Eddie Cicotte/pagetext

From SABR Encyclopedia

Eddie Cicotte (pronounced Cy-cottie) was a star right-handed pitcher in the early part of the 20th century, primarily for the Chicago White Sox. He won 208 games and lost 149 games, but is best remembered for his role in the "Black Sox" scandal, in which the favored White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds in 8 games. Cicotte was the first of the eight players to some forward. signing a confession and a waiver of immunity. Cicotte admitted to the grand jury in September, 1920 that he took a $10,000 bribe to "throw" the 1919 World Series. After a circus of a trial (with documents missing), the players were acquitted by a grand jury - but still barred by Judge Landis in 1921. Cicotte won 28 games in 1917 and 29 games in 1919. Cicotte also won 21 games in his final season of 1920, when the White Sox had 4 20-game winners - matched only by the 1971 Baltimore Orioles. Cicotte is generally considered to have had the 2nd best career of all of the Black Sox - behind only Shoeless Joe Jackson. Cicotte had a grand-nephew who later pitched briefly in the majors, including 1957 with the New York Yankees, Al Cicotte, who pronounced his name (See-cott) to distance himself from the Black Sox scandal.