1919 World Series Replay: Game 8

By Mike Lynch

CHICAGO-After falling behind four games to one in this best-of-nine World Series, the Chicago White Sox were left for dead. But they pulled to within one game of the Reds with their two victories in Cincinnati. So one would have expected the city of Chicago to be in a festive mood heading into Game 8. One would have been mistaken. The city was all business yesterday, a stark contrast to previous games played in the heart of Illinois that were preceded by parades, featuring brass bands, streamers, pennants and the constant reverberation of firecrackers exploding in the streets. Chicago fans were enthusiastic, but sober, ready to accept defeat, but hoping beyond hope that after nine innings their team would be around to play another day. They got their wish. The hometown heroes pummeled the visitors from Cincinnati in a stirring swatfest, 8-3, scoring three runs in the sixth to break the game open, before adding three more in the eighth to put it away. Thanks to another workmanlike performance from pitcher Lefty Williams and an offense that finally came to life in the face of elimination, the White Sox forced a ninth game in what may go down as the most exciting battle in World Series history.

It looked as if the Reds would follow the same script they have for most of this series, when they scored a solo run in the top of the first. First baseman Jake Daubert tripled off the wall in left-center with one out, then scored easily on a safety off the bat of third baseman Heinie Groh. After Groh scampered unabated for a steal of second, Williams worked his way out of the jam without suffering further damage.

The White Sox answered with a tally of their own in inning number three. Shortstop Swede Risberg bunted his way aboard to lead off the frame, then pilfered second base on Hod Eller's first pitch to Chicago catcher Ray Schalk. The White Sox backstop pounded one on the ground to Daubert for the first out, but Risberg advanced 90 feet and scored on Williams' ground out to the same spot. What could have been a big inning died, however, when third baseman Buck Weaver followed a double by right fielder Nemo Leibold and a walk to second baseman Eddie Collins with a grounder to Groh to end the threat.

But that was all Williams would need. His spirits bolstered by his own RBI, the crafty southpaw went to work on the Cincinnati batters, who found themselves up to the challenge, only to walk away empty-handed time and again.

The second and third stanzas passed without incident, save for center fielder Happy Felsch's harmless error, which allowed second baseman Morrie Rath to alight safely on first, before being erased by a skillful 6-to-4-to-3 double play. Williams allowed a free pass to center fielder Edd Roush and a single to shortstop Larry Kopf in the fourth, but retired right fielder Greasy Neale before the Reds could convert. Then he found himself in trouble again in the fifth when his mound opponent singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Williams was up to the task again, coaxing fly outs from Rath and Daubert.

Meanwhile, the Chicago nine found itself in good fortune during its turn at the bat in the fourth, only to be rebuffed by Eller. But he couldn't stem the tide any longer and the Sox pushed across four runs over the next two innings. Williams continued to help his own cause when he led off the fifth with a triple down the right field line, then scored the go-ahead run on Leibold's ground out. Eddie Collins smacked a double to deep right field, but Weaver failed again in his attempt to plate the second baseman and the side was retired.

Chicago's momentum carried over into the sixth, but not before Williams escaped another offensive onslaught by the Reds when Neale's two-out, screaming liner found its way into Collins' glove with runners at first and third. Eller was a victim of bad luck more than his own inability to best the enemy batsmen, when Joe Jackson's opposite-field grounder pulled Kopf far into the hole, resulting in a basehit for the superstar left fielder.

A walk to Felsch and an equally unfortunate infield safety off the stick of first baseman Chick Gandil loaded the bases for Risberg, who drove in the first run of the inning and third of the game with a grounder to Kopf. A wild pitch plated Felsch and moved Risberg to second, before Schalk guided a single to left-center, moving his teammate an additional 90 feet. The Pale Hose hurler continued to rub salt into Cincinnati's wounds with another base hit-his second of the game-that scored his shortstop for the third and final run of the inning.

The game, for all intents and purposes, was over. Cincinnati finally touched Williams for another run in the seventh, but the White Sox exploded for three more runs in the eighth, the big blow coming courtesy of Jackson's bases-clearing double. The Reds continued to fight, adding a run in the ninth, but the game had already been long since decided and the series was all tied up.

It is without question that both managers have a sleepless night ahead of them, each having to decide on a pitcher for tomorrow's crucial contest. Chicago skipper Kid Gleason's situation is much more precarious as he'll be forced to consider throwing staff ace Eddie Cicotte on only a single day's rest, with the alternative being a fresher Dickie Kerr. Pat Moran, on the other hand, has the luxury of choosing from Jimmy Ring, who hasn't thrown since his Game 4 five-hit shutout, or Dutch Ruether, who, despite pitching Game 6, could probably muster enough strength to go at least six innings if necessary.

Game 8
10/9/1919:
Cincinnati at Chicago (A)

BATTING:

Doubles: H. Groh (1, 9th inning off Wilkinson, 1 on, 2 out.)
Triples: J. Daubert (1, 1st inning off Williams, 0 on, 1 out.)

Runs Batted In: H. Groh 3  (3)

Stolen Bases: H. Groh (1), L. Kopf (1)

BATTING:

Doubles: N. Leibold (1, 3rd inning off Eller, 0 on, 2 out.) E. Collins (1, 5th inning off Eller, 0 on, 2 out.) J. Jackson (1, 8th inning off Luque, 3 on, 2 out.)
Triples: L. Williams (1, 5th inning off Eller, 0 on, 1 out.)

Runs Batted In: N. Leibold (1), J. Jackson 3  (3), S. Risberg (1), L. Williams 2  (2)

Stolen Bases: N. Leibold (1), S. Risberg (1), R. Schalk (1)

Sacrifice Hits: N. Leibold (1)

FIELDING:
Errors: H. Felsch (1)

PITCHING:

Attendance: 33,000

Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune