New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-30
Cicotte
Dependence Of
Chicago S Club

TIME main pitching dependence OF
the White Soy, in the world
championship series with the
Giants. will be Eddie Cicotte, a right
handler. who has won more games than
any other American League pitcher
this year.
Cicctte needs no introduction to
major league fans. He has been hang
ing around the big tent long enough
for everybody who knows at all any
thing about baseball TO get acquainted
with him.
Cicotte's is one of the very strangest
careers of baseball history. He got his
first major league trial twelve years
ago last spring with the Tigers. For
he is a Detroit product. That is, he
was reared in the rural districts near
Detroit Since 1908, when he caught on
steadily with the Boston Red Sox,
Cicotte has been an American League
fixture.
Few pitchers stand 10 through the
As an ordinary rule pitcher who does
not show results in three or four years
meets with the cold shoulder. Ccotte
not only did not show a great deal
after four years, but he appeared to
have failed so badly that only luck
kept him from the obscurity Of the
minors.
Twelve Years to Develop
II took twelve long years for Cicotte
70 develop exceptional worth. Until
this year he just barely managed to get
by. He did little better than break
even with clubs that bettered the 800
winning percentage. As far back as
1912 most everybody but Cicotte HIM
self gave this years sensation up as
bad article.
Cicotte got all the worst of the break
in luck that season. He started out on
his fifth consecutive season with the
Red Sox so poorly that Jake Stahl gave
him up. Waivers were asked. The Chi
cago White Sox alone refused to let
Cicotte go back to the sticks. He was
transferred to Chicago on July %.
That was the year the Boston Red Sox
won a pennant and a world series from
the Giants. Cicotte's transfer kept him
cut of the richest prize money ever
divided by the players.
Until this year with Chicago Cicotte
showed little Improvement over his
Boston form. He had just one striking,
saving grace. He could always beat
the Yankees. And as the Yankees, as
a rule, proved troublesome 70 the White
Sox. Cicotte was carried along because
of his particular effectiveness against
them.
Throughout his career Cicotte showed
periodic flashes Of that exceptional mer-
it which has characterized this record
breaking season for him. When he first
broke in with the Hub outfit he ap-
peared destined 70 greatness through
the use Of the "knuckle" ball. which
was invented by Eddie Summers, Of the
Tigers. Cicotte, however, did not have
a good fast ball and after time the
batterS solved his main foil.
Master of Freak Ball
There is great divergence of
opinion as 70 the reason of Cicotte's
unusual success this season. The
White Sox star is supposed to be the
great master of new and freak de-
livery which is known as the "shine"
ball. Some wise managers declare that
the peculiar effect Of this mystery ball
is secured by doctoring the pellets.
Others, quite as sharp, are of the
opinion that the shine ball is half hoax
and half optical delusion.
The delivery was invented by DAN
forth, a southpaw of the White Sox
By some mysterious meals half OF the
ball is badly discolored, the other half
maintaining its virgin wilderness. The
pitcher using it before delivery rubs
the sphere on mis- shirt or trousers.
The theory is that in some way he
effects e polish on one spot, from
which, because of air friction, a break
similar to that OF the splitter is Sc
curad