May 4, 2014

Newly Found 1919 World Series Video



Jacob Pomrenke, Chair of SABR's Black Sox Scandal Research Committee:
A quick 3-second clip beginning at the 3:06 mark of the video online appears to be one of the most disputed plays of the World Series, one of the plays famously circled by sports writer Hugh Fullerton on his scorecard in the press box: the botched double play ball hit by the Reds' Larry Kopf and fielded by White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte in the fourth inning.

Cicotte was said to have made "a dazzling play" to field the ball, but Swede Risberg was unable to turn the double play. At full speed, the play doesn't appear to be unusually suspicious and it is impossible to tell with any certainty whether Cicotte's throw to Swede Risberg at second base was too low or too slow, or whether Risberg delayed in making the double-play throw to Chick Gandil at first base. But according to the Chicago Tribune account of the game afterward, the Reds' 5-run rally in that inning "hung on the toenail" of Kopf beating the throw to first.

Only one thing is for sure: All three of the White Sox players involved in that play later admitted to receiving bribe money from gamblers to fix the World Series.

1 comment:

hrstrat57 said...

Fabulous find!

Thank you so much. I have always been pretty obsessed with the 1919 WS....this is fantastic stuff!

The size of the crowd, impressive!