Doc White, a graduate in dental surgery from Georgetown, was the mainstay of the
Hitless Wonder White Sox pitching staffs. He first signed with the Phillies, tied
for the league lead with 20 losses in 1902, and jumped to Chicago. In September 1904
he threw five consecutive shutouts; the string was stopped when he hurled both ends
of a doubleheader. During his career he pitched 24 1-0 games, winning 13 of them.
The most notable was an 11-inning win over Washington's
Walter Johnson; five days
later the two battled to a 1-1 tie in 17 innings.
White was an exceptional control
pitcher. He set an early American League record by going 65 consecutive innings without
issuing a walk. In 1906, when he led the AL with a 1.52 ERA and went 18-6 for the
World Champions, he walked only 38 in 219 innings. When he won a league-high 27 the
following year, he walked only 38 in 291 innings.
White was also a violinist, balladeer,
and songwriter; in 1910, he combined with Ring Lardner on "A Little Puff of Smoke,
Goodnight," a bestseller in sheet music. He was a college coach, and, after owning
a Texas League franchise for a time, became a traveling evangelist.
(JK/RL)
Doc White
