1919 Chicago White Sox season
Encyclopedia
The Chicago White Sox
season was their 19th season in the American League
. They won 88 games to advance to the World Series
but lost to the Cincinnati Reds
. More significantly, some of the players were found to have taken money from gamblers in return for throwing
the series. The "Black Sox Scandal
" had permanent ramifications for baseball, including the establishment of the office of Commissioner of Baseball
. Two of the best players in the game, knuckleballer Eddie Cicotte
and slugger Joe Jackson
, had their careers cut short as a result of their involvement in the fix.
In 1919, Cicotte led the majors with 29 wins. Jackson hit .351 and headed an offense that scored the most runs of any team.
Happy Felsch
Joe Jackson
Buck Weaver
Lefty Williams
(5) vs. AL Chicago White Sox
(3)
. The name "Black Sox" also refers to the Chicago White Sox
team from that era. Eight members of the Chicago franchise were banned from baseball for throwing
(intentionally losing) games.
and Joseph "Sport" Sullivan
, who was a professional gambler of Gandil's acquaintance. New York gangster Arnold Rothstein
supplied the major connections needed. The money was supplied by Abe Attell
, former featherweight boxing champion, who accepted the offer even though he didn't have the $80,000 that the White Sox wanted.
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. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte
and Claude "Lefty" Williams
, outfielders "Shoeless" Joe Jackson
and Oscar "Happy" Felsch
, and infielder Charles "Swede" Risberg
were all involved. Buck Weaver
was also asked to participate, but refused; he was later banned with the others for knowing of the fix but not reporting it. Utility infielder
Fred McMullin
was not initially approached but got word of the fix and threatened to report the others unless he was in on the payoff. Sullivan and his two associates, Sleepy Bill Burns
and Billy Maharg
, somewhat out of their depth, approached Rothstein to provide the money for the players, who were promised a total of $100,000.
Stories of the "Black Sox" scandal have usually included Comiskey in its gallery of subsidiary villains, focusing in particular on his intentions regarding a clause in Cicotte's contract that would have paid Cicotte an additional $10,000 bonus for winning 30 games. According to Eliot Asinof
's account of the events, Eight Men Out
, Cicotte was "rested" for the season's final two weeks after reaching his 29th win, presumably to deny him the bonus.
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
season was their 19th season in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. They won 88 games to advance to the World Series
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
but lost to the Cincinnati Reds
1919 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The Reds won the National League pennant, then went on to win the 1919 World Series...
. More significantly, some of the players were found to have taken money from gamblers in return for throwing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
the series. The "Black Sox Scandal
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
" had permanent ramifications for baseball, including the establishment of the office of Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
. Two of the best players in the game, knuckleballer Eddie Cicotte
Eddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte , nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox...
and slugger Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
, had their careers cut short as a result of their involvement in the fix.
Regular season
Roster
| 1919 Chicago White Sox | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager | ||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 131 | 394 | 111 | .282 | 0 | 34 | |
| 1B | 115 | 441 | 128 | .290 | 1 | 60 | |
| 2B | 140 | 518 | 165 | .319 | 4 | 80 | |
| 3B | 140 | 571 | 169 | .296 | 3 | 75 | |
| SS | 119 | 414 | 106 | .256 | 2 | 38 | |
| LF | 139 | 516 | 181 | .351 | 7 | 96 | |
| CF | 135 | 502 | 138 | .275 | 7 | 86 | |
| RF | 122 | 434 | 131 | .302 | 0 | 26 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 170 | 50 | .294 | 0 | 19 | |
| 30 | 35 | 17 | .486 | 0 | 5 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 306.2 | 29 | 7 | 1.82 | 110 | |
| 41 | 297 | 23 | 11 | 2.64 | 125 | |
| 25 | 162.1 | 11 | 9 | 3.83 | 45 | |
| 5 | 39.1 | 3 | 2 | 2.52 | 11 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 212.1 | 13 | 7 | 2.88 | 79 | |
| 20 | 96.2 | 5 | 5 | 2.79 | 43 | |
| 8 | 35 | 1 | 3 | 5.14 | 10 | |
| 6 | 23.2 | 1 | 3 | 8.37 | 9 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7.78 | 17 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | |
League top ten finishers
Eddie CicotteEddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte , nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox...
- MLB leader in wins (29)
- MLB leader in complete games (30)
- #2 in AL in ERA (1.82)
- #2 in AL in shutouts (5)
- #7 in AL in strikeouts (110)
Happy Felsch
Happy Felsch
Oscar Emil "Happy" Felsch was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1915 to 1920. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal....
- #6 in AL in RBI (86)
Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
- #3 in AL in RBI (96)
- #3 in AL in hits (181)
- #4 in AL in batting average (.351)
- #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.422)
- #4 in AL in triples (14)
- #5 in AL in slugging percentage (.506)
Buck Weaver
Buck Weaver
George Daniel "Buck" Weaver was an American shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago White Sox...
- #4 in AL in runs scored (89)
- #7 in AL in stolen bases (22)
- #7 in AL in hits (169)
Lefty Williams
Lefty Williams
Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 World Series fix, known as the Black Sox scandal.-Career:...
- #2 in AL in shutouts (5)
- #2 in AL in complete games (27)
- #3 in AL in wins (23)
- #3 in AL in strikeouts (125)
- #9 in AL in ERA (2.64)
1919 World Series
NL Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(5) vs. AL Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(3)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago White Sox – 1, Cincinnati Reds – 9 | October 1 | Redland Field Crosley Field Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League... |
30,511 |
| 2 | Chicago White Sox – 2, Cincinnati Reds – 4 | October 2 | Redland Field | 29,690 |
| 3 | Cincinnati Reds – 0, Chicago White Sox – 3 | October 3 | Comiskey Park Comiskey Park Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games... |
29,126 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Reds – 2, Chicago White Sox – 0 | October 4 | Comiskey Park | 34,363 |
| 5 | Cincinnati Reds – 5, Chicago White Sox – 0 | October 6 | Comiskey Park | 34,379 |
| 6 | Chicago White Sox – 5, Cincinnati Reds – 4 (10 innings) | October 7 | Redland Field | 32,006 |
| 7 | Chicago White Sox – 4, Cincinnati Reds – 1 | October 8 | Redland Field | 13,923 |
| 8 | Cincinnati Reds – 10, Chicago White Sox – 5 | October 9 | Comiskey Park | 32,930 |
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal refers to a number of events that took place around and during the play of the 1919 World Series1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
. The name "Black Sox" also refers to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
team from that era. Eight members of the Chicago franchise were banned from baseball for throwing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
(intentionally losing) games.
The Fix
The conspiracy was the brainchild of White Sox first baseman Arnold "Chick" GandilChick Gandil
Charles Arnold "Chick" Gandil was a professional baseball player. He played for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox of the American League. He is best known as the ringleader of the players involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal...
and Joseph "Sport" Sullivan
Joseph "Sport" Sullivan
Joseph J. "Sport" Sullivan was an American bookmaker and gambler from Boston, Massachusetts who helped to initiate the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.-Biography:...
, who was a professional gambler of Gandil's acquaintance. New York gangster Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
supplied the major connections needed. The money was supplied by Abe Attell
Abe Attell
Abraham Washington "Abe" Attell , known in the boxing world as Abe "The Little Hebrew" Attell, was a boxer who became known for his record-setting six-year reign as World Featherweight Champion...
, former featherweight boxing champion, who accepted the offer even though he didn't have the $80,000 that the White Sox wanted.
Gandil enlisted seven of his teammates, motivated by a mixture of greed and a dislike of penurious club owner Charles Comiskey
Charles Comiskey
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey was a Major League Baseball player, manager and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League and later owned the Chicago White Sox...
, to implement the fix. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte
Eddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte , nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox...
and Claude "Lefty" Williams
Lefty Williams
Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 World Series fix, known as the Black Sox scandal.-Career:...
, outfielders "Shoeless" Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
and Oscar "Happy" Felsch
Happy Felsch
Oscar Emil "Happy" Felsch was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1915 to 1920. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal....
, and infielder Charles "Swede" Risberg
Swede Risberg
Charles August "Swede" Risberg was an Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1917 to 1920. He is best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.-Background:...
were all involved. Buck Weaver
Buck Weaver
George Daniel "Buck" Weaver was an American shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago White Sox...
was also asked to participate, but refused; he was later banned with the others for knowing of the fix but not reporting it. Utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
Fred McMullin
Fred McMullin
Frederick Drury McMullin was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.-Career:...
was not initially approached but got word of the fix and threatened to report the others unless he was in on the payoff. Sullivan and his two associates, Sleepy Bill Burns
Sleepy Bill Burns
William Thomas "Bill" Burns , nicknamed "Sleepy Bill," was an American baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball for five different teams from 1908 to 1912...
and Billy Maharg
Billy Maharg
William Joseph Maharg, also known as William Joseph Graham has three distinct historical connections with Major League Baseball -- first, as a replacement player in the 1912 Detroit Tigers' players strike, second, for a one-game stint with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1916, and third, for his role...
, somewhat out of their depth, approached Rothstein to provide the money for the players, who were promised a total of $100,000.
Stories of the "Black Sox" scandal have usually included Comiskey in its gallery of subsidiary villains, focusing in particular on his intentions regarding a clause in Cicotte's contract that would have paid Cicotte an additional $10,000 bonus for winning 30 games. According to Eliot Asinof
Eliot Asinof
Eliot Asinof was an American writer of fiction and nonfiction best known for his writing about baseball. His most famous book was Eight Men Out, a nonfiction reconstruction of the 1919 Black Sox scandal.-Biography:...
's account of the events, Eight Men Out
Eight Men Out
Eight Men Out is an American dramatic sports film, released in 1988 and based on Eliot Asinof 1963 book 8 Men Out. It was written and directed by John Sayles....
, Cicotte was "rested" for the season's final two weeks after reaching his 29th win, presumably to deny him the bonus.