‘Say it ain’t so, Joe’: Remembering the 1919 Black Sox and baseball’s biggest scandal  (2023)

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‘Say it ain’t so, Joe’: Remembering the 1919 Black Sox and baseball’s biggest scandal ? ›

Black Sox Scandal, American baseball scandal centring on the charge that eight members of the Chicago White Sox had been bribed to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Black Sox Scandal, American baseball scandal centring on the charge that eight members of the Chicago White Sox had been bribed to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

"Say it ain't so, Joe." is a phrase attributed to a reporter speaking to Shoeless Joe Jackson about Jackson's admission that he cheated in the 1919 World Series.

A child in the movie utters the famous quote, "Say it ain't so, Joe!" In real life, a Chicago reporter was standing close by when a boy said something to the effect of "Say it didn't really happen, Joe." The reporter took creative license, and created the "Say it ain't so, Joe!" quote, to give the story more emotional ...

“After the grand jury returned its indictments, Charley Owens of the Chicago Daily News wrote a regretful tribute headlined, “Say it ain't so, Joe.”[20] The phrase became legend when another reporter later erroneously attributed it to a child outside the courthouse.”

This betting conspiracy between a group of players and gamblers led to the permanent banning of eight players from the White Sox from baseball, to the introduction of the post of commissioner, and to strict rules prohibiting gambling that live on to this day.

The story goes that the White Sox were called Black Sox because of this game-fixing scandal. But they were dubbed Black Sox even before it. In an attempt to squeeze some more money out of his players, Charles Comiskey charged them money for laundering their uniforms. Of course, the White Sox players did not agree.

"We use 'joe' for the replacement of man, friend, homie, whatever it is," he said. "Our slang in Chicago is so deeply rooted that we feel like everybody understands the language," he added.

According to legend, as Jackson left the courthouse, a heartbroken young boy went up to him and begged: “Say it ain't so, Joe.”

noun. : a throw of four in the game of craps.

Is Shoeless Joe Jackson in the Hall of Fame? ›

Asinof's use of fictional characters within a supposedly non-fiction account added further questions about the historical accuracy of the book. Jackson remains on MLB's ineligible list, which automatically precludes his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball legend Joseph Jefferson Jackson (1887-1951) got his start in the textile league with the Greenville Spinners. It was here he got his nickname “Shoeless Joe,” for running the bases in his stocking feet after a new pair of spikes rubbed blisters on his feet.

Thought cleared after a court trial, Jackson and his fellow Black Sox were still tossed out of the game. Jackson played barnstorming games for about a decade, and later ran a successful dry cleaning business, The Savannah Valet Service. Shoeless Joe died on Dec. 5, 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 64.

The Black Sox Scandal was a Major League Baseball game-fixing scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein.

The decision was especially harsh toward Buck Weaver, who was banned even though he supposedly dropped out of the plot before it started. Joe Jackson, meanwhile, had admitted to accepting money from the Black Sox, but later claimed that he was an unwilling participant and had tried to tip Comiskey to the scheme.

The seven Chicago players who were acquitted and banned are Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Buck Weaver, Swede Risberg, Chick Gandil, Happy Felsch and Lefty Williams.

After the Black Sox players and gamblers were acquitted by the jury on August 2, 1921, in a verdict that surprised many observers, Landis showed he would rule the game with an iron fist by immediately banning the players from ever appearing in the major leagues again.

356 lifetime average (3rd all-time among players with 3,000 career plate appearances) without a single batting title. He had a . 423 OBP, good for 16th all-time. He slugged a very respectable .

The 1919 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 “fix” was in, they lost the Series, the gamblers cleaned up, and the eight Black Sox got their money, although not as much as promised. A year later, under increasing scrutiny, some decided to come clean, confessed, were acquitted in court, but were banned for life by Judge Landis.

What was the motivation for the White Sox players who threw the 1919 World Series? ›

The White Sox, who were heavily favored at the start of the World Series, had been seriously underpaid and mistreated by owner Charles Comiskey. The conspiracy to fix the games was most likely initiated by first baseman Chick Gindil and small-time gambler Joseph Sullivan.

In the novel The Great Gatsby, Meyer Wolfsheim is a Jewish friend and mentor of Jay Gatsby, described as a gambler who fixed the World Series.

Breezy: A female or girlfriend.

Call it the Windy City, Chi-town, or the City of Big Shoulders—but one nickname has seen an especially interesting evolution over the years: the Second City.

a native or inhabitant of Chicago, Ill.

Though Jackson signed a confession in 1920 stating that he was paid $5,000 (out of the $20,000 he was promised), he later asserted that a team lawyer manipulated him into signing a document he didn't fully understand. (Jackson never learned to read or write.)

Shoeless Joe Jackson, byname of Joseph Jefferson Jackson, (born July 16, 1888, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.—died December 5, 1951, Greenville), American professional baseball player, by many accounts one of the greatest, who was ultimately banned from the game because of his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox ...

noun. informal a long baggy thin sweater.

While once used as a slang term, the Dictionary has now included it to mean "a sexual fetishist who likes to be dominated and who dresses in a leather or rubber bodysuit with mask, zips, and chains." Bob's particular gimp appears to enjoy being suspended by giant hooks running through his skin . . . and Bob weirdly ...

Eleven is called out as "yo" or "yo-leven" to prevent being misheard as "seven". An older term for eleven is "six five, no jive" because it is a winning roll. During the comeout, eleven is typically followed by "front line winner".

Why did the White Sox cheat in 1919? ›

The White Sox, who were heavily favored at the start of the World Series, had been seriously underpaid and mistreated by owner Charles Comiskey. The conspiracy to fix the games was most likely initiated by first baseman Chick Gindil and small-time gambler Joseph Sullivan.

The 1919 World Series resulted in the most famous scandal in baseball history, often referred to as the Black Sox Scandal. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox (nicknamed the Black Sox) were accused of throwing the series against the Cincinnati Reds.

The eight players are Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, Claude "Lefty" Williams, "Happy" Felsch and Fred McMullen. They will be acquitted by a jury in August, but Landis will ban the Black Sox for life.

The events of the series are often associated with the Black Sox Scandal, when several members of the Chicago franchise conspired with gamblers, allegedly led by Arnold Rothstein, to throw the World Series games. The 1919 World Series was the last World Series to take place without a Commissioner of Baseball in place.

Gleason is best known as the betrayed manager of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, the team made infamous by the Black Sox scandal, in which Gleason's players conspired to intentionally lose the World Series.

Just before the start of the Series, the odds were 5 – 1 in favor of the Chicago White Sox. But as rumors spread of a World Series fix, the odds shifted to 8 – 5 in favor of the Cincinnati Reds. The following is a brief game-by-game account of the 1919 World Series. It began on Wednesday, October 1, 1919.

White Sox owner Charles Comiskey immediately suspends Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch, Swede Risberg, Fred McMullin, Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who are notorious for their involvement in the "Black Sox Scandal."

The sanctions against the Astros were the most severe that MLB has ever issued against a member club, and are among the most severe sanctions for in-game misconduct in baseball history.

Atlanta Braves, 1984. On Aug. 12, 1984, the longest, nastiest and most epic MLB brawl took place between the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. The tension began in the first when Braves starter Pascual Perez hit San Diego second baseman Alan Wiggins in the lower back.

The Black Sox Scandal was a Major League Baseball game-fixing scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein.

Was Shoeless Joe Jackson good? ›

356 lifetime average (3rd all-time among players with 3,000 career plate appearances) without a single batting title. He had a . 423 OBP, good for 16th all-time. He slugged a very respectable .

Players involved—dubbed "Black Sox"—were acquitted in court, but banned by the league from continuing to play. Accounts differ, but the scheme to throw the game for money may have first materialized a few weeks before that year's World Series, when White Sox first baseman C.

Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, including conspiring to fix the 1919 World Series.

In 1919, a baseball player made $2,400 on average. The highest-paid player was Babe Ruth, who made $5,000. In 1919, the Chicago White Socks were one of the highest-paid baseball teams, earning nearly $20 million.