May 4, 1963 - Dickie Kerr (pictured left with Ray Fisher before the 1919 World Series), hero of the “Black Sox” baseball scandal, died of cancer today. He was 69 years old. Kerr, a left-handed pitcher, won 2 games in the 1919 Series, although 8 of his Chicago White Sox teammates were later banned from baseball for having conspired to throw the series to Cincinnati. Mr. Kerr died at his home. In 1958, the house had been given to him as a birthday present by Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals. While managing a St. Louis farm club at Daytona Beach, Fla., Kerr had advised Musial, who was suffering from a sore arm, to forget about pitching and concentrate on hitting. He encouraged the young man to play the outfield. The Kerrs took the Musials into their home, and the Musials’ first child was named Dickie in honor of Mr. Kerr. In the 1919 scandal that rocked the baseball world, Kerr’s White Sox lost the first 2 games to the Reds. Unaware that gamblers had bought off the Sox stars, Kerr pitched and won the third and sixth game of the Series. Cincinnati won the World Series that year, five games to three. The baseball championship in those days went to the team winning five games. Although eight of the White Sox were barred from baseball for life, Kerr and the others were cleared.
