3343 - Kennewick, Washington, United States of America

I love old photos of athletes. This is a photo of Edd Roush (1893 - 1988). He was an American baseball player and coach. He played centre field from 1913 to 1931. Most of his time was with the Cincinnati Reds, but also played for the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox. His batting average in his 18 year career is .323. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. 

Roush was the World Series champion with the Reds in 1919. This world series is famous for the Black Sox Scandal. Several members of the White Sox conspired with gablers to throw the World Series games. Eight members of the White Sox were banned from organized baseball in 1921, despite being acquitted of their criminal charges. The banned players were: Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Eddie Cicotte, Oscar "Happy" Felsch, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles "Swede" Risbert, George "Buck" Weaver, Claude "Lefty" Williams. Joe Gedeon of the St. Louis Browns was also banned. He found out about the fix from Risberg and placed bets of Cincinnati. He did inform Comiskey of the fix after the World Series to gain a reward. 

This World Series was a best of 9 affair, the first time. Both teams were trying to get more games in, thus, more revenue. The Reds took the World Series five games to three, winning the last game at Comiskey Park in Chicago. 

Roush won the batting title in 1919 with an average of .321. Roush is on record saying that even though the White Sox were involved in gambling, the Reds were the better team and they would have won the series regardless. 

Roush went on the coach the Reds for one season. After that built a house in Florida and used it as a winter residence. He would attend spring training and tell stories of the old days.  He died on 21 March 1988 in Bradenton, Florida at the age of 95. He was the last surviving participant from the 1919 World Series.