Quote:
Originally Posted by nolemmings
I don't follow this at all. Landis investigated while the allegations of fixing were still fresh, not "after the fact". He was hired because of the Black Sox scandal. Moreover, players had been banned before the Black Sox scandal---banned, not suspended. The Black Sox can maybe argue they were acquitted and that ought to count for something (an unimpressive argument IMO) or that enforcement was spotty, but the concerns that baseball had with gambling were long-established and serious before that scandal. It was prominently displayed that no betting was allowed. They can hardly complain they had no idea what they were getting into as far as punishment was concerned.
Check the background on these cards: --"No.... Betting"
.
|
5 players were banned in 1876-77, but none after that. Do you really think players didn't continue to associate with gamblers and fix games? You could argue that they should have known not to fix the world series, but no betting or fixing games was not a rule.