The Chicago black sox scandal, which took place during the 1919 world series. Is the most famous scandal in baseball history, Eight players from the Chicago White Sox. (Which was originally called "The White Stockings." but the owner changed it in 1902.) were accused of throwing the series against the Cincinnati Reds. It was, front page news across the country and, despite criminal charges, the players were banned from pro baseball for life. The eight men were Joe Jackson ; pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude Williams; infielders Buck Weaver, Arnold Gandil, Fred McMullin, and Charles Risberg; and outfielder Oscar Felsch. The club was divided into two gangs of players, one led Eddie Collins and the other by Chick Gandil. Collins's faction was educated, sophisticated, and able to negotiate salaries as high as $15,000. Gandil's less polished group, who only earned an average of $6,000. The team did not get along with each other. Their constant infighting was marked by jealousy and verbal abuse. Despite their many wins on the field, the White Sox were an unhappy team. But, together they formed the best team in baseball. They were one of the best teams that ever played the game, but like all baseball players of the time were paid a fraction of what they were worth. Because of baseball's reserve clause, any player who refused to accept a contract was prohibited from playing baseball on any other pro team. The Chicago White Sox owner paid two of his best stars, outfielder Joe Jackson and third baseman Buck Weaver, only $6000 a year. Comiskey (the owner of the team.) frequently made promises to his players that he had no intention keeping. He once promised his team a big bonus if they won. When won, the bonus turned out to be a case of cheap champagne. Comiskey's decision to save expenses by decreasing the number of times uniforms were laundered gave rise to the original meaning of "The Black Sox." Charles Comiskey has been labeled a very uptight person whose practices made his players especially willing to sell their baseball souls for money, he was probably no worse than most owners. Chicago had the highest team payroll in 1919. Gamblers couldn't find players on lots of teams looking for extra cash, but they did. Before, in 1918, with the country in depression over World War I, interest in baseball dropped to an all-time low. The 1919 World Series was the first national championship after the war, and baseball and the nation as a whole were back to business as usual. Postwar enthusiasm for baseball took everyone by surprise, and fans followed the games. National interest in the Series was so very high, baseball officials decided to make it a best of nine series, instead of the traditional best of seven. The Gamblers were usually at the ballparks. Rumors went around that the players for the Chicago White Sox supplemented their incomes by throwing single games. Alot of these players for this team had reputations of working closely with gamblers. Even before the eight White Sox were accused of fixing the Series, the number of gamblers at ballparks had dramatically went up by 1919. Comiskey posted signs all around the park stating that there was no betting allowed in the park. But the signs were not enough. Player resentment was high and gamblers' offers, which were sometimes alot times a ballplayer's salary, were too tempting to refuse. Matched against the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago White Sox were favored to win the World Series. They were almost the same team that won the 1917 championship and the 1919 Series looked to be no contest. It was said that people came not to see if the Sox won, but how they won. Early gamblers odds favored them 5 to 1. The day before the Series opened in Cincinnati rumors of the fix were everywhere. As big bills started changing hands, the odds began to shift toward Cincinnati. That night Cicotte found $10,000 in his hotel room.Chicago lost the first game 9-1, but the players didn't get the $20,000
