90 years later, experts still unraveling Black Sox mystery

[snopes]

Forty-six years after the publication of Eight Men Out, the Black Sox story continues its hold on history lovers as more details of the complex case are revealed in bits and pieces.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...BlackSox_N.htm

[pob14]

The only mystery is why people keep wanting to "honor the memory" of those crooks.

[Ali Infree]

If the OP is correct about the documents, there are allegations of the 1918 World Series bing fixed and about major problems in the Senior Circuit, i.e. the National League.

This means that could be a helluva lot more crooks than 8 guys on the WHite Sox team playing for a notoriously cheap Charlie Comisky. They got the name the Black Sox from the fact that their owner wouldn't clean their uniforms after each game.

So, this may throw player records, franchise records, and a lot of other baseball knowledge right out the window.

Ali "deadball, but live playuhs" Infree

[Sylvanz]

Originally Posted by pob14

The only mystery is why people keep wanting to "honor the memory" of those crooks.

From the article I gather it's because there were a lot more crooks who didn't get caught. In addition, the baseball powers that be either knew or suspected yet for the most part looked the other way for a few decades before the incident in question.

P&LL, Syl

[Mama Duck]

No one in the article is honoring anyone. They were going over their favorite mystery. In fact, they unearthed information that the Black Sox scandal was not an isolated incident. So that's far from honoring anyone.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by pob14

The only mystery is why people keep wanting to "honor the memory" of those crooks.

What people are you talking about?

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Lainie

What people are you talking about?

The Straw Men group.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by snopes

The Straw Men group.

Oh yeah, those guys. They're everywhere.

[rhiandmoi]

I think it's about time people realized that Baseball isn't a holy institution, it's full of people, and people have selfish interests. Between a long sordid history of underground gambling and fixes and the current hullaballoo about the latest names coming out of the Secret 2003 Steroid Users list, I am getting tired of all the drama. Throw ball, hit ball, catch ball. That's what I want from baseball.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by rhiandmoi

I think it's about time people realized that Baseball isn't a holy institution,

Aside from from a few diehard fans, I don't think anyone has viewed baseball as a holy institution for a few years now.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Aside from from a few diehard fans, I don't think anyone has viewed baseball as a holy institution for a few years now.

Except for the Straw Men Group.

[Mama Duck]

Originally Posted by Lainie

Except for the Straw Men Group.

Well, sure them. But you can't teach that group anything.

[Ali Infree]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

Well, sure them. But you can't teach that group anything.

If they only had a brain?


Ali "or the noyvav" Infree

[RivkahChaya]

Originally Posted by pob14

The only mystery is why people keep wanting to "honor the memory" of those crooks.

It's less about venerating the players who tried to throw the games, as it is not wanting to see only them blamed, while a lot of other people are unsullied.

Originally Posted by snopes

The Straw Men group.

Which is an excellent name for a band.

[ARubberChickenWithAPulley]

Originally Posted by Mama Duck

No one in the article is honoring anyone. They were going over their favorite mystery. In fact, they unearthed information that the Black Sox scandal was not an isolated incident.

A book I read recently (might have been either Satan's Circus by Mike Dash or Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbott) talked a bit about corruption in baseball. Actually, both books might have mentioned it. The first was about New York, and I'm almost positive it mentioned Tammany Hall and the Yankees, and the second was about Chicago. Anyway, one of them alluded to at least one or two other World Series having potentially been fixed.

Major city politics were so corrupt at that time (Chicago and NY in particular) that it wouldn't be shocking if they found more evidence of that kind of thing.

[pob14]

Originally Posted by Lainie

What people are you talking about?

Visit any baseball-related forum, Baseball Fever for example; there are plenty of people who want to put Joe Jackson in the Hall of Fame.

I have no problem with catching other crooks; I just don't understand all the love for Jackson (not in the linked article or this thread, but elsewhere). There's a bar near Chicago called Shoeless Joe's, and the owner does commercials saying he named it that specifically to keep the memory of "one of baseball's greats" alive.

[Jahungo]

Originally Posted by pob14

Visit any baseball-related forum, Baseball Fever for example; there are plenty of people who want to put Joe Jackson in the Hall of Fame.

I have no problem with catching other crooks; I just don't understand all the love for Jackson (not in the linked article or this thread, but elsewhere). There's a bar near Chicago called Shoeless Joe's, and the owner does commercials saying he named it that specifically to keep the memory of "one of baseball's greats" alive.

Well, I'm no baseball historian, but it seems that Jackson was a pretty great baseball player, for one.

Also, I think there is some real controversy about how much Jackson was actually involved in the scandal.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by pob14

There's a bar near Chicago called Shoeless Joe's, and the owner does commercials saying he named it that specifically to keep the memory of "one of baseball's greats" alive.

So? Joe Jackson is undeniably one of baseball's greats, as is Pete Rose, their human failings notwithstanding.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by pob14

There's a bar near Chicago called Shoeless Joe's, and the owner does commercials saying he named it that specifically to keep the memory of "one of baseball's greats" alive.

I'm guessing you didn't care for Field of Dreams.

[pob14]

Originally Posted by Lainie

I'm guessing you didn't care for Field of Dreams.

Good guess.