As a young man living in the Anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania, it seemed Ed Walsh’s course in life was set. But he emerged from the hardscrabble life of the mines to become one of the Deadball Era’s greatest pitchers, winning fame, world championships, and eventually induction to the Hall of Fame.
This biography closely describes Walsh’s life and 14-year playing career, with special discussion of the spitball, a pitch that profoundly affected his fortunes—and ultimately his arm. The years 1905–1911 are explored in depth, especially his contributions to the 1906 world champion White Sox and his prominent role in the now-famous 1908 pennant race. Chapters are also devoted to his holdout in 1909, the athletic careers of his sons Bob and Ed, and his repeated attempts at comebacks after his arm injury.

SABR member Jack Smiles is associate editor of the Sunday Dispatch in Pittston, Pennsylvania. He lives in Wyoming, Pennsylvania.

Jack Smiles
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 238
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3278-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8429-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Preface      1

1. Big Ed: Coal Miner      3

2. Big Ed: Rookie      15

3. The Spitter      29

4. Ze Meestaire Walsh      43

5. The Hitless Wonders      50

6. Big Ed: World Champion      69

7. South of the Border      81

8. Sox Are Tamed by the Tigers      87

9. Big Ed: Ironman      100

10. The Holdout      113

11. Big Ed Opens Comiskey Park      127

12. Big Ed Owns the Cubs      137

13. What’s the Matter with Big Ed?      151

14. Arm Trouble      181

15. Big Ed: Manager      187

16. Big Ed Doesn’t Like the Jeers      194

17. Little Ed and Big Bob      200

18. Big Ed: Old-Timer      207

Notes      215

Bibliography      221

Index      223

“indepth”—Sports Collectors Digest.