Max John Flack (February 5, 1890 – July 31, 1975) was a
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
. He played twelve seasons in the majors from 1914 to 1925 for the
Chicago Chi-Feds/Whales (1914–15) of the
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...
, then the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
(1916–22) and the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
(1922–25) of the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
.
Career
Flack's career with Chicago got off to a great start. He stole 37 bases in each of his first two seasons. In his second year with the team, Flack's .314 batting average was fifth-best in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
for the 1915 season. He led the league in sacrifice hits in 1916 and had a career-best 172 hits in 1921. Flack finished his big-league career with 1,461 hits and 200 steals. He topped the .300 mark three times.
World Series
Flack was labeled the "goat" of the
1918 World Series. In the third inning of Game 6, at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
, playing for the
Cubs, his throwing error resulted in two
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
runs, which provided the Bosox with the margin of victory, and a Series win, the last the Red Sox would achieve until 2004.
Flack's possible involvement in throwing that World Series has recently come to light. Although nothing conclusive was said,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
pitcher
Eddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte (; June 19, 1884 – May 5, 1969), nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. He was one of eight players permanently ineligible ...
, who threw the
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 1919 Major League Baseball season, 1919 season. The 16th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion 1919 Chicago White Sox season, ...
, has referenced the
1918 Cubs as having inspired the "
Black Sox." Of all the players on that team whose performance was murky, it was Flack, who had multiple strange errors and was picked off twice in one game, who had the most suspicious performance. He remains the only player to get picked off twice in one game in a World Series.
Between-games trade
Flack is remembered, along with
Cliff Heathcote
Clifton Earl Heathcote (January 24, 1898 – January 18, 1939) was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1918–1922), Chicago Cubs (1922–1930), Cincinnati Reds (1931–1932), and Philadelphia Phi ...
, for being half of a unique player swap. On May 30, 1922, the Cardinals were playing a
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
It i ...
doubleheader at
Cubs Park. Between games, Flack was traded for Heathcote. Both men appeared in both games that day.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunning, baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 5.06 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Flack, Max
1890 births
1975 deaths
Major League Baseball right fielders
Baseball players from Chicago
St. Louis Cardinals players
Chicago Whales players
20th-century American sportsmen
Chicago Cubs players
Baseball players from Belleville, Illinois
Baseball players from St. Louis
Burlington Pathfinders players
Peoria Distillers players
Syracuse Stars (minor league baseball) players