A must read for any serious baseball fan. This book has its captivating moments that can truly hold your attention and make you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action. However, it also has its drawbacks. There are too many parts that seem to drag on, causing the pace to slow down and perhaps making the reader lose a bit of interest. Additionally, there are an excessive number of characters who are of only peripheral importance to the main story. These characters can sometimes be a distraction and make it a bit more difficult to focus on the central narrative. Nevertheless, despite these flaws, I would still highly recommend it to fans of the sport. The passion and love for baseball that is evident throughout the book is enough to make it worth reading for those who have a genuine interest in the game.
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Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series
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First published in 1963, Eliot Asinof's Eight Men Out has become a timeless classic of a scandalous world series.
The headlines proclaimed the 1919 fix of the World Series and attempted cover-up as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America!" Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the fantastic scandal in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation's leading gamblers to throw the Series in Cincinnati. Mr. Asinof vividly describes the tense meetings, the hitches in the conniving, the actual plays in which the Series was thrown, the Grand Jury indictment, and the famous 1921 trial. Moving behind the scenes, he perceptively examines the motives and backgrounds of the players and the conditions that made the improbable fix all too possible.
Here, too, is a graphic picture of the American underworld that managed the fix, the deeply shocked newspapermen who uncovered the story, and the war-exhausted nation that turned with relief and pride to the Series, only to be rocked by the scandal.
Far more than a superbly told baseball story, this is a compelling slice of American history in the aftermath of World War I and at the cusp of the Roaring Twenties.
The headlines proclaimed the 1919 fix of the World Series and attempted cover-up as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America!" Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the fantastic scandal in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation's leading gamblers to throw the Series in Cincinnati. Mr. Asinof vividly describes the tense meetings, the hitches in the conniving, the actual plays in which the Series was thrown, the Grand Jury indictment, and the famous 1921 trial. Moving behind the scenes, he perceptively examines the motives and backgrounds of the players and the conditions that made the improbable fix all too possible.
Here, too, is a graphic picture of the American underworld that managed the fix, the deeply shocked newspapermen who uncovered the story, and the war-exhausted nation that turned with relief and pride to the Series, only to be rocked by the scandal.
Far more than a superbly told baseball story, this is a compelling slice of American history in the aftermath of World War I and at the cusp of the Roaring Twenties.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1963
This edition
- Format
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336 pages, Paperback
- Published
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May 1, 2000 by Holt Paperbacks
- ISBN
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9780805065374
- ASIN
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0805065377
- Language
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English
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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An old friend. This and SEASONS PAST always had a profound impact on me, constantly making me wish that I could have been present to attend ballgames in the early 20th-century. The era was filled with so many names and an abundance of captivating stories. Among them, Shoeless Joe and Eddie Cicotte stood out in particular. Just imagining the excitement and energy of those early ballgames, with the crowd cheering and the players giving their all on the field, is truly enticing. Their skills and contributions to the game have become part of baseball lore, passed down through the generations. It makes me wonder what it would have been like to witness their传奇 performances firsthand. Perhaps I would have been inspired by their determination and passion for the sport. Even though I can't go back in time, reading about them and learning their stories allows me to catch a glimpse of that bygone era and appreciate the rich history of baseball.
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The story of the 1919 World Series fix is a fascinating and tragic chapter in baseball history. The players involved, known as the Black Sox, had their lives and careers forever changed. Shoeless Joe Jackson, despite his outstanding performance in the Series, was banned from baseball for accepting a bribe. Eddie Cicotte, a great pitcher, made a poor decision for financial reasons. Chick Gandil was considered the ringleader, and his actions led to the downfall of the team. Claude Williams had a great regular season but pitched poorly in the Series. Swede Risberg's actions were despicable, and he even threatened Joe Jackson during the trial. Oscar Felsch was a simple man who got caught up in the conspiracy. Fred McMullen was a minor player in the scandal. George Weaver, who was not part of the conspiracy but knew about it and said nothing, was also banned from baseball. The book under review provides a detailed account of the scandal and the players involved. It is a must-read for any baseball fan or anyone interested in American history. The author does a great job of bringing the story to life and making the reader feel as if they were there. The photos from the "Field of Dreams" movie add to the overall experience. Overall, this is a great book that I would highly recommend. The trial of the players was a media circus, and the verdict was a surprise to many. Although the players were found not guilty, they were still banned from baseball by Judge Landis. His statement that no player who throws a game will ever play professional baseball again set a precedent for the future of the sport. The baseball owners, eager to clean up the game, appointed Landis as the first Commissioner. His actions helped to restore some of the public's faith in baseball. The legacy of the Black Sox scandal lives on today. It is a reminder of the importance of integrity in sports and the consequences of making poor decisions. The players involved will always be remembered for their part in this tragic event. However, it is also important to remember that they were human beings who made mistakes. Some of them, like Shoeless Joe Jackson, tried to make amends in their later years. The story of the Black Sox is a complex and fascinating one, and it will continue to be studied and discussed for years to come.
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This is a remarkable book that was精心crafted for an individual who truly grasps the intertwined concepts of baseball and money. Professional baseball, indeed, is a business, and the sooner people recognize this fact, the quicker they can leverage it to their benefit. The individuals of that era were well aware that the game was nascent and aimed to extract the maximum amount of money from it. Consequently, when they paid the players to lose the games, it was with the intention of reaping the maximum profit from the bets placed on those games.
This book offers extremely detailed descriptions of the events that transpired during the 1919 World Series and the scandal associated with it. It is a very well-written book that I was able to read with great ease. Given my interest in baseball and the financial aspects involved, I had a good understanding of the basics presented in the book, which facilitated my rapid progress through it. Additionally, I made use of the pictures of the characters in the middle of the book to assist me in correlating the words in the text with the characters who were uttering them.
If you have a limited knowledge of baseball and do not understand the financial underpinnings behind it, this might prove to be a challenging book to read. Moreover, it contains numerous references to the United States during the late 1910s, and if you are unfamiliar with that period as well, once again, this book will pose difficulties.
The most captivating aspect of this book was the dialogue between the characters. Obviously, it was not the exact dialogue between the characters, as there is no way to know precisely what people were saying to each other at that time. However, the dialogue seems so incredibly accurate and makes so much sense that it feels as if it were precisely what they were communicating to one another.
Every character in the book was either a player on the Chicago White Sox or a gambler/associate who played a significant role in the throwing of the World Series. The combination of the engaging dialogue and the author's astute insights comes together to form a truly outstanding book.
This book offers extremely detailed descriptions of the events that transpired during the 1919 World Series and the scandal associated with it. It is a very well-written book that I was able to read with great ease. Given my interest in baseball and the financial aspects involved, I had a good understanding of the basics presented in the book, which facilitated my rapid progress through it. Additionally, I made use of the pictures of the characters in the middle of the book to assist me in correlating the words in the text with the characters who were uttering them.
If you have a limited knowledge of baseball and do not understand the financial underpinnings behind it, this might prove to be a challenging book to read. Moreover, it contains numerous references to the United States during the late 1910s, and if you are unfamiliar with that period as well, once again, this book will pose difficulties.
The most captivating aspect of this book was the dialogue between the characters. Obviously, it was not the exact dialogue between the characters, as there is no way to know precisely what people were saying to each other at that time. However, the dialogue seems so incredibly accurate and makes so much sense that it feels as if it were precisely what they were communicating to one another.
Every character in the book was either a player on the Chicago White Sox or a gambler/associate who played a significant role in the throwing of the World Series. The combination of the engaging dialogue and the author's astute insights comes together to form a truly outstanding book.
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Considering my reading habits, I should have delved into this years ago. It赫然 appears on almost every list of great baseball books and was even adapted into a fine film in 1988. I believe I was overly swayed by more recent scholarship that challenges Asinof's evidence and conclusions. Now that I have read it, I can see that John Sayles was more inclined towards the side of Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver than the book itself.
Asinof more or less contends that Jackson might have batted.375, yet he only exerted his maximum effort in the games they were permitted to win. Buck Weaver was far more entangled in the plot, even though he ultimately refrained from participating in the fix. Sayles makes it a mystery as to how deeply involved they were by zeroing in on Gandil and Cicotte's treachery and leaving other players as enigmas.
The reason this book is a classic and will endure is that Asinof's style makes you feel as if you are directly witnessing the plot unfold rather than merely being informed about it. He leads you to follow the conspirators into hotels and fabricates conversations based on depositions. We can surely assume that some of the sworn testimony was false, but he argues that the players and even the gamblers were mostly willing to come clean, especially once they were granted immunity.
If you peruse Asinof's bibliography, you can observe that this was his sole classic work. His evident talent here simply didn't gel with other subject matters. I wish I had read this prior to reading "Burying the Black Sox: How Baseball's Cover-Up of the 1919 World Series Fix Almost Succeeded" by Gene Carney. I am now tempted to re-read it.
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A story of betrayal? After reading this, it becomes quite evident that the management might have been even shadier than the players who were involved in fixing a series. It seems as if Comisky and Johnson managed to amass wealth at the expense of the players. What they did was undeniably wrong. However, it is also apparent that they were just a small part of a much larger and more complex story. The question that lingers is whether anything in the realm of sport is truly safe from the clutches of organized gambling. The way this story is told is quite engaging and well-done. It makes one wonder about the extent of corruption that might be lurking beneath the surface in the world of sports. Could there be more cases like this that have yet to come to light? It is a thought-provoking and concerning issue that demands our attention and further investigation.
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Really a 3.75.
There is an interesting truth behind one of the most famous events in baseball history.
Baseball has remained relatively unchanged over the past 100+ years. The owners continue to make money hand over fist, and gambling is now more involved than ever, with ads for betting apps running during the games. Additionally, many people still question the validity of the MLB playoffs' outcomes, but those who do are now labeled as "conspiracy theorists." Although players now have more power (thanks to their union) and earn significantly more money than they used to, they still have to fight for their rights to receive a "fair" share from the owners.
Despite all of this, both in the past and present, the fans still love the game. They prove this every time they spend a significant amount of money to go and watch the games. They also spend a large portion of their hard-earned money supporting the gambling industry. Baseball is ultimately an "entertainment" business, and it seems that the people are still being "entertained."
There is an interesting truth behind one of the most famous events in baseball history.
Baseball has remained relatively unchanged over the past 100+ years. The owners continue to make money hand over fist, and gambling is now more involved than ever, with ads for betting apps running during the games. Additionally, many people still question the validity of the MLB playoffs' outcomes, but those who do are now labeled as "conspiracy theorists." Although players now have more power (thanks to their union) and earn significantly more money than they used to, they still have to fight for their rights to receive a "fair" share from the owners.
Despite all of this, both in the past and present, the fans still love the game. They prove this every time they spend a significant amount of money to go and watch the games. They also spend a large portion of their hard-earned money supporting the gambling industry. Baseball is ultimately an "entertainment" business, and it seems that the people are still being "entertained."
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An incredibly well-researched and extremely well-detailed book indeed. This is not just a great book for those who have a profound love for baseball, but also for those who may not have a particular inclination towards the sport. The story it tells is both great and sad, and truly incredible. It takes us back to another era in baseball and in time, yet it has a moral conviction that could have significant implications for today's game, especially in the context of the steroids scandal. As you read, you can't help but feel sorry for the players. At the same time, you find yourself wondering if justice was truly served with their lifelong ban. This ban not only follows them throughout their lives but also into death, as they are forever barred from entering the hall of fame. So, there exists this lifelong and deathlong ban. However, it's important to note that not everyone gets punished in the same way, which really points out the true inequality of what happened. This book offers a thought-provoking look into a complex and controversial chapter of baseball history.
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