Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth
I thought there was pretty good evidence Cobb and Speaker bet at one point.
|
A lot of players bet on and threw games...Cobb and Speaker according to HOF writer Fred Lieb the evidence was pretty damnable and listen to Joe Wood's Glory of Their Times interview...pretty damning as well.
Bill Veck in his book The Hustler's Handbook references Harry Grabiner's diary as 1918 World Series and Cubs games being fixed. Also mentions Pete Alexander and Rabbit Maranville as being involved in fixing games. Pete Alexander also friends with 1919 WS fixer Billy Maharg. Other Cubs involved in game fixes were Claude Hendrix and Lee Magee. Cicotte also said they got the idea by hearing the Cubs got money for throwing the 1918 WS.
It is pretty obvious that many players were betting on and throwing games and not being really punished for it (traded off seems to be the move that was made) and the White Sox knew this and thought they could make some easy money.
Landis in 1926/27 in regards to Speaker and Cobb made the comment he would not deal with any more past scandals from the time before he was commissioner basically giving anyone prior to 1920 a free pass...which the 1919 WS would fall into so there is a big hypocrisy there in his ruling with the Black Sox.