Sox Century: Sept. 25, 1917

From Boston, all the White Sox except for Joe Jackson headed to Washington wrap up their business with the Senators. Jackson remained in Boston, according to the Chicago Tribune, “to rest two days and appear with the All-Stars in a benefit game [Sept. 27].” That’s a new one. We already knew that the White Sox were no strangers to exhibition games during the season, but at least they did those as a team.

Even without Jackson, the Sox were able to take the opener at Griffith Stadium with a 7-5 victory. The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when the White Sox strung together five hits for five runs against Harry Harper.

Jackson was the only regular missing from the starting lineup, but Pants Rowland took other measures to rest his horses. During the game, Eddie Murphy took over for Shano Collins, Ted Jourdan for Chick Gandil and Byrd Lynn for Ray Schalk.

The biggest indicator that Rowland was gearing up for the World Series? Eddie Cicotte only pitched six innings.

They were a strong six. He limited the Senators to just one run on three hits and two walks, which was good enough for his 27th victory of the season. Under normal circumstances, Rowland would have let him finish the game.

Instead, he handed a big lead to Dave Danforth, who jeopardized it by allowing 10 baserunners and four runs over his three innings of work. He still picked up the save despite the unusual line (3 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K).

The Tribune provided a valid excuse for Danforth’s sloppiness — his wife had been in labor.

Dave has been so busy walking the floor in Baltimore for the last two nights that he was a bit off color and in three innings the Senators hammered him for eight hits and were on the verge of taking the ball game in each one of the three innings. Dave intends to keep away from his new daughter now, until after the world’s series.

Record: 98-51 | Box score