Eliot Asinof's "Eight Men Out" is a captivating account that delves into the scandalous rigging of the 1919 World Series.

It reveals how eight members of the Chicago White Sox, frustrated by their penny-pinching owner Charles Comiskey, were lured into throwing the series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for bribes from crime boss Arnold Rothstein and his associates.

Asinof presents a complex picture of the White Sox players, showing them as a group of talented individuals who were pushed to the brink. He offers varying degrees of sympathy, from the conniving Eddie Cicotte to the conflicted Bucky Weaver and the unfortunate Shoeless Joe Jackson, whose once-great reputation was forever tarnished.

In Asinof's telling, the Black Sox were the fall guys. When federal prosecutors couldn't touch Rothstein and his allies, they targeted the baseball players. And even though the players were acquitted at trial, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned them from professional baseball for life, sentencing them to a life of odd jobs and infamy.

Despite its flaws, Asinof's book is a well-written and atmospheric portrayal of postwar Chicago. Even those who are not interested in baseball can be drawn in by his vivid descriptions of a city filled with hope and fear, a city whose fortunes were intertwined with those of the White Sox.

While recent historians have criticized Asinof's work for its reliance on limited sources and some misleading claims, the book still manages to tell a compelling story. It is a reminder of the power of narrative history, with all its strengths and weaknesses.

And for those who want to experience the story in a different medium, John Sayles' 1988 film adaptation, starring John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, David Strathairn, and Christopher Lloyd, offers a new perspective on this infamous chapter in baseball history.

The Chicago White Sox, a team of great talent in 1919, were favored to win the World Series. However, eight of their players colluded with gamblers and arranged to lose. This led to their lifetime ban from organized baseball. But this was not just the fault of the players; the system had also become corrupt. Eliot Asinof's book "Eight Men Out" explores this scandal in detail.

Asinof, a former minor-league player, tears away the myths surrounding this event. For example, the "Black Sox" nickname was not invented after the scandal but before the series even began. The team owner, Charles Comiskey, was more interested in saving money than in keeping his team's uniforms clean, which led to the nickname.

The eight players who threw the series included "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, who was a great all-around player. However, his participation in the scheme seems to have been half-hearted. Buck Weaver, the third baseman, also insisted on his innocence.
The scandal was also Comiskey's personal tragedy. His penny-pinching antics made some of his players more willing to listen to the gamblers. The story of the "Black Sox" scandal is a complex one, involving gamblers, players, and team owners. Asinof's meticulous reporting uncovers the details of the scandal and shows how it slowly came to light.
The investigation led to a grand jury and a sensational trial in 1921. The players were acquitted of the conspiracy charges, but the newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned them from playing professional baseball for life.
The saga of the "eight men out" has had a lasting impact on our culture. It is referenced in literature, film, and even in everyday life. The story of the "Black Sox" scandal is a sad one, but it is also an important part of baseball history. Eliot Asinof's "Eight Men Out" is a great book that tells this story well.

This particular topic is not only very detailed but also incredibly interesting for this historian and baseball enthusiast.

The level of detail presented allows for a comprehensive exploration of the subject matter. It delves deep into the various aspects, providing a wealth of information that keeps one engaged from start to finish.

For the historian, it offers valuable insights into the historical context and evolution of baseball. It uncovers the stories and events that have shaped the sport over the years.

Meanwhile, the baseball enthusiast finds it fascinating as it brings to light the nuances and intricacies of the game. It explores different strategies, player performances, and memorable moments.

Overall, this detailed and interesting topic serves as a captivating read for both the historian and the baseball enthusiast, satisfying their curiosity and passion for the subject.

A good narrative about the scandal can be quite captivating. I really enjoyed reading the book related to it. However, I was rather surprised to notice the lack of in-depth scholarship that went into it. This is especially concerning since it is basically considered the standard work regarding the Black Sox scandal. One would expect a high level of research and accuracy in such a significant piece.

Nevertheless, despite this shortcoming, the book still has its merits in presenting the story in an engaging way. I would highly recommend to anyone who is reading the book to also check out the SABR website. There, they can find a comprehensive list of errors that the author made. This additional resource can provide a more well-rounded understanding of the topic and help readers to evaluate the book more critically.

By being aware of the errors, readers can make a more informed judgment about the reliability and value of the book. It also serves as a reminder that even in well-known works, there may be areas that require further examination and verification. Overall, while the book has its flaws, it can still be a worthwhile read when supplemented with additional research and analysis.

Anyone who is a student of baseball history would do well to read Eliot Asinof's Eight Men Out.

This is a highly-detailed account of the infamous Chicago 'Black Sox' and the throwing of the 1919 World Series.

The book is very-layered, describing in great detail the events that led up to the fix. It delves into the eight ballplayers and their backstories, as well as those of the gamblers involved.

Other peripheral characters and topics also come under scrutiny. There's the tension between the players and their tight-wad owner Charles Comiskey, the big-money gamblers, the baseball executives, the legal wrangling, and the aftermath of the entire incident.

This makes for an interesting period piece. America had just emerged from World War I and was exhausted, with baseball providing a much-needed escape. However, the whispers and then the full-blown investigation into the scandal threatened to sour the public on their great pastime.

With athletes being paid exorbitant salaries these days, it's hard to imagine that these ballplayers were barely paid a livable wage back then. In light of that, the players themselves (at least most of them) come off as the most sympathetic characters of the whole affair. Everyone else involved, not so much.

Much has been written and romanticized about the players over the years, especially the great Shoeless Joe Jackson. Although the description of the gambling and legal issues can be a bit tedious at times, this is nonetheless an insightful book that offers a fascinating look into a dark chapter of baseball history.

If baseball holds no allure for you, you might be inclined to skip this book about the greatest scandal in sports history.........However, you don't necessarily have to be a die-hard fan to relish this well-written and captivating account of an incident that shook the nation. It is a chronicle of a specific era, a particular place, and the individuals who were embroiled in it.

In 1919, weary from the Great War, people sought solace and entertainment in baseball. That year, the World Series pitted the Chicago White Sox against the Cincinnati Reds in a fierce battle for the highly coveted baseball title. Charles Cominsky, the despised owner of the Sox, had a team of discontented players whom he treated poorly and paid even worse. These were decent, ordinary, and talented men who became ensnared in the幕后阴谋 that ultimately led to their lifetime banishment from the sport.

The author not only provides us with an insight into these players but also offers a peek into Chicago, where the "mob" was dictating how the city was governed and what they could control. One of the bigwigs of the criminal underworld, Arnold Rothstein, set his sights on baseball - thus, the fix was on and the Black Sox scandal was born.

Thoroughly researched and written with flair, this is an enjoyable and rather poignant history of the most disgraceful event in sports history. Even non-sports enthusiasts will find it fascinating. And it gave birth to a saying that endures to this day, when a young boy tugged at the sleeve of Joe Jackson, one of the banned players, after the trial and cried "Say it 'aint so, Joe. Say it 'aint so".

Highly recommended.

We are well aware that the central thesis of the book, namely that the players threw the series due to being underpaid, is empirically incorrect, and other details are also similarly inaccurate. Moreover, there are no citations, which can be quite exasperating.

However, I still award it 5 stars because those errors do not actually detract from the story. Asinof tells the tale with great verve, albeit perhaps at times with an excessive number of exclamation marks. The book captures the personalities involved, the high drama, and the broader context of corruption in baseball. It is truly a tragic narrative. And even if the portrayal of Charles Comiskey as a cheapskate doesn't hold up, the fact remains that all players were drastically underpaid, so the overall point is valid. One risks one's career because of the need for money. Eddie Cicotte had a farm mortgage and a large family, and there was no free agent payoff.

https://sabr.org/eight-myths-out

I thought I’d feel bad for Shoeless Joe.

After all, he was a talented baseball player who was unjustly accused and banned from the game.

But as I read on, I found that Buck Weaver’s story was much more sad to me.

Buck was also a part of the Black Sox scandal, but his role was less clear.

He was a good player and a decent man, but he got caught up in something he couldn’t control.

Unlike Shoeless Joe, who seemed to accept his fate, Buck was left with a sense of regret and longing.

He knew he had made a mistake, but he also knew that he couldn’t go back and change it.

By the end of the book, I found myself feeling more sympathy for Buck than for Shoeless Joe.

His story was a reminder that sometimes, even the best of us can make bad choices, and that the consequences can be far-reaching and long-lasting.

Easily the most infamous scandal in sports history, I could not call myself a baseball fan and go without the inside scoop on the 1919 Black Sox incident.

This book offers a wonderful blow-by-blow account of the scandal. Asinof has a remarkable ability to bring the reader right down to the level of the characters. In this case, we have the gamblers and hustlers like Arnold Rothstein and Abe Attell, and of course, the legendary ballplayers - Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Buck Weaver, and the others who made up that fabled squad. I truly appreciate his fairness towards them, considering how used and abused they felt, being underpaid by their boss Charles Comiskey.

Apart from the human element, the descriptions of the ballgames, the courtroom dramas, and the tense conversations between the major actors are all excellently executed.

However, I must admit that the pacing was a bit slow for my personal tastes. Nevertheless, it is rewarding enough once you manage to get through it. There are also a number of typos and grammatical errors, but that's just me being overly critical.

Overall, this is a must-read for any baseball fan. There is little to complain about here aside from the minor gripes I mentioned above. It may not be a legendary tome, but it is still a good, solid read that provides valuable insights into one of the most scandalous events in baseball history.

One of the truly iconic baseball books throughout history is the tale of the 1919 Chicago White Sox. In that fateful year, 8 players conspired with the legendary gangster Arnold Rothstein to throw the '19 World Series against the heavy underdog Cincinnati Reds team.

The Good: Originally penned in 1963, this book stands as one of the definitive baseball stories, not just about a crucial moment in baseball history but in the annals of professional sports as a whole. These 8 men - Buck Weaver, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsch, Eddie Cicotte, Fred McMullin, and Shoeless Joe Jackson - all faced lifetime bans from baseball due to their participation in this scandal. Despite being acquitted in court, it mattered little to baseball's first commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who set a precedent that betting on baseball would not be tolerated. The author dedicated an enormous amount of research, utilizing newspaper articles and court documents, to present as comprehensive a story as possible.

The Bad: The entire narrative serves as a prime example of the corrupting influence of money. The players were severely underpaid by wealthy owners like Charles Comiskey, known as The Old Roman, who regarded the players as his slaves while amassing millions of dollars. Had he paid his players fairly, they might not have found themselves in such a predicament in the first place. Regrettably, there are no heroes in this story; everyone is culpable.

B+

It is truly unfortunate that this incident occurred, but it is of utmost importance to understand the potential impact of gambling on sports. Now that gambling is once again legal in many areas, I cannot help but wonder if a similar situation could unfold in the future.

When I was in the process of deciding which book to read, I was scrolling through the list of books provided by my teacher.

And then I came across this particular book. At the very beginning, I didn't have high expectations for it. Since I don't have a great deal of interest in baseball, I assumed it wouldn't be a very engaging read. However, things have changed drastically. After reading this book, I now find myself following baseball much more closely than I ever did before. In fact, I can even consider myself a baseball fan now.

I was initially a little hesitant to pick up this book. I had the impression that it would be filled with detailed descriptions of countless games and drawn-out court cases, which I thought would be extremely boring. But to my surprise, every time I picked up the book, it made me eager to read more and more. The author described the games, the court hearings, and everything else in such great detail that it truly brought the story to life.

While reading the book, I had the amazing feeling that I was actually a part of the games, present at the court hearings, and even witnessing the players interact with the people who were gambling on them.

After finishing this book, I highly recommend it to anyone who is not only a baseball fan but also a sports enthusiast in general. I myself am a huge basketball fan, but this book has made me develop a newfound interest in baseball. It has truly opened my eyes to the excitement and drama that surrounds this sport. This is one of the best books I have ever read. It not only focuses on the World Series but also delves into what was happening in the courtroom. I believe that people who study law would also be very interested in this book and would likely recommend it to others. Overall, this was an excellent book, and I would毫不犹豫地 recommend it to a large number of people. 5/5 stars.

A tough read stylistically! There are so many exclamation points, and there are also a smattering of spelling and usage errors.

Also, it is a tough read content-wise.

Did a few of the Sox purposefully throw baseball games? Absolutely! They were, however, mere pawns in a game of the powerful. As happens so many times in America, they were the punished while the real criminals got away with not even a scratch.

The real Black Sox were Charles Comiskey and his little sycophantic sidekick Harry Grarbiner. They were pocketing enormous amounts of money that were earned by ballplayers who made a pittance compared to the owner.

The myriad gamblers and con-men, double crossers for the powerful, like Abe Attells and their lot, who refused to pay up, pay out, or deal honestly with fixes that they helped orchestrate, again, at the players' expenses.

We've seen this play a million times: The rich and powerful don't go to jail. Those whom they manipulate are at the mercy of their corruption. Sure, a few of the ballplayers were absolutely complicit, but they took innocent men down with them, and those at the top paid not a penny for their transgressions.