Some
reporters had
questions
about series
The following excerpt ran in the Chicago Tribune within a couple of days
of the end of the 1919 World Series. It is interesting to see the comments
of Chicago manager Kid Gleason and to see the writer's reporting of rumors
of gamblers getting to the White Sox. However, those allegations seem to
be written off.
Chicago starter Lefty Williams -- later banned from baseball for his role in
fixing the series -- was pulled in the first inning after the Reds built
a 4-run lead. Williams had finished the season with a 23-11 record.
Written
by JAMES CRUSINBERRY
Chicago
Tribune
"THE
REDS beat the greatest ball team that ever went into a world's series."
THAT
WAS was the first statement made by Boss Gleason of the White Sox when
the show was over at Comiskey Park yesterday. His next statement was about
like this:
"BUT
IT wasn't the real White Sox. they played baseball for me only a couple
or three of the eight days."
THERE
WAS logic in the statements of Gleason to one ho had followed the White
Sox throughout the season. The White Sox of the world's series was not
the same team that had won the American League pennant. The Reds of the
world's series was the best Red team of the whole summer. Pat Moran had
his players up on their toes. The White Sox slumped and couldn't get into
their regular stride.
"I
THOUGHT the championship was as good as in after we won that third
victory down in Cincinnati," continued Gleason. "I thought Lefty Williams
was a cinch. But he didn't have his stuff. Anyway they started hitting
him in that first inning and I yanked him in a hurry. He wasn't right.
I had to do something, so I got him out of there and sent in James. James
was too wild, but anyway they had a commanding lead because of what happened
while Williams was in there.
LATER
ON I got Wilkinson on the job and he was good. Wilkinson would have
won that game for me yesterday if I had started him. I wish now I had,
but I couldn't start him at the beginning. It looked like our chance to
win in the end was to have Williams go through. Had he gone through, we
would have been soft. I congratulate Pat Moran. His team gave him everything
it had. He deserved to win."
THERE
WAS more discussion about the playing of the White Sox than about the
peace treaty after the last game. Stories were out that the Sox had not
put out their best effort. Stories were out that the big gamblers had got
to them. But all of them sounded like alibi stuff even if true, and Manager
Gleason had no excuses to offer for the defeat except that the Reds had
played better baseball.
"I
WAS terribly disappointed," he continued. "I tell you those Reds haven't
any business beating a team like the White Sox. We played the worst baseball,
in all but a couple of games, that we have played all year. I don't know
what was the matter. Something was wrong. I didn't like the betting odds.
I wish no one had ever bet a dollar on the team." |
