Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series

Jose Canseco. Barry Bonds. Jason Giambi. Human growth hormone. The cream and the clear. Steroids. The saddest part about baseball today is that these are the words we think of. However, the past is not free from scandal, and I'm not just talking about the introduction and proliferation of "greenies." When the 1919 World Series was fixed by eight (arguably seven) members of the Chicago White Sox, the face of baseball changed forever. While it remained America's pastime, an inherent skepticism took hold. This was epitomized by the famous "say it ain't so, Joe" confrontation between "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (the arguably innocent of the eight) and not just any fan, but a child. Eliot Asinof has done a wonderful job of reminding us that baseball is not a sport newly tainted by strikes and drugs. All the major players are documented. The owner, Charles Comiskey, whose tight pocket book can be partially blamed for the scandal and who tried to cover it up. Baseball's first commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis prosecuted the guilty the best way he knew how and set a precedent that baseball followed into the late '80s with the lifetime ban of Pete Rose (eight years after Eight Men Out was published in 1981). "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, to his deathbed, recanted his confession, calling it something contrived, and professed his innocence. And then there were the gamblers: Joe Sullivan, the contact man; Abe Attell, the man who manipulated the whole thing as a middleman without the money; and Arnold Rothstein, the money behind the debacle. Asinof, despite a lack of modern "forensic" evidence, such as phone taps, followed the information back to the guilty parties. As Asinof relays, this is one of the shames, one of the great failures of the American judicial system following the Black Sox scandal. What Asinof has accomplished with this story, this true epic, is to remind us that todays era is not that only tainted one in baseball's illustrious history. It reminds us that as long as men have been paid to play a childrens' game they have wanted more and owners have wanted to give them less. In the end, Asinof reminds us that we make it possible for players to make $25 million a year. And we also make it possible for someone like Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Jason Giambi to become a "hero." While Asinof does not make me feel guilty, he makes me take pause and wonder how much of baseball's dramatic fall has been a product of the absolute corruption of American culture as opposed to the absolute corruption of a select few individuals.

This gripping expose' captures the feel of America in 1919. Author Elliot Asinof shows how the White Sox players (rather, infielder Chick Gandil) first approached the gamblers, and how the fixed World Series proceeded amidst threats, misunderstandings and double-crosses. We also read about the player's 1921 trial for conspiracy, noting that the gamblers escaped unscathed. I liked the author's portraits of conspiring players Eddie Ciccotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson (who's guilt seems modified), the unfairly banished Buck Weaver, and innocent teammates like Ray Schalk and Eddie Collins. Asinof correctly co-indicts baseball's reserve clause and Sox owner Charles Comiskey. The cold-hearted Comiskey precipitated the scandal by grossly underpaying his talented athletes in that already low-wage era. One senses parallels to modern college point-shaving scandals; bitter athletes fixing scores to grab a slice of the pie unfairly denied them. Since this book first appeared in 1963, free agency boosted player salaries, the missing grand jury confessions surfaced (in offices of Comiskey's late attorney), and this book's movie plus FIELD OF DREAMS brought the scandal to recent light. One thing hasn't changed; the underdog White Sox still have been in just one one World Series (which they lost)in all the years since 1919.

A great book that shows what led to this infamous scandel with the 8 White Sox ballplayers. Not only will baseball fans want to read this book but anyone who likes to read. It also makes you wonder if throwing games is still going on today.

The year 1919. The city is Chicago. Eight men enter the room of "Sleepy" Bill Burns and conspire to fix the World Series. The money was coming from Arnold Rothstein or "AR" to his friends. Eight men were about to rock the foundations of baseball for greed and the hatred of Charles Comiskey - or was there another story?Asinoff recounts the months leading to, the days during and the years after the 1919 World Series with amazing detail and clarity. His story is told and as you listen you'll think you are actually there. This audio book is by far much better than the movie.What you get is 8; count them 8, how ironic, tapes that weave a story of deceit, corruption, and conspiracy on both sides of the law. From Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte to Lefty Williams, Chick Ghandl, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg the tragedy is unraveled.The recording was a true pleasure and the actual use of transcripts, reports and other material adds major credibility to the exposing of baseball worst nightmare. Asinoff is to be commended on this first rate work and baseball needs more men like him. A real standout performance!This review refers to the audio book version.