Bresnahan-Mud Hens Chapter book club meeting recap – 2/26/2019

The Bresnahan-Mud Hens Chapter Baseball Book Club met Monday, February 26, 2019, to discuss the 1919 World Series scandal that involved the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. The group read various books including: The Betrayal by Charles Fountain; SABR’s Scandal on the South Side, edited by Jacob Pomrenke; Say it Ain’t So by Donald Gropman; and Burying the Black Sox by Gene Carney.
 
Our featured speaker, Rick Huhn, briefly discussed eight of the most prominent myths about the scandal and offered counterpoints to common misconceptions. Among the myths rebuked: Eddie Cicotte’s pitching bonus, Charles Comiskey as a very frugal owner, and Shoeless Joe Jackson’s confession. Rick explained that the eight men involved had various degrees of participation and financial rewards, but they all suffered a lifetime ban from MLB by the newly appointed commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
 
After Rick’s presentation, the group added comments about the scandal and added the that the gamblers who profited from the betting escaped punishment. By his retirement from baseball, only Chick Gandil escaped peril that the other White Sox players endured.