View source for 1917 World Series

{{Short description|1917 Major League Baseball championship series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox World Series Expanded
  | image = 1917WorldSeries.png
  | caption = A program from the 1917 World Series, depicting then U.S. president [[Woodrow Wilson]]
  | country = World
  | year = 1917
  | champion = [[1917 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] (4)
  | champion_manager = [[Pants Rowland]]
  | champion_games = 100–54, {{winpct|100|54}}, GA: 9
  | runnerup = [[1917 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] (2)
  | runnerup_manager = [[John McGraw]]
  | runnerup_games = 98–56, {{winpct|98|56}}, GA: 10
  | date = October 6–15
  | venue = [[Comiskey Park]] (Chicago)<br />[[Polo Grounds|Brush Stadium]] (New York)
  | MVP = <!-- none -->
  | television = <!-- none -->
  | announcers = <!-- none -->
  | radio_network = <!-- none -->
  | radio_announcers = <!-- none -->
  | umpires =  [[Silk O'Loughlin]] (AL), [[Bill Klem]] (NL)<br>[[Billy Evans]] (AL), [[Cy Rigler]] (NL)
  | HOFers = '''Umpires:''' <br>[[Bill Klem]]<br>[[Billy Evans]]<br>  '''Chicago White Sox:''' <br>[[Eddie Collins]]<br>[[Red Faber]]<br>[[Ray Schalk]]<br> '''Giants:''' <br>[[John McGraw]] (mgr.)
  | ALCS = <!-- none -->
  | NLCS = <!-- none -->
  | image2 = <!-- none -->
}}

The '''1917''' '''World Series''' was the [[World Series|championship series]] of [[Major League Baseball]]'s (MLB) [[1917 Major League Baseball season|1917 season]]. The 14th edition of the World Series, it was a [[Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff|best-of-seven playoff]] between the [[American League]] (AL) champion [[Chicago White Sox]] and the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) champion [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]]. The White Sox won the series in six games. The series was played against the backdrop of [[World War I]], which dominated American newspapers both that year and the next.

The strong Chicago White Sox club finished the [[1917 Chicago White Sox season|1917 season]] with a 100–54 record, which remains their only 100-win season in franchise history to date. Their next [[2005 World Series|World Series-winning team]] in [[2005 Chicago White Sox season|2005]] finished the regular season with a 99–63 record.

The Sox won Game 1 of the Series in Chicago 2–1 behind a complete game by [[Eddie Cicotte]]. [[Happy Felsch]] hit a home run in the fourth inning that provided the winning margin. In Game 2 the Sox beat the Giants 7–2 behind another complete game effort by [[Red Faber]] to take a 2–0 lead in the Series.

Back in New York for Game 3, Cicotte again threw a complete game, but the Sox could not muster a single run against Giants' starter [[Rube Benton]] and lost 2–0.  In Game 4 the Sox were shut out again 5–0 by [[Ferdie Schupp]]. Faber threw another complete game, but the Series was even at 2–2 going back to Chicago.

[[Reb Russell]] started Game 5 in Chicago, but only faced three batters before giving way to Cicotte. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Chicago was down 5–2, but they rallied to score three in the seventh and three in the eighth to win 8–5. Faber pitched the final two innings for the win. In Game 6 the Sox took an early 3–0 lead and on the strength of another complete-game victory from Faber (his third of the Series) won 4–2 and clinched the World Championship. [[Eddie Collins]] was the hitting hero, batting .409 over the six game series while Cicotte and Faber combined to pitch 50 out of a total 52 World Series innings to lead the staff.

[[File:Heinie Zimmerman.jpg|thumb|200px|Heinie Zimmerman]]
The decisive game underscored the Giants' post-season frustrations, featuring a famous [[rundown]] in which Giants' [[third baseman]] [[Heinie Zimmerman]] futilely chased the speedy [[Eddie Collins]] toward [[home plate]] with what would be the Series-winning run. [[Catcher]] [[Bill Rariden]] had run up the third base line to start a rundown, expecting [[pitcher]] [[Rube Benton]] or [[first baseman]] [[Walter Holke]] to cover the plate. However, neither of them budged, forcing Zimmerman to chase Collins while pawing helplessly in the air with the ball in an attempt to tag him.  Two years before the issue of baseball betting reached its peak, Zimmerman found himself having to publicly deny purposely allowing the run to score, i.e. to deny that he had "thrown" the game.  In truth, McGraw blamed Benton and Holke for failing to cover the plate.  A quote often attributed to Zim, but actually invented by writer [[Ring Lardner]] some years later, was that when asked about the incident Zim replied, "Who the hell was I supposed to throw to, Klem (umpire [[Bill Klem]], who was working the plate)?"  Conventional wisdom has it that Collins was much faster than Zimmerman, but existing photos of the play show that Zimmerman was only a step or two behind Collins, who actually slid across the plate while Zim jumped over him to avoid trampling him.  Zimmerman would eventually be banned for life due to various accusations of corruption.

The great athlete [[Jim Thorpe]], better known for football in general, made his only World Series "appearance" during Game 5, where he was listed in the lineup card as starting in right field; but for his turn at bat in the top of the first inning he was replaced by a left-handed hitting Dave Robertson.

The White Sox, who were essentially dismantled following the 1920 season by baseball commissioner [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] due to the [[Black Sox Scandal]] in the [[1919 World Series]], did not make it to another [[World Series]] until {{wsy|1959}}, and did not win another [[World Series]] until {{wsy|2005}}.

==Summary==
{{MLB Playoff Summary
| summary = AL [[Chicago White Sox]] (4) vs. NL [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] (2)
| winner =
| score =
| score1 = New York Giants – 1, '''Chicago White Sox''' – 2
| date1 = October 6
| loc1 = [[Comiskey Park]]
| time1 = 1:48
| att1 = 32,000
| ref1 = <ref name="Game1">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10060CHA1917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 1 – New York Giants vs. Chicago White Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score2 = New York Giants – 2, '''Chicago White Sox''' – 7
| date2 = October 7
| loc2 = Comiskey Park
| time2 = 2:13
| att2 = 32,000
| ref2 = <ref name="Game2">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10070CHA1917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 2 – New York Giants vs. Chicago White Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score3 = Chicago White Sox – 0, '''New York Giants''' – 2
| date3 = October 10
| loc3 = [[Polo Grounds|Brush Stadium]]
| time3 = 1:55
| att3 = 33,616
| ref3 = <ref name="Game3">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10100NY11917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 3 – Chicago White Sox vs. New York Giants|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score4 = Chicago White Sox – 0, '''New York Giants''' – 5
| date4 = October 11
| loc4 = Brush Stadium
| time4 = 2:09
| att4 = 27,746
| ref4 = <ref name="Game4">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10110NY11917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 4 – Chicago White Sox vs. New York Giants|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score5 = New York Giants – 5, '''Chicago White Sox''' – 8
| date5 = October 13
| loc5 = Comiskey Park
| time5 = 2:37
| att5 = 27,323
| ref5 = <ref name="Game5">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10130CHA1917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 5 – New York Giants vs. Chicago White Sox|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
| score6 = '''Chicago White Sox''' – 4, New York Giants – 2
| date6 = October 15
| loc6 = Brush Stadium
| time6 = 2:18
| att6 = 33,969
| ref6 = <ref name="Game6">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1917/B10150NY11917.htm|title=1917 World Series Game 6 – Chicago White Sox vs. New York Giants|access-date=September 13, 2009|publisher=Retrosheet}}</ref>
}}

==Matchups==

===Game 1===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 6, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm ([[Central Time Zone|CT]])
|Location=[[Comiskey Park]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]
|Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYG
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=1|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=1|RH=7|RE=1
|Home='''Chicago'''|HomeAbr=CWS
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=2|HH=7|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Eddie Cicotte]] (1–0)|LP=[[Slim Sallee]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=[[Happy Felsch]] (1)
|}}

[[Fred McMullin]] drove in Chicago's first run, and [[Happy Felsch]]'s homer made it 2–0. Giants pitcher [[Slim Sallee]] knocked in his side's only run with a single after a [[Lew McCarty]] triple.

===Game 2===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Sunday, October 7, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm (CT)
|Location=Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois
|Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYG
|R1=0|R2=2|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=2|RH=8|RE=1
|Home='''Chicago'''|HomeAbr=CWS
|H1=0|H2=2|H3=0|H4=5|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=7|HH=14|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Red Faber]] (1–0)|LP=[[Fred Anderson (baseball)|Fred Anderson]] (0–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

[[File:Polo Grounds 1917.jpg|thumb|Game 3 at the [[Polo Grounds]], taken from left end of upper deck. Note rope to guide umpire on home run calls.]]

[[Shoeless Joe Jackson]]'s two-run single capped a five-run fourth inning for the White Sox, who knocked out Giants starter [[Ferdie Schupp]] in the second inning.

===Game 3===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Wednesday, October 10, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm ([[Eastern Time Zone|ET]])
|Location=[[Polo Grounds|Brush Stadium]] in [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
|Road=Chicago|RoadAbr=CWS
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=5|RE=3
|Home='''New York'''|HomeAbr=NYG
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=2|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=X|HR=2|HH=8|HE=2
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Rube Benton]] (1–0)|LP=[[Eddie Cicotte]] (1–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}
The home team won for the third straight time as the series moved to New York. The only runs of a snappy 1 hour, 55 minute game came on a [[Dave Robertson (baseball)|Dave Robertson]] triple, [[Walter Holke]] double and a single by [[George Burns (outfielder)|George Burns]].

===Game 4===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Thursday, October 11, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Brush Stadium in Manhattan, New York
|Road=Chicago|RoadAbr=CWS
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=0|RR=0|RH=7|RE=0
|Home='''New York'''|HomeAbr=NYG
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=1|H5=1|H6=0|H7=1|H8=2|H9=X|HR=5|HH=10|HE=1
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Ferdie Schupp]] (1–0)|LP=[[Red Faber]] (1–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=[[Benny Kauff]] 2 (2)
|}}
The first of a pair of homers by Giants center fielder [[Benny Kauff]] was an inside-the-park one that sailed over Sox center fielder [[Happy Felsch]]'s head. The other came in the eighth off Chicago reliever [[Dave Danforth]].

===Game 5===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Saturday, October 13, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm (CT)
|Location=Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois
|Road=New York|RoadAbr=NYG
|R1=2|R2=0|R3=0|R4=2|R5=0|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=0|RR=5|RH=12|RE=3
|Home='''Chicago'''|HomeAbr=CWS
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=1|H4=0|H5=0|H6=1|H7=3|H8=3|H9=X|HR=8|HH=14|HE=6
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Red Faber]] (2–1)|LP=[[Slim Sallee]] (0–2)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

Even though [[Red Faber]] would start Games 4 and 6, he was brought in from the bullpen to close Game 5. Taking no chances, the Sox yanked starter [[Reb Russell]] after just three batters, all of whom reached base. A three-error third inning behind [[Eddie Cicotte]] put the Giants up 4–1. But after a game-tying rally in the seventh, the Sox won it in the eighth as Happy Felsch greeted reliever [[Pol Perritt]] with an RBI single. It was the fifth straight win by the home team in this Series.

===Game 6===
{{Linescore|
|Date=Monday, October 15, 1917
|Time=2:00 pm (ET)
|Location=Brush Stadium in Manhattan, New York
|Road='''Chicago'''|RoadAbr=CWS
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=3|R5=0|R6=0|R7=0|R8=0|R9=1|RR=4|RH=7|RE=1
|Home=New York|HomeAbr=NYG
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=2|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=2|HH=6|HE=3
|RSP=|HSP=
|WP=[[Red Faber]] (3–1)|LP=[[Rube Benton]] (1–1)|SV=
|RoadHR=|HomeHR=
|}}

A pair of errors proved costly to the Giants in a three-run fourth when [[Chick Gandil]] and [[Ray Schalk]] followed with RBI hits. New York's hopes rose with a [[Buck Herzog]] triple in the next inning that made it 3–2. But with the workhorse Faber holding the Giants at bay the rest of the way, the Sox got an insurance run in the ninth on hits by [[Buck Weaver]] and [[Nemo Leibold]], and the Series was theirs. It would be their last championship until 2005.

==Composite box==
1917 World Series '''(4–2): [[Chicago White Sox]] (A.L.)''' over [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] (N.L.)
{{Linescore
|Road='''[[Chicago White Sox]]'''
|R1=0|R2=2|R3=2|R4=9|R5=0|R6=1|R7=3|R8=3|R9=1|RR=21|RH=54|RE=12
|Home='''[[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]]'''
|H1=2|H2=2|H3=0|H4=5|H5=4|H6=0|H7=2|H8=2|H9=0|HR=17|HH=51|HE=11
|TotalAttendance=186,654 |AveAttendance=31,109
|WinPlayerShare=$3,669 |LosePlayerShare=$2,442<ref name="wsshares">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsshares.shtml|title=World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares|access-date=June 14, 2009|publisher=Baseball Almanac}}</ref>
}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{WSRefs|year=1917|cohenpp=66–70|reichlerp=2125}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
{{WSExtLinks|year=1917}}

<!-- {{WorldSeries}} hidden -->
{{WorldSeries}}
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