Jack Ness
Encyclopedia
John Charles Ness was a first baseman
in Major League Baseball
for the Detroit Tigers
and Chicago White Sox
. He is probably most famous for his 49-game hitting streak
in 1915, while playing in the Pacific Coast League
.
and batted .301.
In 1910, Ness moved up to the Class B Tri-State League
with the Williamsport Millionaires
. He batted .315 that season and led the league in hits, with 129. This performance earned him a roster spot on the Detroit Tigers, and he made his major league debut on May 9, 1911. In 12 games for the Tigers, he batted just .154. On June 15, he was traded to the New England League
's New Bedford Whalers. He spent two seasons in New Bedford before joining the Oakland Oaks
of the Pacific Coast League. In 1913, Ness batted .264, and in 1914, he raised his average to .292. One newspaper wrote that he was "the most popular player in the Coast league, both with players and fans alike."
In the summer of 1915, Ness made baseball history. Starting on Memorial Day and going through until July 22, he hit safely in 49 consecutive games. His streak shattered the previous Pacific Coast League record of 29 games and also broke Willie Keeler
's all-time professional baseball record of 44, which was set in 1897. During the 49 games, Ness had 79 hits and batted .457. The streak stood as the PCL record until Joe DiMaggio
hit in 61 straight games in 1933.
Ness ended the 1915 season with a .339 batting average
and 16 home run
s in 186 games. He was then acquired by the Chicago White Sox and had his second stint in the major leagues in 1916. Replacing the poor-fielding Jack Fournier
at first base, Ness played 75 games for Chicago. He batted .267 with 1 home run and 34 runs batted in.
Over the winter, Ness received a $500 cut in salary from White Sox owner Charles Comiskey
. Ness promptly quit the game, saying, "I can pull down $100 a month playing semi-pro baseball in Chicago. That, added to my salary [as a mechanic], will give me about the same as that offered me to play for the Sox in 1917." The Chicago White Sox would win the American League
pennant and World Series
in 1917. Ness' replacement at first base, Chick Gandil
, would later become the ringleader of the Black Sox Scandal
.
Ness never played in organized baseball after 1916. He died in 1944, in DeLand, Florida
.
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. He is probably most famous for his 49-game hitting streak
Hitting streak
In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the number of consecutive official games in which a player gets at least one base hit.According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits...
in 1915, while playing in the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
.
Career
Ness was born in Chicago, Illinois. He started his professional baseball career in 1908, with the Northern League's Duluth White Sox. The next season, he moved over to the Wisconsin-Illinois LeagueWisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
and batted .301.
In 1910, Ness moved up to the Class B Tri-State League
Tri-State League
The Tri-State League was the name of five different circuits in American minor league baseball.-History:The first league of that name played for four years and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia....
with the Williamsport Millionaires
Williamsport Millionaires
The Williamsport Millionaires were a minor league baseball team based in Williamsport from 1906 to 1910. Many teams in this era never adopted formal nicknames and neither did the Millionaires...
. He batted .315 that season and led the league in hits, with 129. This performance earned him a roster spot on the Detroit Tigers, and he made his major league debut on May 9, 1911. In 12 games for the Tigers, he batted just .154. On June 15, he was traded to the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
's New Bedford Whalers. He spent two seasons in New Bedford before joining the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the Pacific Coast League. In 1913, Ness batted .264, and in 1914, he raised his average to .292. One newspaper wrote that he was "the most popular player in the Coast league, both with players and fans alike."
In the summer of 1915, Ness made baseball history. Starting on Memorial Day and going through until July 22, he hit safely in 49 consecutive games. His streak shattered the previous Pacific Coast League record of 29 games and also broke Willie Keeler
Willie Keeler
William Henry Keeler in Brooklyn, New York, nicknamed "Wee Willie", was a right fielder in professional baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders in the American League.- Biography :Keeler's...
's all-time professional baseball record of 44, which was set in 1897. During the 49 games, Ness had 79 hits and batted .457. The streak stood as the PCL record until Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
hit in 61 straight games in 1933.
Ness ended the 1915 season with a .339 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and 16 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 186 games. He was then acquired by the Chicago White Sox and had his second stint in the major leagues in 1916. Replacing the poor-fielding Jack Fournier
Jack Fournier
John Frank "Jack" Fournier was a first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, St...
at first base, Ness played 75 games for Chicago. He batted .267 with 1 home run and 34 runs batted in.
Over the winter, Ness received a $500 cut in salary from White Sox owner Charles Comiskey
Charles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
. Ness promptly quit the game, saying, "I can pull down $100 a month playing semi-pro baseball in Chicago. That, added to my salary [as a mechanic], will give me about the same as that offered me to play for the Sox in 1917." The Chicago White Sox would win the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant and World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1917. Ness' replacement at first base, Chick Gandil
Chick Gandil
Charles Arnold "Chick" Gandil was a professional baseball player. He played for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox of the American League. He is best known as the ringleader of the players involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal...
, would later become the ringleader of the Black Sox Scandal
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
.
Ness never played in organized baseball after 1916. He died in 1944, in DeLand, Florida
DeLand, Florida
DeLand is the county seat of Volusia County, Florida. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 24,375. It is part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 436,575 in 2006...
.