Reflections On The 1919 Black Sox: Time To Take Another Look

by Gary L. Livacari

It always struck me as odd that there were conflicting views of what actually transpired between the white lines during the 1919 World Series. For instance, I always found it strange that the eye-witnesses, those who actually viewed the play in person, did not see any suspicious play. This included the umpires, the official scorer, the great majority of sportswriters, and the Reds players. In addition, there were thousands of fans in attendance over the eight-game Series and apparently they saw nothing unusual.Christy Mathewson, on-hand in the press box looking for a suspicious play, concluded it was impossible to “throw” a World Series. Reds’ manager Pat Moran was quoted as saying, “If they threw some of the games they must be consummate actors, and their place is on the stage, for nothing gave us the impression they weren’t doing their best.” Umpire Ernie Quigley noted that except for a couple of spectacular plays, most notably one by the Reds’ great centerfielder, Edd Roush, and another by Morrie Rath, the entire Series would have had a different outcome. Reflections on the Black Sox Scandal attempts to uncover what really happened.

155 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2019