October 7, 2019

As the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason rolls along in cities across the United States, World Book looks back 100 years ago to the Black Sox scandal, a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series played between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The conspiracy involved a number of White Sox players taking money from gamblers to throw (intentionally lose) games in the series. The scandal shocked baseball fans and hurt the game’s reputation. It also led to the lifetime bans of eight White Sox players, the introduction of a league commissioner, and strict rules prohibiting gambling in baseball. The name Black Sox was chosen to symbolize the tarnished reputation of the White Sox team.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox pose for a team photo. The eight players banned for life because of the Black Sox scandal were Eddie Cicotte (1st row, 3rd from left); Happy Felsch (2nd row, 3rd from right); Chick Gandil (2nd row, 2nd from right); Joe Jackson (3rd row, 2nd from right); Fred McMullin (3rd row, 5th from right); Swede Risberg (3rd row, 5th from left); Buck Weaver (2nd row, 1st from right); and Lefty Williams (1st row, 2nd from right). Credit: Public Domain

In the early 1900’s, gambling in baseball was fairly common, and there were often reports of players—who were poorly paid by today’s standards—throwing games to make extra money. In 1919, the White Sox enjoyed a terrific season and were heavily favored to win the World Series. Right before the series, however, large sums of money were bet on the Reds to win, causing many people to suspect the series might be fixed. Several White Sox players underperformed in the series, which the Reds eventually won.

In 1920, a grand jury investigated allegations of corruption during the 1919 World Series. Three White Sox players confessed to taking bribes. Seven players were eventually tried for conspiracy. The players were acquitted in 1921. MLB’s newly appointed commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned all eight of the players accused in the scandal from baseball for life. Landis later banned or suspended other MLB players suspected of gambling or other infractions. Landis’s actions restored the public’s faith in the game. New rules stated that any player, umpire, or other baseball official who bet on games unconnected to the bettor would be suspended for one year. Players or others who gambled on games in which they were involved would be “permanently ineligible”—banned for life.

Star outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned from Major League Baseball because of the Black Sox scandal. He is seen here with the Cleveland Naps before his trade to Chicago in 1915. Credit: Public Domain

The eight players banned from baseball because of the Black Sox scandal were pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude “Lefty” Williams; infielders Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, and George “Buck” Weaver; and outfielders Oscar “Happy” Felsch and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Evidence suggests that Weaver was not in on the fix, but he was banned for being aware of the plan and doing nothing to stop it.

The American author Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book about the scandal, Eight Men Out, was made into a popular motion picture of the same name in 1988.

April 30, 2015

Normally, an April baseball game does not generate much publicity. However, yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox played the first major league baseball game at an empty stadium. Violent protests had erupted in Baltimore on Monday, following the funeral of a young black man who received a deadly injury while in police custody. The protests became unmanageable for local police, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan called in the National Guard, declaring a state of emergency in the city.

After postponing Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, baseball officials decided to play Wednesday’s game with the stadium closed to fans so as not to use police and national guard resources that are already stretched thin. The game had an official attendance of zero. However, not including the media members in the press box, there were actually 3 spectators—all baseball professionals—at the game. The Orioles had been averaging over 33,000 fans a game so far this season. According to Major League Baseball’s historian, the previous record for lowest attendance was 6 for a game played in 1882. Wednesday’s game was so quiet that the players down on the field and in the dugout and the media up in the press box could hear one another talking.

On the field, the Orioles scored 6 runs in the first inning and coasted to an 8-2 victory over the White Sox. The games postponed earlier this week are scheduled to be played as a double-header next month. The Orioles were scheduled to have games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at home against the Tampa Bay Rays, but these games have been moved to the Rays’s home stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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