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Beautiful Color Restoration of the Addie Joss Benefit Game by Chris Whitehouse

Last week I featured a beautiful color restoration of the 1939 Homestead Grays by Chris Whitehouse of the They Played in Color website. So today, check out another example of Chris’s artistry: a  beautiful color restoration of the Addie Joss Benefit game (player identifications below). Two years ago, I did a feature on Chris Whitehouse’s color restorations, which you can view here.

Addie Joss was a much-beloved ace starting pitcher for the Cleveland Naps whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 31. The 6’3″, 185-pound Woodland, Wisconsin native had been experiencing fainting spells before the start of the 1911 season. He eventually passed away on April 14, succumbing to tubercular meningitis, leaving a wife, Lillian,  and two young children, Ruth and Norman.

The Addie Joss benefit game was played on July 24, 1911, at Cleveland’s League Park 122 years ago last month. It was played between the Cleveland Naps and an All-Star team from the league’s other players. The participating players were together considered the greatest array of baseball talent ever assembled up to that time, and the game served as a precursor to the annual baseball All-Star game that premiered over 20 years later in 1933. The All-Stars won the game 5-3. The game raised $12,914 ($405,592 today). Paid attendance for the game was 15,292. Cy Young was the starting pitcher for Cleveland, while Smoky Joe Wood took the mound for the All-Stars.

“The All-Star team had Johnson, Smoky Joe Wood, and Russ Ford as the pitchers, an outfield of Cobb, Sam Crawford, Tris Speaker, and Clyde Milan, and infielders Schaefer, Eddie Collins, Home Run Baker, Hal Chase, and Bobby Wallace. Gabby Street and Paddy Livingston were the catchers. In total, nine players from the game were later inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Cy Young and Nap Lajoie for Cleveland, Johnson, Cobb, Collins, Speaker, Crawford, Baker, and Wallace for the All-stars. Shoeless Joe Jackson, another Hall of Fame-caliber player, played for Cleveland”. (1) 

Cobb did not have a Tigers uniform, so he wore a Cleveland road uniform for the game, as can be seen in the featured photo. According to reporters, the day had a festive atmosphere:

J.P. Garvey of the Plain Dealer wrote that “there was no mourning, save that the flag hung at half mast from the pole in center field. No drab coloring decorated the big grandstand. Schaefer entertained the crowd during pre-game warmups and served as a public address announcer during the game.” (2)

Addie Joss’ Hall of Fame Career

Addie Joss played nine seasons in the major leagues (1902-1910). Over his career, he posted a 160-97 record (.623) with a 1.89 ERA (second lowest in major league history), 920 strikeouts, 234 complete games, and 45 shutouts. He led the league in wins once, and twice in ERA. In addition, he threw two no-hitters, and pitched the fourth Perfect Game in major league history: a 1-0 win on October 2, 1908, in which he bested the White Sox’ Big Ed Walsh in a classic pitching duel. He won 20 or more games in four straight seasons (1905-1908). His 0.968 WHIP is the lowest in major league history. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978, a selection made by the Veteran’s Committee after Major League Baseball passed a special resolution waiving the normal 10-year requirement for Hall of Fame eligibility.

Addie was a college graduate, having attended St. Mary’s College in Prairie du Chein, Wisconsin. He worked as a sportswriter in the off-season from 1906 until his death in 1911.

Featured Photo Player Identifications

Top row, L-R: Bobby Wallace, Frank “Homerun” Baker, Smoky Joe Wood, Walter Johnson, Hal Chase, Clyde Milan, Russ Ford, Eddie Collins. Front row, L-R: Germany Schaefer, Tris Speaker, Sam Crawford, Jimmy McAleer, Ty Cobb, Gabby Street, Paddy Livingston.

Gary Livacari 

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Information:  Quotes edited from the Addie Joss Wikipedia page.