The Black Sox Scandal

1
The Black Sox Scandal

• An Inquiry To The Past

2
The game of baseball is a clean, straight
game. William Howard Taft
Gambling
Lies
Disputing Factions
Corruption
3
Baseball in 1919

• Following World War I baseball attendance set
  records.
• 50 more revenue than previous years.
• World Series expanded from seven games to nine.
• Baseball is such a big event, with so much money
  flowing around, someone could make a enormous
  profit if they knew the outcome of a game before
  hand.

4
The Gamblers

• Arnold Chick Gandil, First Baseman.
• Joseph Sullivan, smalltime gambler.
• Eddie Cicotte, Star Pitcher. 29 wins.
• Claude Lefty Williams, Pitcher. 23 wins.
• Charles Swede Risberg, Shortstop.
• Oscar Happy Felsch, Centerfielder.
• Fred McMullin, Utilityman.

5
The Gamblers

• Shoeless Joe Jackson, Left Fielder.
• Buck Weaver, Third Baseman.
• Sleepy Bill Burns. Former White Sox pitcher.
• Arnold Rothstien, Cash man.

6
The Series

• Cicotte gets 10,000 and Sox lose first game 9-1.
• Game two, Sox lose 4-2 and are still not paid.
• Other Sox are suspicious.
• Gandil receives 10,000. Team members in on it
  felt betrayed. Sox Win third game.
• Sullivan pays 20,000 before the fourth game.
  Cicotte makes several errors and Sox lose 5-0.
• Gamblers miss another payment and Sox decide not
  to lose anymore.
• Chicago wins sixth game 5-4 and seventh game 4-1.
• Lefty Williams life is threatened if he does
  not lose the eighth game.
• Chicago loses eighth game 10-5. Reds win series.

7
Grand Jury Hearings

• 1920 Gambling hearings on baseball start.
• July The eight White Sox involved are summoned.
• Judge Landis promises reinstatement if they are
  found not guilty.
• All eight are found not guilty.
• All eight are banned from professional baseball
  for life.

8
Issues

• Moral?
• Economic?
• Social?
• Others?

9
Your Turn
Which side do you take?
Players?
Gamblers?
The League?
Others?
10
Charles Comiskey

• Grossly underpaid players.
• Clause in contract saying they can not leave team
  without his consent
• Big bonus to win pennant was a case of cheap
  champagne.
• Charged players for laundering their uniforms.
• Promised Cicotte 10,000 if he won 30 games.
  Cicotte won 29 and Comiskey benched him for the
  rest of the season.

11
Shoeless Joe Jackson

• Hit .375 during the series.
• Set a World Series record with 12 hits. One of
  which was a homerun.
• Committed no errors during the whole series.
• Finished Career with a .356 batting average. (3rd
  all time)
• Offered more than any player and did not take the
  money.
• Told the owner when he was asked to be in on the
  scandal.

12
What about today?