EDDIE CICOTTE

THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
The White Sox win easily with a 5-run second inning

July 26, 1918 ...  The White Sox punched out the league leading Red Sox today by a score of 7 to 2. Two vicious attacks, one in the third, and one in the fourth, carried the White Sox to their objective. The Red Sox were pocketed and helpless from the fourth inning to the finish.

Superlative pitching by the veteran knuckleballer Eddie Cicotte, along with concentrated batting by his teammates, made it an easy matter to win for the second straight day. Eddie was opposed by Sam Jones, but Jones had had enough after four innings and gave way to a youngster named Matt Kinney, who stopped any further advance by Chicago.

Cicotte did even better than Reb Russell did the previous day, for he face Babe Ruth four times, and did not allow him to get even a base hit. However, on Babe's last attempt, he hit a ball so far that for a time it seemed the scoreboard in center field might be damaged. Fortunately the wind had shifted and brought the ball down before it did any damage. John Collins, who had stationed himself while back in that territory, was just able to get under the drive after a long run.

The Red Sox began the contest as if in the mood to annihilate Cicotte. Harry Hooper opened the game with a triple, but he was left stranded at third. In the second inning, Stuffy McInnis led off with a perfect bunt, Everett Scott pushed him along to second, and Jack Stansbury knocked him home with a triple for a 1-0 lead.

The White Sox had a big drive in the third inning. Frank McMullin began it with a single to center. Very quickly Ray Schalk singled and Cicotte walked, filling the bases. When Eddie Murphy forced Cicotte at second, McMullin scored the first run and after Liebold popped out, Eddie Collins walked to fill the bases again. Chick Gandil lined a single, that drove in Schalk and Murphy with the second and third runs while Cicotte raced to third. He and Gandil next pulled off a double steal, and John Collins got a single sending Gandil home with the fifth run of the inning.

Singles by McMullin and Cicotte, followed by a three base drive Of the bat of Liebold, produced the other two runs the fourth inning. The Red Sox dribbled in one in the eighth on a triple by new recruit you Eusebio Gonzales, who then scored on a single by Jack Stansbury.

Young Gonzales is a Cuban who was obtained from the Springfield team. Being a citizen of Cuba, is not subject to military service in the United States. It was announced by the Red Sox office that five new players have been procured from the Pacific Coast league.

War Secretary Baker compromised with the baseball people in naming September 1st, as the date when the "Work or Fight" order becomes operative for baseball players. That certainly is far better than a summary halt for big league games. The order, in the form of a memorandum for the Provost Marshal was summarized as saying that baseball owners asked for an extension until October 15th. As grounds for the request, it was alleged that there were 237 persons affected by the work or fight order, but in spite of the small number, they're taking would lead to the immediate breaking up of the entire game. It was further noted that the notice would be too short to allow the leagues to adapt themselves to the ruling. The Secretary added that he thought it would be unfortunate to have so wholesome a recreation as baseball destroyed if it can be conducted by the use of persons not essential for war service. He added that it would be much more unfortunate to preserve even so wholesome and amusement by making an exception in favor baseball players, that would be denied to other great classes of persons in the United States, whose occupations have also been similarly nonessential, although they are immediately associated with the distribution of food and other processes of our daily life more fundamental than any mere amusement.

He felt that the successful conduct of baseball depends upon the preservation of all the major league teams scattered throughout the country, while in other occupations the "Work or Fight" order is merely a local and more or less personal effect. It seemed to him that the proper and fair thing to do would be to extend the time for which the readjustment can take place, so that justice may be done to the persons involved. The order to extend to October 15 was denied and application of the order will be made on September 1st.

Baseball officials in New York turned immediately to the question of whether the World Series should be played and if so, when. President Hempstead of the New York Giants said he believed the league races should end by September 1, and the World Series should start promptly after. He said he thought the playing time might be extended that far, as he interpreted the ruling to mean that draft boards would not notify players to seek essential occupation until some time after that. After the first, the players would then be allowed a 10 day grace period. American League President Ban Johnson departed for Chicago without making any formal statement.