Encyclopedia
The
1919 World Series was played between the
Chicago White Sox of the
American League and the
Cincinnati Reds of the
National League. Due to increased enthusiasm in baseball after
World War I,
Major League Baseball decided on a best-of-nine format for the Series. Eight members of the Chicago franchise conspired with gamblers to throw games. The conspiracy is often known as the
Black Sox Scandal.
This
betting conspiracy between a group of players and gamblers led to the lifetime banning of eight White Sox players from organized baseball and the installation of
Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the sport's first commissioner.
Managers: Pat Moran ,
William "Kid" GleasonUmpires: Cy Rigler ,
Billy Evans , Ernie Quigley , Dick Nallin
The "Great Conspiracy"
The conspiracy was the brainchild of White Sox first baseman
Arnold "Chick" Gandil and Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, a professional gambler of Gandil's acquaintance. Having clinched the
American League pennant, the
Chicago White Sox were installed as the bookmaker's favorites to defeat the
Cincinnati Reds in the Series. At the time, gambling on baseball was rife and there were many stories about fixed games during the regular season, which were typically ignored by team owners and administrators.
Gandil enlisted seven of his teammates, motivated by a mixture of greed and a dislike of penurious club owner
Charles Comiskey, to implement the fix. Starting pitchers
Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" Williams, outfielders
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson and
Oscar "Happy" Felsch, and infielder Charles "Swede" Risberg were five of the players.
Buck Weaver was also asked to participate but he refused. He was later banned with the others for knowing of the fix but not reporting it. Utility infielder
Fred McMullin, who was initially not approached, got word of the fix and threatened to report the others unless he was in on the payoff. Sullivan and his two associates Bill Burns and Billy Maharg, somewhat out of their depth, approached the wealthy New York gambler
Arnold Rothstein to provide the money for the players, who were promised a total of $100,000.
Even before the Series started on October 1, there were rumors amongst the gambling community that things were not square, and the influx of money being bet on Cincinnati caused the odds against them to fall rapidly. These rumors also reached the press box where a number of correspondents, including Hugh Fullerton of the
Chicago Herald and Examiner and the ex-player and manager
Christy Mathewson, resolved to compare notes on any plays and players that they felt were questionable.
Whether or not Jackson was involved in the conspiracy remains controversial. Jackson himself maintained that he was innocent, especially in his last words, which were "I'm about to face the greatest umpire of all, and He knows I am innocent". He had a .375 batting average, threw out five baserunners, and handling thirty chances in the outfield with no errors during that series. However, he batted far worse in the five games that the White Sox lost, totalling only one RBI, from a
home run in game 8, when the Reds had a large lead and the series was all but over. The Reds also hit an unusually high number of triples to left field during the series, far exceeding the amount that Jackson—generally considered a strong defensive player—normally allowed. He also took $5000 from the gamblers, and after the series was over tried to give it back on several occasions, but by that time the damage had been done.
One play in particular has been subjected to much scrutiny. In the fifth inning of game 4, with a Cincinnati player on second, Jackson fielded a single hit to left field and threw home. Eyewitness accounts say that the throw would have resulted in an out had pitcher
Eddie Cicotte, one of the leaders of the fix, not interfered. The run scored and the White Sox lost the game 2-0. James C. Hamilton—the official scorer of the 1919 World Series—testified under oath in a later civil trial between Jackson and
Charles Comiskey that the throw was honest and that Cicotte jumped up and knocked it down for an error.
Chick Gandil, another leader of the fix, admitted to yelling at Cicotte to intercept the throw in his autobiography.
Another argument, presented in the book
Eight Men Out, is that because Jackson was illiterate, he had little awareness of the seriousness of the plot, and thus he only consented to it when Risberg threatened him and his family. Jackson accepted money in the fix and pled guilty in the ensuing trial. He was advised to plead guilty by his lawyer and claimed to have attempted to return the money twice.
Summary
NL Cincinnati Reds vs. AL Chicago White Sox | Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance | | 1 | White Sox – 1, Reds – 9 | October 1 | Redland Field | 30,511 |
2 | White Sox – 2, Reds – 4 | October 2 | Redland Field | 29,690 | | 3 | Reds – 0, White Sox – 3 | October 3 | Comiskey Park | 29,126 |
4 | Reds – 2, White Sox – 0 | October 4 | Comiskey Park | 34,363 | | 5 | Reds – 5, White Sox – 0 | October 6 | Comiskey Park | 34,379 |
6 | White Sox – 5, Reds – 4 | October 7 | Redland Field | 32,006 | | 7 | White Sox – 4, Reds – 1 | October 8 | Redland Field | 13,923 |
8 | Reds – 10, White Sox – 5 | October 9 | Comiskey Park | 32,930 | |
Matchups
Game One: October 1
The first game began at 3pm that day at Cincinnati's Redland Field with Cicotte on the mound for Chicago, who failed to score in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of that inning Cicotte hit the lead-off hitter in the back with just his second pitch, a prearranged signal to
Arnold Rothstein that the game was going to be thrown. Despite this, the game remained close for a while, due in part to some excellent defense from the conspirators who did not wish to bring suspicion on themselves. In the fourth, however, Cicotte gave up a sequence of hits, including a two-out triple to the opposing pitcher, as the Reds scored five times to break a 1-1 tie. Cicotte was replaced by a relief pitcher but the damage was done, and the Reds finally triumphed 9-1.
By the evening of that day, there were already signs that things were going wrong. Only Cicotte, who had shrewdly demanded his $10,000 in advance, had been paid. Burns and Maharg met with Abe Attell, a former world
boxing champion who acted as intermediary for Rothstein, but he did not provide the next installment , wanting to place it out on bets for the next game. The next morning Gandil met Attell and again demanded their money. Again, the players went unpaid.
Redland Field,
Cincinnati,
Ohio| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Chicago | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | x | 9 | 14 | 1 |
| W: Walter "Dutch" Reuther L: Eddie Cicotte |
|
Game Two: October 2
Although they had not received their money, the players were still willing to go through with the fix. "Lefty" Williams, the starting pitcher in Game Two, was not going to be as obvious as Cicotte. After a shaky start he pitched well until the fourth inning, when he walked three and gave up as many runs. After that, Williams went back to looking unhittable, giving up only one more run; but a lack of clutch hitting, with Gandil a particular villain, meant that the White Sox lost 4-2. Attell was still in no mood to pay up. Burns managed to get $10,000 and gave it to Gandil, who distributed it among the conspirators. The teams headed to
Comiskey Park in Chicago for the third game.
Redland Field,
Cincinnati,
Ohio| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | x | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| W: Harry "Slim" Sallee L: Lefty Williams |
|
Game Three: October 3
Dickie Kerr, who was to start Game Three for the Sox, was not in on the fix. The original plan was for the conspirators, who disliked Kerr, to lose this game; but by now dissent among the players meant that the plan was in disarray. Burns still believed, however, and gathered the last of his resources to bet on Cincinnati. It was a decision that would leave him broke, as Chicago scored early - Gandil himself driving in two runs - and Kerr was masterful, holding the Reds to 3 hits in throwing a complete game shutout and a 3-0 victory.
Comiskey Park I,
Chicago,
Illinois| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Chicago | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Dickie Kerr L: Ray Fisher |
Game Four: October 4
Cicotte was again Chicago's starter for the fourth game, and he was determined not to look as bad as he had in the first. For the first four innings he and Reds pitcher
Jimmy Ring matched zeroes. With one out in the fifth, Cicotte fielded a slow roller, but threw wildly to first for a two-base error. The next man up singled to center and Cicotte first cut off the throw home from Jackson and then fumbled the ball, allowing the run to score. When he gave up a double to the next batter the score was 2-0 - enough of a lead for Ring, who threw a three-hit shutout of his own. The Reds led the Series 3-1.
After the game, "Sport" Sullivan came through with $20,000 for the players, which Gandil split equally between Risberg, Felsch, Jackson, and Williams - who was due to start Game Five the next day.
Comiskey Park I,
Chicago,
IllinoisGame Five: October 6
The next game was delayed by rain for a day, and when it got under way both Williams and Reds pitcher Hod Eller were excellent. By the sixth inning, neither had allowed a runner past first base, before Eller hit a dying quail that fell between Felsch and Jackson. Felsch's throw was off line, and the opposing pitcher was safe at third. Leadoff hitter Morrie Rath hit a single over the drawn-in infield and Eller scored. Heinie Groh walked before
Edd Roush hit a double - the beneficiary of some more doubtful defense from Felsch - to score two more runs, and Roush himself scored shortly later. Eller pitched well enough for the four runs to stand up and the Reds were only one game from winning the Series.
Comiskey Park I,
Chicago,
Illinois| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| W: Hod Eller L: Lefty Williams |
Game Six: October 7
Game Six was held back in Cincinnati. Dickie Kerr, starting for the White Sox, was not as dominant as in Game Three. Aided by three errors, the Reds jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Chicago fought back, tying the game at 4-4 in the sixth, which remained the score into extra innings. In the top of the tenth, Gandil drove in Weaver to make it 5-4, and Kerr closed it out to record his - and Chicago's - second win.
Redland Field,
Cincinnati,
Ohio| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| W: Dickie Kerr L: Jimmy Ring |
|
Game Seven: October 8
Despite the rumors that were already circulating over Cicotte's prior performances, Chicago manager
Kid Gleason showed faith in his ace for Game Seven. This time, the knuckleballer did not let him down. Chicago scored early and, for once, it was Cincinnati that made errors in the field. The Reds threatened only briefly in the sixth before losing 4-1, and suddenly the Series was close again.
This did not go unnoticed by Sullivan and Rothstein, who were suddenly worried. Prior to the start of the Series, the Sox had been strong favorites and few doubted that they could win two games in a row - presuming they were
trying to win. Rothstein had been too smart to bet on individual games but had a considerable sum riding on Cincinnati to win the Series. The night before the eighth game, Williams - who was due to pitch - was visited by an associate of Sullivan's who left him in no doubt that if he failed to blow the game in the first inning, he and his wife would be in serious danger.
Redland Field,
Cincinnati,
Ohio| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Chicago | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| W: Eddie Cicotte L: Harry "Slim" Sallee |
|
Game Eight: October 9
Whatever Williams had been told had made its impression. In the first, throwing nothing but mediocre fastballs, he gave up four straight one-out hits to yield 3 runs before Gleason replaced him with relief pitcher Big Bill James, who allowed one of Williams' baserunners to score. James continued to be ineffective and, although the Sox rallied in the eighth, the Reds ran out 10-5 victors — clinching the Series by 5 games to 3. Immediately after the end of the Series, rumours were rife throughout the country that the games had been thrown.
Comiskey Park I,
Chicago,
Illinois| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|
| Cincinnati | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 16 | 2 |
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| W: Hod Eller L: Lefty Williams |
| HR: CHI – Joe Jackson |
Notable performances
Cincinnati Reds
- Alfred "Greasy" Neale :10-for-28; .357 batting average; 3 runs; 2 double; 1 triple; 4 RBI
- Hod Eller :2 games ; 2 complete games ; 2 wins; 18 innings pitched; 13 hits allowed, 4 earned runs; 2 bases-on-balls; 15 strikeouts; 2.00 ERA
Chicago White Sox
- "Shoeless" Joe Jackson :12-for-32; .375 batting average; 5-for-12 w/ men in scoring position; 5 runs; 3 doubles; 1 home run; 6 RBI
- Ray Schalk :7-for-23; .304 batting average; 2-for-3 w/ men in scoring position; 1 run; 2 RBI
- Buck Weaver :11-for-34; .324 batting average; 1-for-5 w/ men in scoring position; 4 runs; 4 doubles; 1 triple
- Dickie Kerr :2 games ; 2 complete games ; 2 wins; 19 innings pitched; 14 hits allowed; 3 earned runs; 3 bases-on-balls; 6 strikeouts; 1.42 ERA
Fallout
The rumors dogged the club throughout the 1920 season, as the White Sox battled the
Cleveland Indians for the AL pennant that year, and stories of corruption touched players on other clubs as well. At last, in September 1920, a grand jury was convened to investigate.
During the investigation, two players — Cicotte and Jackson — confessed. Comiskey suspended the seven White Sox still in the majors . This move decimated the team, and the remnants finished second, two games behind Cleveland. Prior to the trial, key evidence went missing from the
Cook County Courthouse, including the signed confessions of Cicotte and Jackson, who subsequently recanted their confessions. The players were acquitted. Some years later, the missing confessions reappeared in the possession of Comiskey's lawyer.
The Leagues were not so forgiving. The damage to the sport's reputation led the owners to appoint Federal Judge
Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the first Commissioner of Baseball. The day after the players were acquitted, Landis issued his own verdict:
- Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ball game, no player who undertakes or promises to throw a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked players and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball.
With this statement, all eight players were banned from baseball for life.
Banned players
- "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. The star outfielder, one of the best hitters in the game, confessed to accepting money from the gamblers. He later recanted his confession and protested his innocence to no effect until his death in 1951.
- Eddie Cicotte. The pitcher also confessed to accepting money from the gamblers. His second pitch of Game One of the 1919 World Series hit Reds leadoff batter Morrie Rath in the back, which was the pre-arranged signal to the gamblers that the players had accepted the fix.
- Oscar "Happy" Felsch, center fielder.
- Claude "Lefty" Williams, pitcher. 0-3 with a 6.63 ERA for the series. Only one other pitcher in the entire history of baseball - George Frazier of the 1981 New York Yankees - has ever lost three games in one World Series. Frazier, presumably, was not trying to lose them.
- Arnold "Chick" Gandil, first baseman. The leader of the players who were in on the fix. He did not play in the majors in 1920, playing semi-pro ball instead. In 1956, he expressed remorse for the fix, but claimed that he and his colleagues abandoned it and kept the money after rumors spread that the fix was in.
- Fred McMullin, utility infielder. McMullin would not have been included in the fix had he not overheard player conversations. He threatened to tell all if not included.
- Charles "Swede" Risberg, shortstop. Risberg was Gandil's assistant.
- George "Buck" Weaver, third baseman. Weaver attended the initial meetings, and while he didn't go in on the fix, he knew about it. Landis banished him on this basis, stating "Men associating with crooks and gamblers could expect no leniency." Like Jackson, Weaver continued to protest his innocence to successive Baseball Commissioners to no effect. He died in 1956.
Curse of the Black Sox
The Curse of the Black Sox was an urban myth, superstition, or scapegoat cited as a reason for the failure of the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series from 1917 until 2005.
After being marred by the Black Sox scandal in 1919, the White Sox franchise would not reach another World Series until 1959 and not win another World Series until 2005, when they swept the
Houston Astros for their first World Series Championship in 88 years.
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros and won the fourth and final game of the 2005 World Series and the World Championship on October 26, 2005. Coincidentally, Kid Gleason, betrayed manager of the 1919 "Black Sox" team was born on October 26. Charles Comiskey, owner of the 1919 "Black Sox," who many blame for the teams' sellout of the series, died on October 26.
Following the White Sox victory of 2005 it is likely most will consider the "Curse of the Black Sox" laid to rest.
Interestingly enough, after the White Sox' last World Series win in 1917, the Boston Red Sox had
their last World Series win one year later, in 1918.
Origin of "Black Sox"
Although many believe the Black Sox name to be related to the dark and corrupt nature of the conspiracy, the term "Black Sox" may already have existed before the fix. There is a story that the name "Black Sox" derived from parsimonious owner
Charles Comiskey's refusal to pay for the players' uniforms to be laundered, instead insisting that the players themselves pay for the cleaning. As the story goes, the players refused and subsequent games saw the White Sox play in progressively filthier uniforms as dust, sweat and grime collected on the white, woolen uniforms until they took on a much darker shade.
On the other hand, Eliot Asinof in his book
Eight Men Out makes no such connection, referring early on to filthy uniforms but only referring to the term "Black Sox" in connection with the scandal.
See also
- Baseball
- History of baseball
- Field of Dreams is a movie [i] about a farmer who becomes convinced by a mysterious voice that ...
- Major League Baseball Scandals
References
- Asinof, Eliot, Eight Men Out. New York: Henry Holt. 1963. ISBN 0-8050-6537-7.
- - IMDb page on the 1988 movie, written and directed by John Sayles based on Asinof's book
- Pietrusza, David Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series, New York: Carroll & Graf, 2003. ISBN 0-7867-1250-3
External links
- - A collection of Black Sox related Baseball Cards
