On This Date in Sports October 1, 1919: The Black Sox Scandal
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Eddie Ciccote having agreed to throw the World Series hits Morrie Rath leading off the game for the Cincinnati Reds. The pitch was a signal to gamblers that the fix was in. The Reds would beat the Chicago White Sox 9-1 in the Opening Game of the World Series, and would win the series 5-3, as eight members of Chicago’s team are banned as part of what would be called “The Black Sox Scandal.”
The Chicago White Sox were one of the best teams of the era, having won the World Series in 1917. Managed by Kid Gleason, Chicago won the American League Pennant, with a record of 88-52. The Sox had it all strong pitching and superior hitting. Eddie Cicotte was their top hurler, winning 27 games while posting an ERA of 1.82. However, late in the season, Cicotte was held out of a few starts to prevent him from getting the bonus he was due to receive if he won 30 games. He was just one of several players on the team that was angry when Owner Charles Comiskey backed out of giving players bonuses that they had expected to receive.
The Cincinnati Reds were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first professional team. That year’s team won its first pennant since rejoining the National League in 1890. The Reds managed by Pat Moran, posting a record of 96-44. Despite their stellar season, the Reds were a heavy underdog going into the Fall Classic, which that season was changed into a best-of-nine format.
In the days leading up to the start of the World Series in Cincinnati, member of the White Sox was in contact. Late in the season, after the White Sox had clinched the pennant, players began meeting with gamblers who were offering money to throw the World Series. Bill Burns, a former player with the White Sox acted as a go-between for the gamblers to communicate with the players. Burns was able to make contact with Chick Gandil, the team’s first baseman, who began recruiting teammates to join him in the conspiracy. Several players met with Burns, in Gandil’s hotel room, including Eddie Cicotte who was angered over not being allowed to earn his 30th win.
The White Sox starting rotation was already compromised as Red Farber was recovering from influenza, which in 1919 was potentially deadly. Cicotte would help recruit fellow starting pitcher Lefty Williams. Also agreeing to throw games was Swede Risberg, the Chicago shortstop acted as the muscle for Gandil in getting players to cooperate with the conspiracy. They also were able to get centerfielder Happy Felsch and backup Fred McMullin. Third baseman Buck Weaver had been on the meeting and agreed to throw games, but planned to double-cross the gamblers by playing his best, a plan he also convinced Shoe Joe Jackson to participate.
With the conspiracy in place, Arnold Rothstein a known gambler who bankrolled the players had given the order for Eddie Cicotte to hit the first batter as the series begin in Cincinnati. Cicotte hit Rath as planned, and the gamblers sat back and began betting heavily on Cincinnati which caught the eye of all the writers covering the series. Rath would come into score the series first run. After the White Sox tied the game in the second, Eddie Cicote and the team unraveled in the fourth, allowing five runs as the Reds won the opener 9-1, with Dutch Ruether going the distance for the win. Lefty Williams made the start for the White Sox in Game 2, like Cicotte, Williams came apart in the fourth inning allowing three runs as the Reds won 4-2 as Slim Sallee got the win for Cincinnati.
The series moved to Comiskey Park for Game 3, as Dickie Kerr made the start for Chicago. Kerr was not in on the conspiracy and pitched a masterful game, allowing just three runs as the White Sox won 3-0. However, the next two games would see Eddie Cicotte and Left Williams each return to the mound and taking the loss. In Game 4, the Reds won 2-0, with Jimmy Ring, allowing just three hits. In Game 5, the Reds won 5-0, as Chicago had just three hits and three errors.
The best-of-nine format would send the series back to Cincinnati for the next two games. By now, the secret was out as most around the game suspected that the White Sox were not giving their best effort. Manager Kid Gleason pleaded with Owner Charles Comiskey to intervene, as players not involved began fighting with the players involved in the throwing the games. The players who agreed to throw the games had yet to be paid by the gamblers and began unraveling as the White Sox locker turned into a powder keg.
In Game 6, Dickie Kerr made the start and was able to limit the damage as the White Sox again, committed three errors. The White Sox, meanwhile, rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 in ten innings as Chick Gandil’s RBI single was the difference. Game 7 would see the return of Eddie Cicotte. This time the White Sox ace would bring his best, as he was angered by not getting paid, and agreed only to throw two games. Cicotte and the White Sox won 4-1 to send the series back to Chicago for the final two games.
The White Sox were down 4-3 but had the momentum; the conspiracy to throw the World Series was unraveling as the players did not receive the money they were promised, as the gamblers took the money and made more bets. Left Williams had planned to pitch his best in Game 8 but was confronted by the gamblers who made a threat against his wife. It would not take long for Williams to give the game away, as he pretended, he was Tom Glavine, allowing four runs while recording just one out. The Reds would eventually build a 10-1 lead, as Shoeless Joe Jackson hit the series only home run in the fifth inning. The White Sox would also score four runs in the eighth but could draw no closer, as the Reds won 10-5 to clinch the World Championship.
Each of the eight players would be indicted for fixing the World Series, and went to trial, with several players including Shoeless Joe Jackson signing confessions. However, the signed confessions disappeared before the trial, and the players were acquitted. Though cleared in a court of law, they were not cleared in the court of baseball, as Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis was appointed t be the first commissioner of baseball in an effort to clean up the game after the Black Sox Scandal. Landis would ban all eight players, Eddie Cicotte, Left Williams, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, Happy Felsch, Fred McMullin, Buck Weaver, and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Many still claim, that Shoeless Joe Jackson was not involved in the conspiracy and though he may have been in on the meetings. Jackson still played his best in the series. Due to being illiterate, he may not have understood what he agreed to and what was going on. Jackson was the White Sox best hitter in the World Series, batting .375 as he had the only home run of the Fall Classic as well as a team-best six RBI. Shoeless Joe also had a series-best 12 hits.