Chicago, IL – On this day in 1920, Major League Baseball was rocked by one of its darkest scandals as eight Chicago White Sox players were indicted for allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series.
According to historical records, a grand jury convened in Chicago on September 28, 1920, heard testimony that White Sox players had accepted bribes to deliberately lose to the Cincinnati Reds. The scheme became known as the Black Sox Scandal, a name that still resonates in baseball lore.
Among those implicated were outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, pitcher Claude “Lefty” Williams, and first baseman Arnold “Chick” Gandil. The players were accused of receiving between $70,000 and $100,000 to throw games in exchange for cash from gambling interests.
Although the men stood trial in 1921, they were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Key documents, including player confessions, had mysteriously disappeared from the court files. Despite the acquittal, newly appointed Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis imposed a lifetime ban on all eight players, declaring that the integrity of the game was paramount.
The scandal cast a long shadow over the White Sox franchise and Major League Baseball as a whole. Once celebrated as one of the strongest teams of their era, the White Sox would not win another World Series until 2005.
Today, historians regard the Black Sox Scandal as a turning point for professional sports, leading to stronger regulations, stricter oversight, and an enduring reminder of the consequences of corruption.
