Eddie Cicotte
Had Eddie Cicotte not possessed a character flaw that resulted in his failure to resist temptation, he may have ended up a Hall of Fame pitcher. With an assortment of pitches that included a knuckleball and spitter, Cicotte was a winner with the Red Sox and an even bigger winner for the White Sox when he was purchased by them in the midst of the 1912 season. With Chicago, the right-hander won 20 games three times and led the league in victories twice, each time flirting with 30 wins. Unhappy with his salary, Cicotte accepted bribe money to throw the 1919 World Series, and was the key member of the plot, losing twice in the Fall Classic as his honest teammates watched in amazement. He was subsequently banned from baseball, his reputation tarnished forever.
Quotes From Cicotte
"I don't know anyone who ever went through life without making a mistake. Everybody who has ever lived has committed sins of their own. I've tried to make up for it by living as clean a life as I could. I'm proud of the way I've lived and I think my family is, too." — Cicotte, in 1965
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1905)
Boston Red Sox (1908-1912)
Chicago White Sox (1912-1918)
Best Season: 1917
Cicotte hurled seven shutouts and won a league-high 28 games, with a 1.53 ERA. He made two starts in the World Series and relieved in another game, as he stymied the Giants for a 1.57 ERA.
Factoids
Eddie Cicotte of the White Sox defeated the New York Yankees seven times during the 1916 season.
Born
Edward Victor Cicotte was born on June 19, 1884, in Springwells, MI.
Died
May 5, 1969, Detroit, MI
Batted: Both
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: CHA
Major League Debut
September 3, 1905
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1905
Ty Cobb
Hal Chase
Mickey Doolan
Otto Knabe
Al Bridwell
Rube Oldring
Eddie Cicotte
Ed Reulbach
George Gibson
Nicknames
Knuckles
Similar Players
Stan Coveleski, Chief Bender, Jack Chesbro
Related Players
Chick Gandil, Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver, Ray Schalk
No-Hitter
4/14/1917: For CHI (A) vs. STL (A), 11-0 at STL. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1917 World Series
1919 World Series
Notes
After he was banned from professional baseball, Cicotte returned to his home in Detroit, where he worked for many years for the Ford Motor Company as a mechanic. He also dabbled in strawberry farming.
Transactions
July 22, 1912: Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from the Boston Red Sox.
Replaced
Ralph Glaze
Replaced By
Roy Wilkinson
Best Strength as a Player
His mastery of many pitches.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His character.
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