The game had been in trouble for several years already. Attendance was in decline and rumors of fixing had caused injury before. The Black Sox Scandal seemed destined to ruin baseball as a professional sport entirely.

The Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds made it to the 1919 World Series. This World Series is said to be the most well-known outrage in baseball history. The best players in the league were not making much more than the average baseball player and a bribe of money could sway the outcome of any game. What player would pass up additional money? Approximately eighty thousand dollars was paid off by gamblers to players of the White Sox team to affect the outcome of the games. During these games, the White Sox manager, …show more content…
A year later, in September 1920, eight players from the Chicago White Sox team were indicted for throwing the World Series against the Reds. These players included Eddie Cicotte, Claude Williams, Joe Jackson, Happy Felsch, Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, Buck Weaver, and Fred McMullin. Every one of the eight players was banned from professional baseball and is forever known as baseball's Black Sox. Major League baseball was an important part of American’s past time. It was enjoyment for all ages. Prior to the 1919 World Series, players of all sports, especially baseball looked at ways to gain advantages over other athletes, such as steroids and performance enhancing drugs. The Black Sox Scandal was just the beginning of how the game of baseball was not just a sport, but a business of both entertainment and shame. Players and owners explored different ideas and avenues to create unfair advantages on and off the field. Corrective action and guidelines were needed to fix current problems, prevent new complications and restore the image of baseball. It was necessary for owners, players, and the …show more content…
There were only 140 games played instead of the 154 due to the lack of energy and players. The nation was eager to get back to normalcy after the war and the enthusiasm for baseball soared in 1919. The fans were excited for the season and the outcome of the World Series. “With each suspicious game, the notion of a possible conspiracy to throw the Series became more widespread, reaching its pinnacle when the impossible happened and the Chicago defeat became official.” After the series ended and hints of gambling were being talked about; baseball became a stigma. This scandal made many Americans lose confidence in the game they so greatly treasured. The game of major league baseball changed forever. More gambling problems occurred due to players arguing and lack of team support. Players would be banned from the sport; if caught in any gambling compromise. The integrity of the game and the characters of the players were being questioned by fans. The popularity of the game declined because followers did not trust the fairness of the outcome. The baseball stands were now empty, lacking the fans needed to support this sport. Fans felt betrayed by the game and the eight players involved in the shame of Major League Baseball. Only the American people could restore the faith in the game. This was hard to do. The Americans had a piece of pride and