Burying the Black Sox: How Baseball's Cover-Up of the 1919 World Series Fix Almost Succeeded |
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| Title: | Burying the Black Sox: How Baseball's Cover-Up of the 1919 World Series Fix Almost Succeeded |
| Author: | Gene Carney |
| Publisher: | Potomac Books Inc. |
| Type: | Book / Paperback |
| Publication Date: | 30 June, 2007 |
| ISBN / ISBN-13: | 1597971081 / 9781597971089 |
| List Price: | $17.95 |
| You Save: | $3.95 |
| Amazon Price: | $14.00 |
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Most fans today know that gamblers and ballplayers conspired to “fix” the 1919 World Series—the Black Sox Scandal. It has been touched upon in classic works of sports history such as Eliot Asinof’s Eight Men Out, referred to in literary classics like W. P. Kinsella’s Shoeless Joe, and has been central to two of the best baseball movies ever made, John Sayles’s Eight Men Out and Phil Robinson’s Field of Dreams.
Many, however, would be surprised to learn that it took nearly a year to uncover the fix. Burying the Black Sox is the first book to focus on the cover-up that kept the fix from the American public until almost another whole baseball season was played, and to examine in detail the way events unfolded as the deception was unraveled. Unlike Eliot Asinof in Eight Men Out, previously the definitive book on the subject, Carney thoroughly documents his information and brings together evidence from a wide variety of sources, many not available to Asinof or more recent writers.
In Burying the Black Sox, Gene Carney reveals what else happened and answers the questions that fascinate any baseball fan wondering about baseball’s original dilemma over guilt and innocence. Who else in baseball knew that the fix was in? When did they know? And what did they do about it? Carney explores how Charles Comiskey, the owner of the White Sox, and his fellow owners tried to bury the incident and control the damage, how the conspiracy failed, and how “Shoeless” Joe Jackson attempted to clear his name. He uses primary research materials that weren’t available when Asinof wrote Eight Men Out, including the 1920 grand jury statements by Jackson and pitcher Eddie Cicotte, the diary of Comiskey’s secretary, and the transcripts of Jackson’s 1924 suit against the Sox for back pay. Where Asinof told the story of the eight “Black Sox,” Carney explains the baseball industry’s uncertain response to the scandal.
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Customer Reviews:
• Captivating - A Must Read
27 December, 2007
After reading "Eight Men Out" many years ago and participating in the movie production, what a treat to have this and Susan Dellinger's book to answer some of the questions left unanswered by Asinof's classic.
It's compelling reading with a few new twists that boggled my mind. It's simply a must read for any followers of the Scandal. It further cemented in my mind that Comiskey's and Ban Johnson's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame is a scandal in itself.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Corruption & Cover-ups Exposed
02 October, 2009
Gene Carney's well researched and documented perspective into the extent of corruption & cover-ups in the wake of the Black Sox scandal is a compelling piece of baseball history; in much the same manner as the Watergate cover-up, the forces of deception were quite pervasive, and uncovering what transpired is a remarkable piece of investigative reporting.
Rarely, in matters of such far reaching dishonesty, are cover-ups not attempted; this one nearly succeeded. That would've been a grave disservice to not only the game of baseball, but the American psyche, as well. As a country, we needed to put this matter behind us in a forthright manner; however, some of the unscrupulous elements close to the scandal tried to conceal the true nature of the crime, simply for the sake of convenience. Unfortunately, this type of thing happens all too often, whether it be with the baseball power brokers, big business, or sleezy politicians.
Clearly, the events that unfolded 80 years ago demonstrate that honesty & integrity are often difficult to find when there are vested interests that want the harsh realities covered up. Carney does a wonderful job of exposing the entire scandal for what it was; and baseball should be grateful the way everything played out.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Real Eye-opener
02 January, 2010
As every baseball fan knows, the Chicago White Sox have had a long and colorful history. Some of those colors have been bright and happy (recent championship teams), some gaudy and garish (the Bill Veeck years); but probably the most well-known ones have been the dark shadows of the 1919 World Series fix.
I read Eliot Asinof's *Eight Men Out* as a teenager and was fascinated by it, and also by the movie of the same name. Then I married a man one of whose ancestors was Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis (thankfully my husband doesn't look like the judge!), and my interest in the Black Sox scandal was piqued again, so I bought Gene Carney's *Burying the Black Sox.*
Time has brought new evidence to light, and Carney has gone over every letter of it and produced an excellent book that is both a companion to and an update of *Eight Men Out.* Carney's book is documented with copious sources, mainly the almost-unknown trial in 1924 that revisited the events of 1919. Carney also goes in depth on the roles of Sox owner Charles Comiskey and League President Ban Johnson in trying to prevent the evidence from ever seeing the light of day. This new and fascinating information, plus a look at efforts to expose the scandal despite the collusion (by a gambling oriented newspaper no less!) is actually shocking even close to a century later.
Carney also does a great job of bringing the characters to life--players, management, gamblers, judges and juries. One gets the sense of almost having been there, and the excitement of living through the twists and turns of the story. In every way, this is a remarkable book, and a great read.
I would love to see Mr. Carney follow up with a study comparing the various owners of the day. Ever since *Eight Men Out,* Charles Comiskey has been villified as a tightwad, slave-driving tyrant. Yet, Carney makes allusions to other owners in a way that suggests Comiskey was no better or worse than his colleagues. I think it would be another great service to the game and to us, the fans, to see where Comiskey actually ranks among the owners of his own day--and perhaps of modern times too. I hope Carney decides to write that book, but even if he doesn't, *Burying the Black Sox* will stand as one of the great contributions to the history of the game and its times.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Chicago Black Sox
21 September, 2007
very interesting it had a lot of new material but not what im looking for. i want to find out more on possible gambeling on college football 1925 1940. more information on jake lingle and his killer leo v brothers and notre dame football.
- Amazon Customer Review
• For The Sake Of Baseball's Integrity...
16 June, 2009
Reading "Burying the Black Sox" and it gives a balanced and in depth analysis about the Black Sox Scandal. Gene Carnay presents facts backed up with footnotes and he gives the reader to decide how they want look at Shoeless Joe or Buck Weaver situation, versus the current MLB stance on 8 men out.
Mr. Carney's motive for the book is to explain that the 1919 World Series was not the first time baseball was tainted by gambling, but the whole baseball establishment was betting on Games - including the President of the Cubs and John Mc Graw of the Giants.
In other words, guilty knowledge, the crime Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned for, was really common knowledge.The reasons why Shoeless and Buck were ousted from baseball because it was easier for the commissioner to come down hard on high profile players, and not any of the owners.
But Mr. Carney doesn't stop there. He researched how White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and AL President Ban Johnson had known the 1919 Series was fixed at the beginning, if not before it started.
Some might ask why Charles Comiskey's is in the Hall and not Jackson? Newspaper reporter Hugh Fullerton, the crusader against gambling knew that Comiskey had inside information about the fix, but he didn't report it until after Commy's death because their friendship.
Likewise Mr. Carney points out all of myths/fabrications statement like "Say it Aint So," Jackson had "weak fielding", and baseball's famous/infamous story about Jackson's so called confession. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Shoeless Joe/Buck Weaver reinstatement movements, as well as anyone who believes MLB and its owners are responsible for the steroid cover up.
- Amazon Customer Review
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