The 1919 World Series was an eventful and controversial match for a number of reasons.It matched up the Chicago White Sox, who were the winners of the American League, against the Cincinnati Reds, who were the National League Champion. Eight members of the White Sox were accused of throwing the game against their opponents.The Black Sox Scandal, in which numerous members of the Chicago team collaborated with gambling, purportedly led by Arnold Rothstein, to throw the series games, is commonly connected with the happenings of the game.The 1919 Series was the final series held alone without the presence of a commissioner of baseball. Although getting cleared of felony convictions, eight White Sox players were banned from professional baseball in August 1921 for manipulating the game or for possessing knowledge of the fix.The Cincinnati Reds won the game in 1919 with a score of 5-3; however, the rumors and accusations of fixes possibly put a damper on their spirits.The 1919 World Series controversy was by far the most dramatic controversy in sports and baseball history since it impacted much more than baseball and athletics; it impacted the entire country. It had robbed baseball of its simplicity and violated the faith of innumerable fans.There are many interesting facts about the Chicago White Sox and the 1919 series game that can shed more light on the matches and the scandal.If you enjoyed reading this article, then you must check out 1919 fun facts and 1920 entertainment facts.Fun Facts About 1919 World SeriesWell before the 1919 World Series, the moniker ‘Black Sox’ was in use. Charles Comiskey, the owner of the Chicago White Sox, was so frugal that he restricted the number of times the members’ jerseys were laundered. The moniker ‘Black Sox’ came from the dirty uniforms.The 1919 World Series of baseball was won by the Cincinnati Reds, who won 5-3 in eight matches. They are still recorded as the victors of the 1919 Fall Classic, despite the fact that there is no disclaimer next to the Championship record in the pages of history.In the 1919 World Series, six of the eight matches were concluded in a little under two hours. The game moved at a quick rate since there was no advertising on TV or radio to interrupt it. Usually, the World Series is in a best of seven games format, but due to the popularity of the game, the 1919 series was conducted in a best of nine games format. This was also done to increase the money earned during the showing of the games. The finals were held at Redland Field in Cincinnati and at Comiskey Park in Chicago.Shocking Facts About 1919 World SeriesEven before the series began, there were extensive rumors of a fix, to the point where the White Sox, who began off as heavy favorites, were really the underdogs by the time it began. In any case, the gamblers understood where they should put their money.Chick Gandil, the organizer, contacted Joseph Sullivan, a limited gambler he recognized and had previously dealt with, just 13 days before the beginning of the series. Once he had purchased anything from anyone, Gandil informed Sullivan that he might chuck the series for $100,000. While other athletes later revealed their involvement in the incident, Gandil and Sullivan maintained their innocence.A grand jury was convened in September to look into different claims of gamblers entering baseball. After Cicotte, Williams, Jackson, and Felsch acknowledged to a jury trial that they had blown the 1919 game in exchange for a payment, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey banned seven of the accused players on September 28, 1920.Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the new baseball commissioner, suspended the eight members of the team who were the crooked players and imposed a lifetime ban from the game on August 3. For the crime of throwing games, they were not able to play professional baseball.A variety of novels have indeed been written on the incident, notably Eliot Asinof’s ‘Eight Men Out’, which has been adapted into a film in 1988 starring John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, and Christopher Lloyd.The scandal was considered very disappointing as it removed the simplicity of the game and would be insulting to the many teams who participated in the games. As the team that was involved in the throw of a game, the Chicago White Sox lost a significant amount of the respect that they had previously commanded.Facts About 1919 World Series’ ImpactThe Black Sox scandal associated with the Chicago White Sox was the first of its kind in baseball history. None of the members who were accused of it have been given entry into the Baseball Hall Of Fame.Following the 1919 disaster, baseball’s first commissioner was chosen. Federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis took immediate charge of the situation and promised to avoid another Black Sox Scandal. The controversy changed the power held by the commissioner.This is still a sensitive subject for fans, as they have lost the trust, they once kept in the Chicago White Sox. The ball game held in that series lost its integrity and became a huge blemish on baseball history.Following their expulsion, Risberg and many other White Sox players attempted to arrange a three-state rousing campaign. They were compelled to abandon those arrangements after Landis announced that anybody who participated against or for them would be barred from baseball for the rest of their lives.They then declared their intention to play a scheduled exhibition match in Chicago each Sunday, but the Chicago Town Council warned to revoke any ballpark’s license if they did so.Fixing a game or losing a game and accepting money for the same is considered one of the worst offenses in sports. This is an act that takes away the whole point of the game and destroys the sanctity of the sport. Many rules to avoid such fixes were set up after the 1919 series, and they all exist even today.The White Sox finished ninth in 1921, with seven of its greatest players chronically incapacitated, and were not a contender in a championship contest again till 1936, five years following owner Comiskey’s passing. They wouldn’t win another American League Championship or World Series till 1959, causing some to speculate about the existence of a Black Sox Jinx.Facts About The Players InvolvedPitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude Williams, first baseman Arnold Gandil, shortstop Charles Risberg, third baseman George Weaver, outfielders Joe Jackson and Oscar Felsch, and utility infielder Fred McMullin were among the players charged. According to the charging documents, the eight players were paid between $70,000-100,000 for dropping five matches to three games.‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, the legendary left fielder whose identity will be eternally tied to the controversy due to his celebrity hit .375 in the series. Together with the other seven plotters, he was suspected of becoming a participant in the scam and was suspended from baseball for life. However, many of the other accused players later said that ‘Shoeless’ Joe was never involved in the incident and had no direct or indirect contact with the gamblers.Interestingly, if somehow the White Sox pitcher struck the first Reds hitter, the teammates and bettors had a sign that the ‘fix’ had been on. Eddie Cicotte was the starting pitcher in Game One, and his second pitch hit the hitter in the back. Cicotte eventually acknowledged the crime of delivering an easy-to-hit pitch and committing intentional tossing mistakes.Although playing well during the game and refusing to make any payments, third baseman George ‘Buck’ Weaver remained suspended by Landis. Weaver was penalized by Landis for failing to notify team authorities upon learning of the fix.One of the eight, Claude ‘Lefty’ Williams, was suspected of spoiling the World Series. His terrible performances made him one of just two players in MLB history to drop three matches in a World Series.Eight participants were later charged with accepting money in exchange for the series being thrown. The majority of their funds were never provided. Unexpectedly, a communal jury convicted eight of the convicted individuals not convicted in a trial in 1921.The game and the trial hearing were difficult for the other players as well, and the aftermath of the World Series haunted the game of baseball for a long time.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1919 World Series facts that every baseball fan should know about then why not take a look at ’20s sports facts, or 1926 fun facts.
The 1919 World Series was an eventful and controversial match for a number of reasons.
