Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19


Now that it has been pro
4 the 1919 world series, the 81
inning.
Recently I heard group of fiv
versed in base ball, and the CONVEX.
but finally narrowed down to the
cinnati.
which implicated a number Of other
players, I have read and listened to a
lot of stuff from the II told you so"
brigade. A lot Of people claim they
knew Cicotte wasn't trying to pitch. that
Lefty Williams plainly showed he was
trying to walk any number OF Cincin-
natl hitters, that Happy Felscn was
trying to catch the bali much after the
manner of a blindfolded man, that Joe
Jackson was trying to strike out in the
pinch, and hitting home runs when
they didn't count. J3ckson's perform
ance woull be some feat in itself.
Regarded n. silly Patter.
\ That may sound all right to the ever
suspicious. who are always willing to
believe anything that hurts the integ-
rity of the game, and the honesty OF
the players as whole. All the stun
Of that nature which ] have read or
heard strikes me as the silly patter of
the second guesser was one of the
four umpires in that series. Being on
the field, in close contact with the
players. in the best possible position
to analyze the plays. what thought
the public.
One Of the fellows in the group. no.
ticing 1 was a silent listener, decided
to draw me into conversation.
well, Bill, you umpired that series.
You are supposed to know something
. about base ball. How did it strike you?
Give us some Of the inside stuff"
The 1919 world series is a nightmare
to me, now that i know. it was crooked.
hate to think about it. I had such
confidence in the integrity of every
man connected with base ball that
didn't believe it possible Any one who
knows base bail knows that to pu. over
a crooked deal it is necessary that
most OF the team be implicated I did
not think such a thing possible yet it
seems that the trick was turned Just
how difficult it is to throw game.
and do it without. creating suspicion
is shown by the fact that Dick Kerr
was able to win two games for Chi
cago despite the efforts of number
Of his teammates to the contrary.
have discussed the 1919 series but lit
tie, because of the heartaches it gives
me. but accepted the invitation and
unfolded my Impressions, which shall
repeat here for the fans in general !.
Adnits He Was Fooled.
The White Sox fooled me completely
in the 1913 series. I knew the club
didn't play up to form. regarded the
Sox as better team than the Reds.
Yet in the 1913 series felt Cincinnati
in the eight games played. was the
better team and deserved to win. The
best clubs do not always win the
world series. and clubs do not always
play up to FORM The Cubs in 1906
were better than the Sox. but they
played away below form and lost.
The Athletics in 1874 were FAR SD
beaten In four. straight games. 1t was
easy to excuse the defeat Of Chicago
In 1913. even though It was generally
regarded as much the better team.
Since the expose of the crooked
work on the part Of the Sox have
heard much criticism OF the pitching
OF Lefty Williams. Now that we know
things were not right it il easy to
pick the work of Williams to pieces.
Much stress has been laid on the
the second game. was the umpire
back OF the plate in that game. and
was In perfect pos ton to pass
criticism on the work Of Williams.
The Chicago southpaw is q pitcher
who ALWAYS had the reputation of
working the corners keening the
bail on the inside or outside Of the
plate. where II was most difIicult for
the batter to get hold of 1t. 3
In the -fouYth inning I walked three
rnen-Rath. Groh and Duncan-and an
three scored. on a single bv Roush
and triple by Kopf In the sixth
Roush was given base on balls,
sacr.fced TO second and scored on q
single by Neale. Thus all four runs
in that game werc the direct results
OF bases IN balls 80 =
OF the four men Ewslked. WiIfsrns
didn't throw one ball Tint would have
feen fsssed 3 s a real bad pitch Every
BALL delivered wss at the waist line. ana
not one OF them was over six inches
inside or outside and most OF them
much less than that. There wasn't q
ball around the shoe tops or above the
shoulders so that even spectator in
center Held would have known 1t was a
bail. regarded the loss of that game
at the time as one of the hardest hit
OF luck / ever saw a pitcher go mn
against. thought the control of viii
Iianns was lt1st a bit of. Later evenfs
have made it seem that his control that
AFTERNOON was really uncanny.
Nothing Unusual in Reyersals.
In the final game did see doe jack
son strike out in a pinch with the bases
hlied, and a few innings later knoct. .
nome run with no one on That was
not unusual-star batters often do n
A number of tf-res last summer Rahe
lseeA. "tfaiAco WIKI men on. and then a
Few innings later. with the bases en,n-
~. knocked home run. Happy Felsrh
did play some bad ball. misjudyinr =
couple OF flies. but all the great field-
ers, Speaker. Roush and the rest or
them. occasionally misiudge fiy balls
On'y once In the series did / rave st
the way the Chicago club was nlayino
and then with no thought of susnicjon
but with pure disgust. This was after
the fourth game. in which the bra
Eddie Cicotte. after making a wide
throw to first. followed 1t up by cutting
on a perfect THROW to the plate. de-.
Meeting the ball to the grandxta nd
making 1t possible for CINCINNATI 70
srore the only two runs Of the game Z
didn't think the crafty Cicotte could
pull such bone" with the play right
in front of him.
nave worked in a number Of world
series. and the 1919 affair looked NO
dinerent to me than any other. How
ever. we know it was all wrong and
the guilty parties are to be punished
Jhere can be no penalty too severe
Tor those who have dragged the game
into disgrace. Yet IL has been verv
funny TO me to listen to the second
Euessers. who now insist they knew
wasn't on the square. Strikes me
they did the game an injustice nv
keeping under cover.
e(,D0yri1hx ION - vv ~