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1919 Blacksox

Do you think professional sports are fake? Some people claim, on a consistent basis, that many of the leading sports in America have some sort of predetermined conclusion. Many claim that the world of betting is to blame for the conspiracy because there is always a "against the odds bet" that stirs up controversy. Many will turn to the 1919 World Series and the "Block Sox" scandal as the biggest scam in professional sports history. While there are still some skeptical rumors about this incident, eight players were banned from Major League Baseball.

The Black Sox Scandal is a term used for a number of events that took place around and during the play of the 1919 World Series. More specifically, the name "Black Sox" refers to the Chicago White Sox team from that season. Eight members of the Chicago franchise were banned from baseball for intentionally losing games in exchange for money. The conspiracy revolved around the White Sox first baseman Arnold "Chick" Gandil and Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, a professional gambler who associated with Gandil often. Having clinched the American League pennant, the Chicago White Sox were strongly favored going into the World Series as they were up against the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, gambling on baseball was common and there were many stories about fixed games during the regular season. The accusations were normally ignored by team owners and administrators. (Black Sox Scandal, 2006)
Gandil convinced seven of his teammates, motivated by the evil of money and a dislike of the club owner Charles Comiskey, to execute the fix. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" Williams, outfielders "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and Oscar "Happy" Felsch, and infielder Charles "Swede" Risberg were five of the players. Buck Weaver was also asked to participate but he refused. He was later banned with the others for knowing of the fix but not reporting it. Utility infielder Fred McMullin, who was initially not approached, got word of the...