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Red Faber made baseball history when he started three consecutive games for the White Sox in 1917. On September 3rd that season the Hall of Fame hurler started both ends of a double header against Detroit. It was a bad day for the 28-year old who went a combined 6 innings, allowing 9 runs on 15 hits.

Despite the performance, Sox skipper Pants Rowland trotted Faber back out the next day. Red responded with a complete game victory. Faber made five more starts as the season wound down and completed four of them – one a 10-inning affair. For good measure, Faber also pitched the final three innings of the year in relief.

Baseball waited another 95 years before Faber’s three-start feat was duplicated. In July, 2012 Zack Greinke made starts in three straight games for his Milwaukee Brewers.

Greinke took the hill on July 7 against the Astros. His first pitch of the game was hammered for a triple to center by Houston leadoff man Jordan Schafer. Three pitches later Jose Altuve hit a sharp ground ball ball between first and second. Milwaukee first baseman Chris Johnson laid out and gloved it.

Greinke was a beat late getting off the mound then raced to cover the bag. Altuve sprinted out of the box. On a bang-bang play umpire Sam Holbrook called him safe. Knowing Altuve would’ve been out if not for the late start toward first, Greinke spiked the ball in disgust. Believing the the pitcher was showing him up, Holbrook ejected him. The Astros never looked back, winning the contest 6-3. Despite throwing just four pitches, Greinke took the loss.

In the Brewers’ next game skipper Ron Roenicke again gave the ball to his ace. Greinke wasn’t much better than the day before. In three innings of work he got tagged for three runs on five hits. After the game, baseball headed into the All Star break.

When Milwaukee opened the second half against the Pirates, Greinke started his team’s third consecutive game. In five innings he surrendered six runs on seven hits and two walks. The three outings lasted a combined 8 innings. Greinke gave up 14 hits and 10 runs. The right-hander emerged with a loss and two no-decisions.

In the collection is this ESPN SportsTicker questionnaire filled out entirely by Zack Greinke on August 3, 2002. Greinke was just two months removed from his senior year in high school and still two years away from his Major League debut with the Royals.

 

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In the collection is this 1933 Goudey baseball card signed by White Sox great Red Faber. A member of the 1919 team that threw the World Series, Faber was afflicted with arm trouble and the flu and did not pitch in the Series.

Years after the Black Sox Series, catcher Ray Schalk opined that a fix would have been impossible if Faber were available. Instead his starts went to Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, two of eight men suspended for throwing the Fall Classic.

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In 1920 baseball banned the spitball pitch to all but 17 existing active spitballers who threw it. Among the 17 was Red Faber who like the others on the list, was able to legally throw the spitball util he retired.

Faber threw the pitch until 1933 when he played his last game with the Chicago White Sox. Interestingly, at the time of his retirement, Faber was the last American League spitballer. However, after lifetime NL hurler Burleigh Grimes was released by the Cardinals in May, 1938, the Yankees signed the spitball-throwing Grimes to make him the final man on the Junior Circuit to legally throw the pitch.

After 10 appearances for New York, Grimes was released and soon signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for whom he’d finish the season before retiring.

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The American League Chicago White Sox began play in 1901, the Junior Circuit’s first year of play. Red Faber pitched for the team from 1914-1933, retiring with the most wins in franchise history.

In the final 11 years of his career he pitched alongside fellow Hall of Famer Ted Lyons. From 1923-1933 the pair combined to win 253 games for Chicago.

Though Lyons now has the most victories in White Sox history, Faber still stands out as #1 for the club in appearances and pitchers’ WAR.

Shown here is a Christmas card from Lyons to Faber well after their playing days. Lyons mentions Faber’s wife Fran and their son Pepper.

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One of the perks of the position as Commissioner of Baseball is interacting with former players. In this letter dated May 8, 1969 Bowie Kuhn writes to Red Faber inviting him to Baseball’s centennial.

The commissioner writes in part, “It is with extreme pleasure that I extend to you an invitation to be my guest at the Centennial celebration in Washington, D.C….”. The rest of the letter is worth reading in this correspondence between two Hall of Famers.

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Imagine the thrill Red Faber felt when he received this envelope in the mail from the Commissioner of Baseball, Bowie Kuhn. Notice Faber’s Chicago address. After pitching for the White Sox for 20 years, he made the Windy City his permanent home.

Retired from the game since 1933, the aging Faber was was 80 years old when the mailman beckoned. The four-time 20-game winner won 254 career games, all with the Sox.

Faber was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964.

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Red Faber won 254 games in the course of his 20-year big league career. Pitching for Chicago from 1914-1933 Faber was a four-time 20-game winner who played all of his career with the White Sox.

In the collection is this lineup card from the Atlanta dugout on August 7, 2001 when Greg Maddux surpassed Faber’s total. Tied with Faber was fellow Hall of Famer Jack Morris.

The game was also notable because Maddux passed Christy Mathewson’s 88-year old National League mark of 68 consecutive innings without a walk.