Books and articles about Happy Felsch

Broad and powerful, Felsch was a natural at playing the game. A superb centerfielder with exceptional range and a rifle arm, Felsch still shares the records for double plays by an outfielder in a season (15) and assists in a game (4). Warm, smiling, and amiable, he loved silly riddles, whiskey, ribald jokes, and playing baseball.

Image provided by Matthew Fulling

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On the White Sox, the fun-loving Felsch gravitated to the more raucous members of the team, who included the ringleaders of the Black Sox conspiracy. Years later, Felsch told author Eliot Asinof, "There was so much crookedness around, you sort of fell into it. I was dumb, all right. We started out talking about yy x x all the big money we would take, like a bunch of kids pretending to be big shots. I never really believed it would happen ... and the next thing we knew, we were all tied up in it." Once he agreed to the sinister plot, this simple man found himself'y-h)''@@in a situation he couldn't control. The gamblers had a hold on him. Through threats, they forced him to throw more games during the 1920 season.

When the Black Sox scandal came out and he was barred from baseball, he was just emerging as a top power hitter, with 14 home runs in 1920. (DB)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » October 6, 1917: Before the World Series starts, Charles Comiskey offers one percent of his team's World Series share to Clark Griffith's Bat and Ball Fund for American soldiers in France. In Chicago, Happy Felsch's home run is the difference as Ed Cicotte beats the Giants' Slim Sallee 2–1 in the Series opener. » October 15, 1917: After Red Faber and Rube Benton match three scoreless innings in Game Six, Eddie Collins leads off the 4th and hits a grounder to Heinie Zimmerman at 3B. Collins takes 2nd when the throw gets past 1B Walter Holke. Joe Jackson's fly to RF is dropped by Dave Robertson, and Collins goes to 3B. When Happy Felsch hits one back to the pitcher, Collins breaks for home. Benton throws to 3B to catch Collins, and C Bill Rariden comes up the line. But with Zimmerman in pursuit Collins keeps running and slides home safely. Zimmerman will be blamed for chasing the runner, but nobody was covering home plate. The Giants come back with two runs on Buck Herzog's triple in the 4th, but Faber wins his 3rd of the Series 4–2. The winners earn $3,669.32 each; the losers $2,442.21. One-fourth of each team's share, about $4,000, is divided equally among the clubs in each league. » June 23, 1919: White Sox CF Happy Felsch handles a record-tying 12 chances in a 9-inning game. Only Harry Bay of Cleveland in 1904 has been so busy. » August 14, 1919: Chicago White Sox CF Happy Felsch ties the major-league record with four OF assists in one game, but Boston beats the White Sox 15-6. » October 1, 1919: Just before the start of the WS, the highly favored White Sox became the betting underdogs. A year later the White Sox will become the Black Sox, and 8 of them--pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, outfielders Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch, 1B Chick Gandil, SS Swede Risberg, 3B Buck Weaver, and utility infielder Fred McMullin--will be barred from baseball for taking part in throwing the Series. It will take that long for the story to unfold, as most observers at the time see nothing amiss when the Series opens in Cincinnati. » October 6, 1919: After a Sunday rainout, Hod Eller blanks the Sox on 3 hits, fanning 6 in a row -- Gandil, Risberg, Ray Schalk, Williams, Leibold, and Eddie Collins -- in the 2nd and 3rd. Once again a big inning gives the Reds a victory. A couple of hits, some slow fielding, and poor throws by Jackson and Happy Felsch result in 4 Reds scoring in the 6th for a 5-0 win, their 4th in 5 games. Lefty Williams is the loser. Sox C Schalk is the 2nd man to be thrown out of a WS game when he disagrees with the call on Heinie Groh's slide at home. » October 7, 1919: Happy Felsch's error and 2 boots by Swede Risberg help put Dickie Kerr in the hole 4-0, but Felsch, Weaver, and Jackson combine for 7 hits as the Sox win 5-4. Dutch Ruether doesn't survive the 6th; Jimmie Ring is the loser, as Kerr wins his 2nd. » September 17, 1920: The first place Indians top the A's, 9–3, while the White Sox, behind Red Faber, are again beating the Yankees, 6–4. Faber gets first inning help from Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, and Happy Felsch who all hit two-out triples: Collins and Jackson triple later as Chicago totals an American League record six triples. The 3rd place Sox are one 1/2 games back. » September 23, 1920: The Chicago grand jury indictment adds the names of former featherweight boxing champ Abe Attell, Hal Chase, and Bill Burns as go-betweens in the World Series scandal. Confessions, later repudiated, are signed by Ed Cicotte, Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams, and Happy Felsch. » October 23, 1920: The Chicago grand jury indictment adds the names of former featherweight boxing champ Abe Attell, Hal Chase, and Bill Burns as go-betweens in the WS scandal. Confessions, later repudiated, are signed by Ed Cicotte, Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams, and Happy Felsch. » April 3, 1923: Two "Black Sox" sue the White Sox. Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch seek $400,000 damages and $6,750 back salary for conspiracy and injury to reputation, but their suit will be unsuccessful. » May 22, 1928: White Sox CF Johnny Mostil handles 12 chances against the Indians, equaling Happy Felsch's American League record, also made against Cleveland as the Sox win, 4–3. Mostil also legs it home from 2B with the winning run on a wild pitch by George Uhle. Sam Langford has a home run and two doubles for Cleveland.