Quote:
Originally Posted by deadballfreaK
Well, Leonard may have been a jerk, but Joe Wood admitted to the allegations to Lawrence Ritter. In his own words on tape. Cobb implicated also. Joe Wood admitted it on tape. I have it. He seemed to more concerned that Leonard was a rat.
|
Hello Ken,
Admitted to what? He certainly did not admit to what Leonard alleged...that the Indians threw a game to the Tigers and Wood/Speaker/Cobb bet on the Tigers. They denied that, and Landis pronounced that there was no evidence of it - or any evidence that any of them had fixed a game.
Wood admitted to Ritter (and in fact admitted to Landis) that he had placed a bet on baseball. He told Ritter he bet on his own team to win.
Now before everyone cries out Pete Rose, I think you have to remember the timing. The alleged betting by Wood was in the period 1919-1920. It was not until 1921 that Landis made his famous declaration damning all forms of betting on baseball and even knowledge of bets being made. I haven't studied the issue of gambling on baseball in great depth, but it is my understanding that up to 1921 at least, the crooked conduct in baseball gambling was considered to be betting against your own team and throwing games.
And a few years later, when Landis himself heard the evidence of the Leonard allegations, he found no cause to ban Speaker or Cobb or Wood.
Cheers,
Blair