfielder still managed to get to third despite a great throw by Edd Roush. The Reds perhaps should have played this the safe way. First, they'd tried to get the lead runner and failed. Then, they should have given up on the speedy Joe Jackson and thrown to second to stop Happy Felsch. Because of those two mistakes, there were two runners in scoring position. 

Chick Gandil, perhaps trying his best, singled home both men to put Chicago up 2-0. But other than that, it wasn't that much of an impression by the home team in this game. How many hits did they get off Ray Fisher and Dolph Luque (Who pitched the eighth inning for the Reds)? Just seven. Chick Gandil was retired the next two times up, not even getting the ball out of the infield. In the bottom of the sixth, Gandil looked at strike three. Though Shoeless Joe and Happy Felsch had both reached base that inning, they each had gotten greedy. They both ended up being caught stealing.

Well, if that game wasn't a good enough impression for Chicago, the next two games weren't either. Actually, they were worse. Seems like the fixers (Proven or suspected) were actually the only ones good enough on offence in the pivotal fourth contest in Chicago. The White Sox managed just three hits. The Reds only had five themselves as Eddie Cicotte pitched much better than in the opening bout. The problem here, was Cicotte's fielding. It was atrocious.

But it seemed like the last of the second was time for another possible two (Or more) runs for the White Sox. Shoeless Joe Jackson did even better than he had at this point in the third contest. He leadoff with a two-bagger. Happy Felsch bunted him to third. And here's where Chick Gandil didn't come through. All he did was pop out. Swede Risberg was in on the fix, too. But here, Swede walked. And stole second. Perhaps Risberg was trying to end the inning with a caught stealing? Ray Schalk was not in on the fix, but he also walked. The bases were loaded for Eddie Cicotte. All Eddie could do was ground out.

The next inning saw another scoring opportunity arise for Chicago. The game was scoreless in the bottom of the third. But here, Eddie Collins reached first when he took one for the team. Buck Weaver grounded out, and Collins was now on second. The inning should have ended as Shoeless Joe sent a grounder to second. Alas, Morrie Rath made an error, putting runners on the corners. Happy Felsch grounded out to third to end that.

Eddie Cicotte seemed to be trying to make amends for his lackluster game one effort here. But with one out, his peg to first on grounder by Pat Duncan was wide of the bag. Duncan made it all the way to second. Larry Kopf singled to left. Joe Jackson got to it and fired home. Here's where Eddie Cicotte failed again. He intercepted Jackson's throw for some reason. Or at least tried to. The ball ended up deflecting past everyone, including catcher Ray Schalk. So the ice ended up being broken on the play.

Cincinnati wasn't through. A double to left followed, and it was 2-0, Reds. That also ended up being the final score. And it's not like the momentum didn't carry over to the next game. Or even game six.

It was the Reds winning game five, 5-0. So Cincy pitchers Jimmy Ring and Hod Eller had back-to-back shutouts in the 1919 World Series. Back-to-back three-hitters, too. In the bottom of the second, down went Chick Gandil on strikes, as Hod Eller was on the way to a Fall Classic record of six straight strikeouts (To this day, the only starter ever to accomplish this). The win didn't actually clinch the series for the National League winners, as it was best-of-nine. Still, up 4-1 in the October Classic, the Reds appeared to be home free. They'd have not one, but two opportunities to clinch it at home.

Supposedly, Chicago had a change of heart at this point. Supposedly. Their efforts the last two games, plus the opening tilt, had to be raising some eyebrows. It's not like the sixth contest started out any better.

For starters, the Reds' hurler was Dutch Ruether. He'd been amazing in game one. One unearned run allowed. And just six hits permitted in an easy win. Plus, Dickie Kerr was back, but not effective. Kerr had the White Sox only win so far with a fine effort in the first game in Chicago. 

But here, Dickie just didn't seem to have it. Or maybe Cincinnati just were hitting better. In any event, it was 4-0 for the Reds after four innings. The home team could see the finish line. Yet, quickly the White Sox brought the Reds' faithful back to earth.

Eddie Collins drove home the first Chicago run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. Yet, it looked bad, as Cincinnati managed to turn a double play when Dickie Kerr ran to an occupied base as Swede Risberg tagged and scored from third. Kerr was on the verge of hitting the showers in this contest, and wasn't helping on the bases, either.

Nonetheless, the Sox tied the game in the sixth, but no thanks to Chick Gandil. Buck Weaver was the catalyst. He doubled to start the inning. Joe Jackson drove him home with a single. The other big hit was Happy Felsch, who did Jackson better, by doubling. The type of hit you need to keep a rally going. Jackson scored on the play, to make it a one-run game.

Now here's where Chick Gandil was needed. All Chick could do pop out. Swede Risberg also was retired, and Felsch was still on second. Two away. Ray Schalk tied the game with a clutch single.

The game remained tied until extras. But it's not like Chicago didn't have their chances. And they really needed to take advantage of them. Cincinnati sure wasn't. They'd had a man on third with less than two outs in the fourth. However, Jake Daubert flied out to Joe Jackson in left. But Morrie Rath tagged at third and tried to score. Jackson nailed him at the dish. Because it was 4-0 for the Reds at this point, the play didn't seem like such a big deal.

However, it was one of the reasons it was 4-4 after nine innings. The home team left a man on third in the fifth. They put two on for Edd Roush in the seventh, but another double play ended that. Two more men were on with two away in the last of the eighth for Cincinnati. Bill James began to looses up in the Chicago bullpen. The situation sure cried out for a pinch hitter by Cincinnati. For some reason, the Reds let their pitcher, Jimmy Ring, bat for himself. Needless to say, Ring didn't do the job.

Now, Chicago made some noise in the top of the eighth, too. Shoeless Joe walked. With one away, our boy Chick Gandil walked. Edd Roush then saved Cincinnati with an excellent catch of Swede Risberg. Jackson was doubled off second base. It was the second double play Roush had helped turn against Chicago in this game. The Reds' centre fielder was having quite an afternoon. He'd gotten a hit, gotten hit, and scored a run. What hadn't happened to him?

Jimmy Ring may have been tiring in this game, though. The White Sox just hadn't had any luck with him in this World Series. Ring had won the pivotal game four with an excellent three-hit shutout. Here, Chicago seemed to be doing better, but he kept the shutout streak of his going. He walked another batter in the ninth. His pitching line read: Four innings, no runs, one hit, and one strikeout! The three bases on balls might have been a concern. But when you've gone thirteen straight innings without allowing a run, who cares?

But if the Chicago White Sox couldn't buy a run off Jimmy Ring, then the Cincinnati Reds couldn't buy a run off Dickie Kerr past the fourth frame. Although Cincinnati had eleven hits off him in only nine innings, the White Sox pitcher was battling all the way

It was in the top of the tenth that Chicago broke the 4-4 tie. Buck Weaver again ignited it. Again he doubled. Joe Jackson tried to sacrifice Weaver to third. Would you believe it, Jackson did better? He beat out the throw from catcher Bill Rariden. So now there were runners on the corners for the visiting White Sox. Happy Felsch fanned, which was the second strikeout by Jimmy Ring in just 4 1/3 innings pitched. Would our boy Chick Gandil come through?

Cincinnati moved the infield in to cut of the go-ahead run. Instead, it was the Chicago first basemen that hit a bouncer...Into the outfield! 5-4, White Sox. It seemed like they were destined for more, with two on and only one away. A liner by Swede Risberg was snared, and Joe Jackson was doubled off second. Seems like fate was against the White Sox, even if everyone was trying their best.

Well, no matter. Down went Cincinnati 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth. So the Reds still lead the series 4-2, with another chance to clinch at home in game seven.

The good news for the White Sox was they were facing Slim Sallee again. Chicago seemed to like facing him in the World Series. They'd gotten ten hits off him in the second contest here. Back in 1917, Sallee had pitched for the New York Giants against Chicago in the World Series.

The first time Sallee faced Chicago in that Fall Classic, he was narrowly beaten, 2-1. But he allowed just seven hits. The next outing for Slim in the 1917 World Series was a disaster. He lasted just 7 1/3 innings, giving up 13 hits. Add to that, another 10 hits by Chicago in the second contest two years later, and this might have been a bad situation for Cincinnati.

But then again, Eddie Cicotte was 0-2 in the 1919 Fall Classic. Even with a 1.57 earned run average, Eddie was just 1-1 in the World Series two years earlier. He'd never really pitched well in the postseason. Cicotte had given up 23 hits in 23 innings pitched in 1917. He'd given up 7 hits in just 3 2/3 innings in game one of the 1919 World Series. Game four had been better. Well, pitching-wise. His fielding had been terrible.

The end result was positive for the Chicago White Sox, as they won 4-1. The game itself was sort of like game three, in that they weren't overwhelming with their offence, and Cicotte sort of faded in the later stages of the game. Let me explain.

First, Chicago offence. It came early. Real early. And exclusively off the starting pitching. 

In the last of the first, Shano Collins led off with a single off Slim Sallee. Then Eddie Collins, who was not related to Shano, bunted. Buck Weaver flew out, though, and the rally appeared to be dying.

However, Shoeless Joe Jackson singled home Shano Collins, and the home team was ahead for good. The Reds then began their day of bad fielding. Jackson took too big of a turn around first, and was hung up. Morrie Rath's peg to first basemen Jack Daubert didn't go as planned, enabling Jackson to get back safely. Did Chick Gandil help, though? Happy Felsch moved Jackson to second with a single. But all Gandil could do is force Felsch at second.

The third inning started out with a promise of a huge frame. Not only did Shano Collins single again, but Eddie Collins followed suit. Buck Weaver, though, hit into a double play. Joe Jackson salvaged a run in the inning with another RBI single. Still, it seemed like Chicago could have gotten more.

With one away in the fifth, it was time for the White Sox to score more. Eddie Collins singled with one out. Then the Reds' infield couldn't field. First, Buck Weaver reached on an error by Heinie Groh. Then Shoeless Joe Jackson reached on an error by Morrie Rath. Originally, this was scored a hit by Jackson. Changed to an error later, and one of four that Cincinnati made in the contest.

So Happy Felsch singled, scoring two runs unearned. It was 4-0 now, and Cincinnati was playing really bad. Whenever Jackson batted, the Reds made errors. Speaking of Shoeless Joe, he was now on second with just one out.

Poor Slim Sallee. 4 1/3 innings pitched. 9 hits allowed. It was time for a shower. In came Ray Fisher. Chick Gandil, looking for his fifth RBI of the 1919 Fall Classic, grounded right back to him, sending Joe Jackson to third. The inning ended as Swede Risberg fanned.

Cincinnati had a chance at Eddie Cicotte in the fifth. They put two men on. Dutch Ruether, who'd been hitting well, actually got up there as a pinch hitter (For pitcher Ray Fisher. The very man who couldn't close the deal on Chicago in game six, now had a chance to get his team back into contention here the next contest. But Ruether who was hitting .800 (4-6), popped out to Buck Weaver at third. Morrie Rath then grounded out to Buck Weaver at third.

The home team had a new pitched in the sixth innings. Cuban Dolf Luque came in. With two away, Shano Collins doubled. It would be the only hit off Luque. His effort in keeping Chicago at bay was rewarded soon enough. Cincinnati broke Eddie Cicotte's shutout bid in the last of the bottom of the six via a pair of two-baggers.

In the seventh, the Reds got two more on but did not score. Chick Gandil came back up in the top of the eight and hit one to left. Larry Koft, the shortstop, raced into short left to make the catch. It was an easy 1-2-3 inning for Dolph Luque. The ninth inning was no different for him. The Reds should have brought him in sooner. Cicotte didn't have an easy time in the ninth as Cincinnati refused to go away. A pair of two out singles put the tying run at the dish. Morrie Rath flew out to right.

So this 1919 World Series had been all Cincinnati's sans the third contest. But now, suddenly, Chicago was right back in the hunt. They'd been getting the clutch hits recently that had eluded them earlier.

Back home in Chicago, a determined Cincinnati team was determined to settle this nonsense. They rushed out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Chicago should have gotten one run back, as they put runners on second and third in the bottom of the frame. However, Nemo Leibold failed to tag up on a ball hit behind third in foul territory. So the inning ended with the Reds with a comfortable lead. They didn't look back.

In the top of the second, the visiting Cincinnati team added another run. It was done the ugly way. A double by Edd Roush scored Heinie Groh. Roush, however, rounded second and had ideas of getting to within ninety feet away from the dish. However, his counterpart in centre, Nemo Leibold, sprang into action. Normally, that position was played by Oscar "Happy" Felsch, one of the better outfielders of the day. Leibold got the ball back to Swede Risberg at short. Caught in a rundown, Edd Roush was putout shortly thereafter. It wouldn't be the Reds' centre fielders' only moment of embarrassment on the afternoon. He'd be a well-red-faced Red come the eighth inning. Still, it was now 5-0 for Cincy after 1 1/2 innings before our boy even had a chance to pick up a bat.

It seemed like the Reds' pitcher, Hod Eller, was hitable this game. He'd had little to not problems with the White Sox in the fifth contest. Here, it was a struggle for him. Like Slim Sallee in the second tilt, he managed to pitch out of trouble. At least for a while.

Chick Gandil wasn't helping matters. He was just two for his last twelve. And here, Chick got things off on the wrong foot as he lined out to Jake Daubert at first.

Gandil was the first batter in the second. From there, though, things got troublesome for Hod Eller. Swede Risberg walked. Catcher Ray Schalk should have been the second out, but his counterpart on Cincinnati, Bill Rariden, dropped the ball. It certainly appeared to be a costly error as Schalk singled. The Sox catcher was doing everything he could to help his team here. He'd been throwing out baserunners behind the dish at a record pace. Chicago had three hits off Hod Eller in 1 1/3 inning. That was their total in the entire fifth game.

Nonetheless, Hod bore down. For some reason or another, Chicago sent up pitcher Bill James to hit next. James had relieved a battered Lefty Williams in the first frame, but was no hitter (.142 lifetime). This would be his last major league game. Bill popped out. Nemo Leibold fanned.

The White Sox did get on the board in the last of the third as Shoeless Joe Jackson hit a solo home run. But the Reds quickly went back to work. They had a chance in the top of the fourth but failed to score despite Hod Eller getting hit by a pitch and two straight singles. Eller tried to score on the second single, but again Nemo Leibold had other ideas, nailing him at the dish.

A setback, for sure, for the Reds. But they weren't done. Chick Gandil got to bat in the bottom of the fourth, but was merely part of a 1-2-3 inning by Hod Eller, who appeared to have things back in order. Cincinnati gave him some breathing room as Larry Kopf hit a two out triple in the top of the fifth. Greasy Neale hit the ball to the hole in left. Both Buck Weaver and Swede Risberg were of the attitude, "It's yours!" Well, neither men got to the ball. 6-1, Reds.|

Soon, the lead swelled to 9-1 in the top of the sixth. However, Buck Weaver led off the bottom half of the inning with a single. Joe Jackson gave it a ride to centre for the first out. Happy Felsch also hit it to centre fielder Edd Roush, who wasn't having any problems in the field - yet. Chick Gandil ended the inning by flying out to Greasy Neal in right.

The Reds weren't exactly letting up, and extended their lead to 10-1 going into the bottom of the eight. Here's where the White Sox woke up, but really it was more a case of the outfield of the Reds sleeping on the job.

Nemo Leibold led off with a fly to right. Greasy Neale made the catch. One away. But then the wheels came off Hod Eller's chariot. Eddie Collins singled. Buck Weaver doubled. When Joe Jackson followed Weaver's two-bagger with one of his owm, it was 10-3. But that's really all the home team should have got.

Happy Felsch was retired on a pop out to Jake Daubert at first. Two away. The third out should have followed, but our boy came through, aided by the sun. Greasy Neale couldn't come up with a ball hit his direction. Gandil ended up on third. The triple cashed in Jackson. Edd Roush himself had problems with Swede Risberg. The error allowed Chick Gandil to score, making it 10-5.

Well, the visitors still were doublin' up on the home team, but their fielding was now terrible. Mercifully speaking, the inning came to an end as Ray Schalk was retired. The ninth inning wasn't too eventful, although Cincinnati got a man on and Chicago threatened with two runners in scoring position. The score remained 10-5 as the game and series ended with Joe Jackson grounding out to second basemen Morrie Rath.

For Chick Gandil, this was his last major league game. A holdout the next season, he stayed home. Chick had asked for $10,000 from Chicago despite all that he earned from being involved in the scandal. Ironically, it was during the 1920 season that he played in and outlaw league. With commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis' 1921 decree that all the "Black Sox" players were banned for life, this would be the only baseball Gandil and the seven others would ever play the rest of their lives. He lived until 1970. At the time of his death, he was one of only two players banned for life for fixing the 1919 World Series that were still alive. Swede Risberg would die five years later, which sort of closed the book on the fixing of the Fall Classic. The White Sox, as a team, would not return to the World Series until 1959. And the Pale Hose wouldn't win the World Series again until 2005.

References

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Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Taylor Publishing Company, 1992.

Gropman, Donald. Say It Ain’t So, Joe!: The True Story of Shoeless Joe Jackson, Revised ed. Citadel Press, 1992, pp. 156–231.

Halfon, Mark S. “The Black Sox Scandals.” Tales from the Deadball Era: Ty Cobb, Home Run Baker, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the Wildest Times in Baseball History. Potomac Books, 2014, pp. 144–158.
 

Hornbaker, Tim. “The Conspiracy Unfolds.” Fall from Grace: The Truth and Tragedy of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. Sports Publishing, 2018, pp. 158–172. 


Nemec, et al. The Baseball Chronicle: Year-By-Year History of Major League Baseball. Publications International, Ltd. 2008.
 

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

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-----------The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

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Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns. “The Faith of Fifty Million People.” Baseball: An Illustrated History, Alfred A. Knopf, 2010, pp. 133–141.