Before there was Tonya Harding and her metal bar, or the doping incident in the 2014 Olympics, one of the largest scandals in sports history was the Chicago White Sox vs the Cincinnati Reds World Series in 1919. Eight White Sox players, with the help of gamblers and possibly the support of gambling Mob kingpin Arnold Rothstein, tried to throw the entire game for a couple thousand dollars.

Quite the (base) ballsy move.

Home Run?

 While they thought to have hit a home run with the idea of getting some extra dough in their pockets, they would ultimately come to discover their hopes were a no-hitter. The White Sox players involved with the fixed game included C. Arnold “Chick” Gandil (first baseman), Eddie Cicotte (pitcher), Claude “Lefty” Williams (pitcher), Charles “Swede” Risberg (shortstop), Oscar “Happy” Felsch (outfielder), Buck Weaver (third baseman), Fred McMullin (infielder) and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (power hitter). 

 It was Gandil who met up with gambler Joseph Sullivan to discuss throwing the game for an estimated total amount of $100,000, a figure worth approximately $1.5 million in 2019. Gandil went on to gather teammates Cicotte, Williams, Risberg, Felsch and Jackson. McMullin was also involved, but only due to him overhearing their conversations. Weaver was initially involved, but left before the games started. 

 The Foul Ball

October 1st, 1919: Game Day.

The crowd is filled with excited fans while both teams are practicing their swings before the game starts. The sun is shining bright and Cicotte is up, ready to pitch. He narrows his eyes, rolls back his shoulder and leans back, the crowd is holding their breath awaiting the throw to truly begin the games…

Only for his pitch to end up hitting Cincinnati Reds batter, Morrie Rath.

White Sox fans may have been disappointed by his failed pitch, but gamblers were extremely happy as it was reportedly a signal letting them know the fix was on. Unsurprisingly, the White Sox lost their first game with a score of 9-1. 

 Their scores for the World Series went on to be:

• Second Game: Reds 4 / White Sox 2

• Third Game: White Sox 3 / Reds 0

• Fourth Game: Reds 2 / White Sox 0

• Fifth Game: Reds 5 / White Sox 0

• Sixth Game: White Sox 5 / Reds 4

• Seventh Game: White Sox 4 / Reds 1

• Eighth Game: Reds 10 / White Sox 5

 Due to the gamblers failing to provide their promised money after each controlled loss, the White Sox started winning around Games 6 and 7. After Game 5 with their mitts still empty, the players left the fix and went on to play their game the right way…until Game 8 when threats were made by the gamblers against the players and their families. Amid the threats and the money promised to be in their hands soon, the fix was back on.

The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series with five games in the bag; however, the 1919 World Series didn’t go on to be remembered as the year they won.

 Batters Out

 Since Cicotte’s terrible pitch in the first game, suspicions about the game began to rise. It was in 1920 due to all the rumours, accusations and evidence of gamblers trying to rig another baseball game that made Cicotte confess to officials that the game was being interfered with. One by one, the other players stepped up and agreed to accepting money from gamblers to lose the World Series. 

Their trial began in 1921 on nine counts of conspiracy, where they received the “Black Sox” nickname due to their interferences. Despite many fingers pointing to gambler Arnold Rothstein orchestrating the fix, he was never accused of anything, even after documents of the players confessions mysteriously vanished...

Oddly enough, with the players confessing to accepting money, they weren’t arrested and walked free. 

Partially free. 

 This scandal led to appointing Kennesaw Mountain Landis as the first baseball commissioner.  All eight were banned from playing in a Major League baseball team again. This included Weaver, who walked away from the deal in the beginning and played his game fairly. Due to his failure to report the scandal, he was also excluded from playing baseball ever again. 

It should be noted that before agreeing to any sort of deal, much like the eight players who valued dollars over diamonds, make sure it doesn’t strike you out in the end. 

Read more about the Black Sox Scandal compared to throwing games nowadays here: https://www.adn.com/opinions/2019/10/03/baseballs-black-sox-scandal-a-century-ago-reminds-us-how-much-our-expectations-have-changed/

Marie-Chantal Chamberland

Marie-Chantal/Marie/M-C is a reader, writer, Marvel fan, and is currently studying Professional Writing. Some of her interests include traveling, skating. learning about the past, baking, and hanging out with her dog.