Chicago White Sox - The First World War Years (1910-1919)

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1910

1913

1917

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Titles: 1917 (World Champs Beat the Giants)

Top White Sox Players of the first World War Years

1919 AL Champs (Lost to Cincinnati)

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Eddie Cicotte (44.68) - 90

South Side Park 1910 (thru June)

Jim Scott (25.57) - 60

White Sox Park (July 1910 thru 1912)

Ed Walsh (34.9) - 57

Comiskey Park (renamed from White Sox Park) (1913-1919)

Reb Russell (22.69) - 51

Red Faber (13.29) - 48

Team Name: White Sox

Joe Benz (19.77) - 40

Lefty Williams (10.45) - 34

Owner: Charles Comiskey

Doc White (7.26) - 26

Frank Lange (4.01) - 16

Managers: Hugh Duffy (1910-1911)

Dave Danforth (0.65) - 10

Nixey Callahan (1912-1914)

Mellie Wolfgang (5.39) - 4

Pants Rowland (1915-1918)

Kid Gleason (1919)

Catchers:

Ray Schalk (19.02) - 59

No Hitters:

Ed Walsh (1911)

First Basemen:

Joe Benz (1914)

Jack Fournier (11.79) - 33

Ed Cicotte (1917)

Chick Gandil (4.25) - 17

Hall of Famers:

Second Basemen:

Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins (29.64) - 63

Charles Comiskey

Red Faber

ShortStop:

Edd Roush

Buck Weaver (17.77) - 60

Ray Schalk

Swede Risberg (1.65) - 16

Ed Walsh

Lee Tannehill (4.75) - 12

Shoeless Joe Jackson (Pending)

Third Base:

MVP: None

Harry Lord (9.53) - 16

Fred McMullin (3.22) - 10

Notable Events:

Outfield:

1910 - White Sox Park opens on July 1 to a packed house. It is

Shano Collins (14) - 66

one of the first of the new wave of concrete stadiums built to

Happy Felsch (13.86) - 60

hold large crowds. The Sox play here for eighty years.

Shoeless Joe Jackson (20.28) - 36

Ping Bodie (7.26) - 26

1910 - Twenty four year old outfielder Shano Collins is brought up

Nemo Leibold (5.76) - 20

by the Sox beginning a productive career that lasts thru 1920. He had been

Rollie Zeider (5.09) - 13

playing in the minors for Springfield, IL.

Notable Events:

1911 - RHP Joe Benz, 25, is obtained from Des Moines. Joe was a spitballer

and knuckleballer and was a late bloomer, first joining organized ball at age 23.

1916 - LHP Dave Danforth, 26, is obtained from Louisville of the American

Association. He had pitched briefly several years earlier with the A's.

1912 - Future HOF Catcher Ray Schalk, 19, is obtained from AAA Milwaukee

for players and cash. He'll play 17 years with Chicago.

1916 - The Sox pick up Lefty Williams from Detroit, who inexplicably

gave up on the twenty three year old ace. He comes up from the minors

1912 - Jack Fournier, a twenty two year old first baseman,

to further boost the starting rotation as the Sox finish second. Lefty will be

is purchased from Boston. An excellent hitter, he couldn't

an ace for the Sox until suspended in the Black Sox scandal.

field and the Sox finally released him after the 1916 season. He

became more valuable when the dead ball era ended in 1920.

1917 - It all comes together as Chicago takes the World Series.

Its all done with pitching as the three Sox Hall of Fame

1912 - Twenty one year old shortstop Buck Weaver comes up to the

callibre regulars Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson and Ray Schalk

Sox. He is one of the better shortstops in the game until he is

have subpar seasons. However, the pitching is brilliant with

suspended for the Black Sox scandal after the 1920 season. It was

Ed Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Red Faber, Reb Russell, Jim Scott,

a sad case because Weaver shouldn't have been suspended.

Joe Benz and Dave Danforth combining for a team 2.16 ERA

1912 - Twenty eight year old righty Eddie Cicotte is purchased from Boston.

1919 - Chicago wins the 1919 American League pennant. However,

He becomes a mainstay of the Chicago staff until his suspension in 1920

there is legitimate disenchantment among a number of players

due to the Black Sox scandal

due to low pay. This, plus the Sox had a low life named Chick Gandil

as their first baseman. Gandil, who had underworld connections,

1913 - The Sox go to Europe with the Giants playing a series of

laid the groundwork for the biggest scandal in baseball history.

exhibition games.

The (Black) Sox threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Gandil was the conduit between gambler Arnold Rothstine and the

1913 - LHP Reb Russell, 24, is obtained from Ft. Worth of the Texas League

disgruntled White Sox players. A couple of ex sports figures, Abe

in the Rule 5 draft.

Attel and Bill Burns were also go-betweens. The Chicago players,

other than Gandil, who were involved were Buck Weaver, Happy

1914 - Future Hall of Fame pitcher Red Faber comes up to the Sox

Felsch, Swede Risberg, Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Eddie Cicotte,

as a twenty five year old rookie. Faber had been with the Pirates organization

and Lefty Williams.

earlier in his career and was sold to Des Moines from where the White Sox

bought him

1920 - The scandal broke during the season and by the end of the

season, it was apparent that eight players would face criminal

1915 - Chicago makes a major leap forward in the standings improving

charges. The Sox came close to winning the 1920 pennant and it

from 70 wins to 93 wins. There are several additions responsible for

would have been interesting to see what would have happened had

the jump. Outfielder Happy Felsch is a twenty three year old rookie

they won it. The eight involved were suspended three days from the

who stars until 1920 when he is suspended from baseball. Future

end of the season. Chicago was close enough at that point where, if they

Hall of Famer Eddie Collins is purchased from Connie Mack and the

swept the last three, the Sox would have tied for the pennant. As it was,

A's in one of Mack's two major firesales during his tenure in

without the eight suspended players, the Sox lost two of the three.

Philadelphia. Shoeless Joe Jackson is obtained from Cleveland

whose owner Charles Somers is hurting financially. Jackson, one of

the greatest hitters of all time spearheads the Chicago lineup until

his suspension after the 1920 season. Felsch had been picked up from

AAA Milwaukee.