- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Sox
- League: American League
Hubert Benjamin Leonard (1892-1952) helped pitch Boston to two world titles (1915 & ‘16) after establishing the modern record for single-season ERA in 1914 (0.96). The brilliant left-hander came out of the Western League to the Red Sox in 1913 and immediately stepped into controversy, a state that would continue throughout his ML career. He continually sparred with management over salary and famously feuded with the snarling Tiger, Ty Cobb. Enmity began over a pitch to Cobb’s ribs and overshadowed Leonard’s final years as a Detroit player. Upon forced retirement, Leonard stirred one of baseball’s biggest scandals by accusing Cobb and Tris Speaker of fixing a 1919 contest, a case thrown out of court. If the love of money drove the Dutchman during his baseball days, he finally realized his dream of wealth as a prominent California rancher and vintner, building a two million-dollar estate.
- Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans never showed Dutch any love, berating his miserable attitude and calling him “gutless”
- Leonard hurled two no-hitters for the Sox: 1916 against the Browns and ’18 versus the Tigers
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Washington, D.C.
- Team: Senators
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Walter Perry Johnson (1887-1946) played his entire 21-yr career for the Senators then managed them for 4 more. Ty Cobb’s first impression was of a “rube out of the cornfields.” But when the rube threw “The thing just hissed with danger.” Cobb wasn’t the last player to be stunned by this man’s fastball: Most shut-outs in MLB, 2nd in wins, 4th in complete games, etc.
- Only member of 3000 SO club until Bob Gibson joined in 1974
- Still holds record 12x league-leader in strikeouts
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1936
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Boston
- Team: Braves
- League: National League
William Lawrence James (1892-1971) had a season for the ages in 1914. His woeful Boston Braves hadn’t seen a winning campaign in over a decade and for years had been trapped in the all-too-public hell reserved for teams that can’t get within 50 games of the leaders. No one could have imagined the year that followed James’ rookie season where he had gone 6-10. No one to this day can completely fathom the wonder that became the “Miracle Braves.” The lowliest of teams won it all, pennant and Series. And Seattle Bill James eclipsed his fellow ace Dick Rudolph. His sophomore year produced a 26-7 record, .788 winning percentage, 1.90 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 332 innings. He won two Fall Classic games in three days. He was on fire. Yet, he lacked the fire in the belly that might have led to a great career. He tired of the travel rigors, complaining of it as “hard and disagreeable work.” After winning 32 games in two years, he and his brilliant arm were done. He soon returned to the west coast for minor league assignments, a stint in the wartime infantry and retirement.
- James was stunning with the Seattle Giants in 1912, winning 29 and a ticket to Beantown
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Sox
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Urban C. Faber (1888-1976) was the rare pitcher who thrived in both the Dead & Live Ball Eras, one of a handful to win 100 games in each. He was one of the 17 legal spitballers in the ‘20s. A lifelong White Sox, the 20-year ML veteran became the shining light in the gloom of the scandal-shrouded club, once winning 40% of the team’s victories (25) in 1921 while leading the AL in ERA. A smoker from age 8, Faber hated the chaw he used every time he pitched but he made the spitter dance so effectively he claimed he rarely had to use it. His skill at fooling batters was never more evident than when he shut down the Senators on 67 pitches in ‘15. No one has equaled his four WS decisions against NY in ’17, winning 3 including game 7.
- This thoroughly honorable man (dubbed by Babe Ruth “the nicest man in the world”) endured injuries and illness but survived to age 88
- Founded Baseball Anonymous to aid indigent players
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1964
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Sox
- League: American League
Edward Victor “Knuckles” Cicotte (1884-1969) won 208 games and a World Series with the White Sox in 1917. The Sporting News said in 1918 that “Perhaps no pitcher in the world has such a varied assortment of wares….” But it was Eddie’s first pitch of the 1919 Series that plunked Morrie Rath and signaled the fix was in. No one was ever convicted of the infamous Black Sox scandal but Cicotte, with seven teammates, never played ML ball after his tearful confession following the ’20 season.
- Cicotte, Shoeless Joe, and other banned Sox players went on to barnstorm under false names
- His mastery of the knuckleball led to a transformation of his career. His control improved to the point of walking only 89 in 572 innings in 1918/19 combined.
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