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The "Black Sox" scandal was a baseball betting conspiracy between a group of players and gamblers which led to the Chicago White Sox deliberately losing the 1919 World Series. It led to the banning of eight players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox team, the introduction of a new commissioner and strict rules prohibiting gambling.1 Backstory
The conspiracy was the brainchild of White Sox first baseman Chick Gandil and Joseph "Sport" Sullivan , a professional gambler of his acquaintance. During the 1919 baseball season the Chicago White Sox had shown themselves to be the best team in the leagues and, having clinched the American League pennant, were installed as the bookmaker's favorites to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the Series. At the time, gambling on baseball was rife and there were many stories about fixed games during the regular season, which were typically ignored by team owners and administrators.
Gandil enlisted seven of his teammates, motivated by a mixture of greed and a dislike of penurious club owner Charles Comiskey, to implement the fix. The seven were the starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" WilliamsClaude Preston Williams better known as Lefty Williams ( 9 March 1893 4 November 1959) was an American baseball player. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Williams was born in 1893 in Aurora, Missouri to William a, outfielders Shoeless Joe JacksonJoseph Jefferson Jackson aka Shoeless Joe Jackson ( July 16, 1889 December 5, 1951), was a professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. He was one of eight players banished for life from and Oscar "Happy" FelschOscar "Happy" Felsch ( 22 August 1891 17 August 1964) was an American baseball player. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Happy Felsch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1891. He began his Major League Baseball c, and infielders Swede RisbergCharles August "Swede" Risberg ( 13 October 1894 13 October 1975) was an American baseball player. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Risberg was the assistant to the ringleader of the fix, Chick Gandil. Risberg d, Buck WeaverGeorge Daniel Weaver better known as Buck Weaver ( 18 August 1890 31 January 1956) was an American baseball player. He is probably best known for his connection to the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Weaver was born in 1890 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He began hi and Fred McMullinFrederick William McMullin ( 13 October 1891 21 November 1952) was an American baseball player. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Fred McMullin was born in Scammon, Kansas in 1891. He began his Major League Baseb. Sullivan and his two associates Bill Burns and Billy Maharg , somewhat out of their depth, approached the wealthy New York gambler Arnold RothsteinArnold Rothstein ( 1882 1928) was a New York gambler widely reputed to have been behind the Black Sox scandal during the 1919 World Series. He was never convicted, however, and no evidence could verify his connection the affair. When he was summoned to Ch to provide the money for the players, who were promised a total of $100,000. Even before the Series started on October 1 there were murmurs amongst the gambling community that things were not square, and the influx of money saw the odds on Cincinnati fall rapidly. The rumors also reached the press box where a number of correspondents, including Hugh Fullerton of the Chicago Herald and Examiner and the ex-player and manager Christy Mathewson, resolved to compare notes on any plays and players that they felt were questionable.
