Morrie Rath

Morris Charles Rath (December 25, 1887 – November 18, 1945) was an American professional baseball player. He played second base in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnati Reds. Rath was the batter hit by Eddie Cicotte in the 1919 World Series as Cicotte's signal to gamblers that the "fix was on" in that series. In an era before on-base percentage was a valued statistic, Rath was known for his ability to get on base by drawing bases on balls. His name was sometimes reported as Maurice Rath.

Baseball career Born in Mobeetie, Texas, Rath moved with his family to Philadelphia where he grew up. Rath attended Swarthmore College but did not play for the Garnet Tide, as the school had not yet established a baseball program, but he did pledge the Delta Upsilon fraternity during his tenure. He played on teams in the Philadelphia area and moved to professional baseball in 1908, playing in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Lynchburg, Virginia. After playing for the Reading Pretzels, Rath began his major league career as a bench player for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1909, appearing in seven games. He was traded in the middle of the 1910 season to the Cleveland Naps because the Athletics already had star second baseman Eddie Collins. He was sent to the Baltimore Orioles of the Eastern League before the end of the season.

In 1911, Rath was drafted by the Chicago White Sox. In 1912, he was the team's starting second baseman and had a breakthrough year, hitting .272 with 95 bases on balls and 30 stolen bases, in addition to outstanding defensive numbers. After a slow start in 1913, he was sent down to the Kansas City Blues of the American Association and remained in the minor leagues until 1917. In 1915, Rath led the International League with a .332 batting average while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then played for the Salt Lake City Bees in the Pacific Coast League in 1916 and 1917.

In 1918, Rath joined the U.S. Navy and missed the 1918 baseball season. The following year, he was back in the major leagues, given a chance to start by the Cincinnati Reds. In his comeback season he had a .264 batting average, drew 64 walks, and was the leadoff hitter for the pennant-winning Reds. He led all National League second basemen that year in assists, putouts, and double plays. In the 1919 World Series, Rath was hit by a pitch to start the series, which was later found out to be a signal used by White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte that the fix of the World Series was on.

Personal life Rath was the half-uncle of Mike Balenti, an opposing ballplayer in the American League, in that Balenti's mother was Rath's half-sister. There is no indication that either player was aware of this relationship during their lifetimes.

After his retirement from baseball, Rath ran a sporting goods store in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. It was in that town that he died by suicide at age 57. He had reportedly been in poor health for a couple of years. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.