Who was the Black Sox? A look back at the scandal after their re -hiring

This week was eventful for the Chicago White Sox that had nothing to do with their game in the field.

On Thursday, Cardinal Robert Prevost – a lifelong fan of the team who visited the World Series in 2005 – was elected to the election age Leo XIV. Five days later, eight of the former players of the team, who were prohibited in the “Black Sox” scandal, were restored after their lifelong suspensions.

The Black Sox scandal is probably the most famous scandal in the history of North American sport – endlessly discussed, dissected, revived and handed over from generation to generation. The reinstatement of his headmaster, who is accused of having thrown the World Series from 1919, is a huge one act. The problem is that the generation that heard the story of her parents – and mythologized in all types of media.

With this in mind, a look back at the Black Sox scandal – what it causes, what happened, who the eight men were and how it entered the American legend.

In the early 20th century, baseball – not in contrast to gambling – was a vague indecent profession. The salaries were small, and the men who played famous were mostly a working class. The attraction of tanking games was considerable. Via a dozen players were banished from the baseball in front of the Black Sox; The Louisville Four- and 1916 National League beating master Hal Chase are among the most remarkable.

In 1919, baseball and the United States were in the transition. The First World War and the latest flu pandemic had influenced every corner of the country. To make money when the economy recovered, the executives of the baseball expanded the World Series from a best-von seven to a best-of-nine matter.

This year Chicago won the American League Pennant and defeated Cleveland by 3.5 games. The three best players from Bwar were Pitcher Eddie Cicotte, outfield “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Pitcher Lefty Williams – everyone had helped the team win the World Series two years ago. His manager was the former two-way player Kid Gleason, and his owner was another ex-Mlber in Charlie Comiskey.

First Baseman Chick Gandil – the scandal's ring leader – with Boston Bookie Sport Sullivan in September 1919 and the two presented a plan to fix the World Series in exchange for $ 80,000 (approx. 1.4 million US dollars in April 2025). What happened next is fatty: reports on the participation or the lack of infields Buck Weaver are controversial. However, the movement of happiness was sufficient to suspend alarms with the press even before the series between the White Sox and Cincinnati Reds began.

Cicotte hit the first blow of game 1, the second Baseman of the Reds, Morrie Rath, in the back to indicate that the tank was switched on. Cincinnati won five games up to three, but the story does not end there.

At the end of 1920, when Chicago fought for the Pennant again (in a narrow race it remained directly behind Cleveland), seven of the eight alleged conspirators from Comiskey himself were suspended in a Grand jury examination in the series of the previous season. The punishments took a stroke of the White Sox pennant chances and opened the door for Cleveland to withdraw – and finally won his first title.

In the summer of 1921, the “Black Sox” tried nine conspiracy counts to cheat. The process grabbed the nation and raised the allegations of the commitment of the great underworld figures, the best known New York MOB boss Arnold Rothstein. The players were finally acquitted, but Kennesaw Mountain Landis – the owner of a new position, “Commissioner for Baseball”, who was created by the owners, did not expect to ban the eight players for life.

The scandal touched players of all skills levels, from stars to reserves.

Eddie Cicotte, Pitcher

Born in Michigan, who was 30 years old when he confessed to his participation of a Grand jury (whom he later widers). Knuckleballer was one of the best hurler of the era of the First World War, a league leader in Bwar ('17), Siegen ('17 and '19) and the era ('17). Worked several jobs in the suburbs of Detroit and died in 1969.

Happy Felsch, midfielder

Son of German immigrants who played in Milwaukee. Had a career year in '20 – 338/.384/.540 with 14 Homeruns and 115 RBis – when it was suspended. Played an unusual ball in the West – Manitoba, Montana and Saskatchewan – and died in 1964.

Küken Gandil, First Baseman

The son of Swiss immigrants, born in Minnesota, who are known for his spirited personality. A SO-so first Baseman, the game of which was in a decline when he initiated the solution through his meeting with Sport Sullivan; His best years came with the Washington senators at the beginning of the 1910s. Wrote an article in which his participation in the Si Si scandal was discussed in 1956; died in 1970.

Schuh Joe Jackson, left field player

The most famous and controversial of all black SOX; A South Carolina from South Carolina with very little formal education. The best years came with Cleveland in the early 1910s, but were still recognizable as (in modern terms) as an all-star caliber player when he scored in the 19 series of 0.375. The first of the black Sox die in 1951 after they were played and managed under pseudonyms for years.

Fred McMullin, third Baseman

The native of Kansas grew up in Los Angeles, who debuted in 1914 with the Detroit Tigers. The Fringe player supposedly heard the plans to throw the series and asked to be involved, about the pain of his teammates who had exposed their plan. In California there are several jobs; died in 1952.

Schwede Risberg, Shortstop

The native of San Francisco, who was only 24 years old when he agreed to help Gandil. Glove-First Shortstop has only broken down in the World Series .080/.233/.160. Played a baseball on a lower level and died in 1975 when he was mentioned as the last living black sox.

Buck Weaver, third Baseman and Shortstop

The native of Pennsylvania, who only played Big League Ball for Chicago. Capable hitter (and one of the most effective colorful of the baseball), the prohibition of which can be attributed to the fact that he knew about the Scheme of the White Sox and did not report it. As with Jackson, his potential reinstatement finally became a celebration. He died in Chicago in 1956.

Lefty Williams, Pitcher

By Missouri; In 1919 enjoyed a 23-11 career year in front of the World Series. Lossed three games in the series, a record that was connected by the New York Yankees by George Frazier in 1981 but was not broken. Played in several non -stationed leagues, mainly in the western United States; died in 1959.

The most immediate scandal has shaken the public's trust in baseball and encouraged its owners to include the autocratic country as a judge, jury, executioner and commissioner. Landis was a commissioner of MLB for 25 years, and his name, which was not cited to criticize his slowness in terms of integration, leads to an Ingyword for the iron fistula government in sports.

The scandal became a test stone for the lost generation of America – the demographic population group, which as young adults The big gatsbyThe narrator Nick Carraway-a veteran of this war when the author F. Scott Fitzgerald-Wunderts, like a Mobster character with Rothstein-fiber-fiber, could “play with the belief of 50 million people”.

When the 20th century started and the historical-industrial complex of baseball was booming, the scandal became the most important of North American sport. Two books provided his immortality. In 1963 Eliot wrote Asinof Eight men outA deep immersion in the scandal that spoke out for Weaver's innocence. 1982 wrote WP Kinsella Schuhlos JoeA mystical imagination about a farmer who builds a baseball stadium in his corn field so that a ghostly Jackson plays on it. The books were transformed into the celebrated films Eight men out And Field of dreamsrespectively.

With Jackson (and Cicotte) candidates for the Hall of Fame, the interest in the scandal is only growing. In a way, the events triggered in Boston have never really ended before last year.