THE TEAMS With one World Series championship under their belt, the Chicago White Sox were an emerging dynasty in 1919. With a consistent core lineup and a strong pitching staff, manager William “Kid” Gleason could look forward to competing with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians for many American League pennants in the years ahead. The White Sox were led by three future Hall of Famers: Eddie Collins at second base, Ray Schalk at catcher, and pitcher Urban “Red” Faber. If not for the Black Sox Scandal, they might have had a few more Cooperstown inductees. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, at the top of the White Sox rotation, accounted for 52 of Chicago’s 88 wins in the regular season. Faber was injured for most of
provide steady production in the middle of the Reds’ lineup. Left fielder Greasy Neale was one of four Reds to record more than 10 triples, taking advantage of the cavernous dimensions of their home ballpark, then called Redland Field. The Reds’ true strength came from their pitching staff, which was extraordinarily deep by the standards of the Deadball Era. In a time when most teams relied on one or two pitchers to carry the load, the Reds had five quality starters: Dutch Ruether, Slim Sallee, Ray Fisher, Jimmy Ring, and Hod Eller. They posted an NL-best 23 shutouts and a team ERA of 2.23. Cuban-born right-hander Adolfo Luque was also a valuable and versatile pitcher who could be called on in any situation. THE FIX As long as there has been baseball, there has been betting on baseball. The first documented fixed game in America took
197. 1919 World Series Game 3 Starters Dick Kerr & Ray Fischer Original Type 1 News Service Photo by Underwood (PSA/DNA) MINIMUM BID: $100
198. c.1910’s Swede Risberg Original Type 1 News Service Photo by Charles Conlon (PSA/DNA) MINIMUM BID: $100
the summer and his absence from the World Series roster had a profound effect on the events ahead. Their lineup was paced by Collins and left fielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, arguably baseball’s best pure hitter. Power-hitting center fielder Oscar “Happy” Felsch was an emerging star and veteran third baseman Buck Weaver was one of the most popular players in the game. Manager Gleason could count on penciling in his eight regular starters almost every day. The Cincinnati Reds were a surprise contender in the National League, winning 96 games to outpace the New York Giants for their first pennant of the twentieth century. Their .686 winning percentage remains the highest in the franchise’s NL history, even better than the Big Red Machine dynasty of the 1970s. Center fielder (and future Hall of Famer) Edd Roush won his second batting title in 1919 and combined with first baseman Jake Daubert and third baseman Heinie Groh to
place in 1865 — the final year of the Civil War — a decade before the National League was formed. By the early twentieth century, despite half-hearted efforts by league officials to curb widespread gambling, it was as much a part of the sport’s culture as a hot dog at the ballpark. At Fenway Park in Boston, gamblers enjoyed their own “reserved” section in the right field pavilion. The first modern World Series in 1903, and several others thereafter, was marred by accusations of bribery and chicanery. Eddie Cicotte later testified that the White Sox players were aware of rumors that several Chicago Cubs players were paid off for losing the 1918 World Series to Babe Ruth’s Red Sox. (No evidence to corroborate Cicotte’s claim has surfaced since.) The plot to fix the 1919 World Series began in earnest about two weeks before the games began. Gandil and Cicotte
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