ight hearted and always-smiling, Oscar Felsh earned the nickname "Happy" very early in his life. "He was born with a smile" Oscar's father, Charles, once explained. A native of Milwaukee Wisconsin, Happy was one of six children in the Felsch family. Although the four Felsch brothers all loved playing baseball as youths, it was Happy who displayed the most talent.

At the age of 20, Happy was offered a baseball tryout with Eau Claire of the old Wisconsin-Minnesota League. His tryout was shortlived however, and lasted only three days.

It was in 1913, while playing shortstop for Fond Du Lac of the Wisconsin-Illinois League, Happy was converted into an outfielder. Performing well that year, he was given a tryout with the old Milwaukee Brewers team and finished the year with Harry Clark's American Association club. Happy played in the American Associaton again in 1914 and was leading the league with 19 homeruns when he was purchased towards the end of the season by the Chicago White Sox.

Happy Felsch Major League career began on April 14,1915 when he made his debut for the White Sox. For the better part of his six year career, Happy was a full time player for the White Sox. The only exception came in 1918 when he was called into military serivce and played in only 53 games. A .293 career hitter, Happy hit .300 three times, including .338 in 1920, his final big league season.

After being acquitted in the 1921 criminal trial, Happy returned to Milwaukee and played sandlot ball with various amateur and Semi-Pro teams. He spent several summers barnstorming with other Black Sox players

touring the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Occassionally, opposing players embarassed and taunted him about the scandal. One such ocassion took place at Sheridan Park in Cudahy. As Happy was coming to bat, the rival catcher told him "You won't find any gold under your pillow on the sandlots." With a bat in his hands, "Hap" chased the catcher around the field until finally being subdued by the umpires.

Despite aching muscles, bruises, increased weight, and varicose veins, Happy Felsch continued to play amateur ball into his 40's. "I'll play as long as these old legs of mine hold out" Felsch would often say. In one of his last seasons before retiring from baseball, Happy played first base for the Triangle Billiards Triple A team in 1932.

When his playing days ended, Happy opened a grocery store as well as a number of taverns and "soft drink" parlors. Happy later worked for the George Meyer Company as a crane operator before retiring in 1962.

In his later years, Happy never spoke about the scandal, but once commented: "I'm not saying that I doublecrossed the gamblers but I had nothing to do with the loss of the World Series. The breaks just came so that I was not given a chance to do anything towards throwing the games...Whether I could actually have gotten up nerve enough to carry out my part in throwing the games I can not say...The gold looked awfully good to all of us and I suppose I would have gone ahead with the doublecross, but as I said I was given no chance to decide...I'm as guilty as the rest...Looks like the joke's on us, doesn't it?"

After a lengthy illness, Oscar "Happy" Felsch died of a liver ailment on August 17, 1964.