| Happy Felsch | |
|---|---|
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| Center fielder | |
| Born: July 22, 1891 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Died: July 17, 1954 (aged 62) Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| April 14, 1915 for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 26, 1920 for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .293 |
| Hits | 825 |
| Runs batted in | 446 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Oscar Emil "Happy" Felsch (August 22, 1891 – August 17, 1964) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1915 to 1920. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
Felsch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began his baseball career with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers and was eventually sold to the White Sox, making his major league debut on April 14, 1915.
From 1916 to 1920, he was one of the best hitters in the American League, finishing in the top 10 in more than a few major batting categories. His 102 RBI was good enough for second place in 1917.
In 1919, Felsch agreed to join a group of White Sox players that planned to intentionally lose the World Series in exchange for monetary payments from a network of gamblers. Felsch received $5,000 for his role in the fix. There was little doubt of his guilt, as he not only hit poorly against the Reds pitchers, but he also misplayed flyballs in key situations.
For his part in the fix, Felsch, along with seven other players, was made permanently ineligible for Major League Baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. 1920, his last season in the majors, was by far his best. He hit .338 with 14 home runs and 115 RBI, and it is possible that he would have thrived in the lively-ball era.
Happy Felsch spent the next 15 years touring the country with various amateur teams. He died of liver disease in Milwaukee in 1964, just five days before his 73rd birthday.
Well, the beans are spilled and I think I'm through with baseball. I got $5,000. I could have got just about that much by being on the level if the Sox had won the Series. And now I'm out of baseball — the only profession I know anything about, and a lot of gamblers have gotten rich. The joke seems to be on us.
- — Hap Felsch as quoted by the Chicago American
See also
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
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