Chicago Aces Can Do Something That Has Only Happened Once, Ever
We have covered the greatness of both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox aces on a couple of occasions over the last month or so (here and here). Well, it turns out that the two Chicago aces could do something that has only happened once, in the history of professional baseball.
If things continue as they have for the first two months of the baseball season, both Jake Arrieta and Chris Sale will be extremely strong candidates to be the All Star Game starters for their respective leagues. This is huge in itself as Chicago has never had pitchers face off as the starting pitchers in an All Star Game. In fact, the Chicago Cubs have only had one pitcher start the game in their history, Claude Passeau in 1946.
While the matchup in itself would be a Chicago first, both teams have a more important game(s) circled on their calendars, the World Series. Which got me (and by me I mean my brother mentioned it and it stumped me so I went out to find the answer) to wondering, has there ever been two pitchers who have faced off against each other in the All Star Game, as well as faced off as Game 1 starters in the World Series?
So I reached out to the folks in the Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, where Matt Rothenberg was quick to respond.
“(It) has only happened once: In 1939, Paul Derringer of the Reds and Red Ruffing of the Yankees started the All-Star Game for each man’s respective league, and each man started in Game One of the World Series for his team.
There have been numerous occasions where one person has started both games for his league/team, as well as numerous occasions where the team eventually participating in the World Series has had a pitcher starting the All-Star Game but not the same one who would start Game One of the World Series.”
Wow, so there you have it. Now of course there are a lot of “if’s” and “assuming” that both teams will continue their play. It also assumes that Jake Arrieta gets the nod over the Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, but this is very interesting news for sure.
This is what continues to draw seamheads into the game even more. The game has been played in America for 177 years (possibly longer if you believe or do not believe if Abner Doubleday is the grandfather of the game) and new cool things continue to happen in the game.
