gold star for USAHOF

10. Eddie Cicotte

10. Eddie Cicotte
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: June 19, 1884 in Springwells, MI USA
  • Weight: 175 lbs.
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Bats: B
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: September 03, 1905
  • Final Game: September 26, 1920
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1917
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1919
  • MVP - 1914
 
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Eddie Cicotte was known to be an inconsistent player when he was with the Boston Red Sox, and he would run afoul of Red Sox management who sold him to Chicago during the 1912 Season. 

The change of scenery did wonders for Cicotte.  He perfected his knuckleball, becoming one of the first masters of the specialty pitch, and he went 18-11 with a 1.58 ERA, second in the American League.  Cicotte continued to do well over the next two seasons, and in 1917, he had the season for the ages.  That year, with a perfected spitball added to his arsenal, he would lead the AL in Wins (28), ERA (1.53), Innings Pitched (346.2), and WHIP (0.912).  That season, Cicotte took the Chi-Sox to the World Series, winning one game with a 1.57 ERA in their win over the New York Giants.

Cicotte didn't do well in 1918, leading the AL in Losses (19) but bounced back with a league-leading 29 Wins against only seven losses.  He would take the White Sox back to the World Series and be heavily favored over Cincinnati.  You know what happened next.

Cicotte would be famously implicated as one of the eight players who threw the 1919 World Series.  The details are sketchy, but it is believed that he did throw the first game, and his fielding cost Chicago in his second start.  He did win the third game, but the White Sox lost the series to the Reds.

He played one more season (1920), where he had a good year going 21-10.  That was it for Cicotte as he and seven other players were banned for life in the Majors.  The knuckleballer would go 156-101 with a 2.25 ERA with Chicago.

The Bullet Points

  • Acquired: Purchased from the Boston Red Sox 7/9/12.
  • Departed: Banned from Baseball after the 1920 Season.
  • Games Played: 353
  • Notable Statistics:

    156 Wins
    101 Losses 
    2.25 ERA
    258 Games Started
    183 Complete Games
    28 Shutouts
    69 Games Finished
    21 Saves
    2,322.1 Innings Pitched
    961 Strikeouts
    2.48 FIP
    1.112 WHIP
    1.80 SO/BB
    50.0 bWAR

    6 Playoff Games
    2 Wins
    3 Losses
    2.22 ERA
    5 Games Started
    4 Complete Games
    44.2 Innings Pitched
    20 Strikeouts
    1.10 WHIP
    2.86 SO/BB

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1917)
    Highest bWAR for Pitchers (1917)
    Lowest ERA (1917)
    Most Wins (1917 & 1919)
    Lowest WHIP (1917)
    Lowest BB/9 (1918 & 1919)
    Most Innings Pitched (1917 & 1919)
    Most Strikeouts (1953)
    Most Complete Games (1919)
    Highest SO/BB (1918)
    Highest ERA+ (1917)
    Lowest FIP (1918)
    Highest Championship Win Probability Added (1919)
    Most Assists by a Pitcher (1913)

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