Quote:
Originally Posted by markf31
The argument that there was no official rule in place in MLB against betting at the time of the 1919 World Series is irrelevant. At least 38 players had been quietly dismissed or asked to leave MLB as a result of gambling or game fixing prior to 1919. I believe this is stated in the book Eight Men Out but the specific number does not matter as there was precedent for players being banned for betting and game fixing prior to 1919. Additionally, Landis made use of a recent precedent that had previously seen Babe Borton, Harl Maggert, Gene Dale, and Bill Rumler banned from the Pacific Coast League for fixing games in 1919.
|
I dont think it is irrelevant at all. Most players rumored to have been involved in fixing games were simply traded...Hal Chase a perfect example. The leagues treatment of Chase is a major reason why the Black Sox thought they could get away with it. Chase was also a former teammate of some of the Sox as well.
The PCL stuff was happening in tandem with the White Sox scandal and cant be used as an example of them knowing what would happen to them for fixing games as the Sox planned their fix in Aug-Sept of 1919 (if not sooner). The only high profile banned players for fixing was the 1877 Louisville Grays which no active players would likely have been aware of.
(PS Asinof gets a lot of facts wrong)
And Landis didnt totally take his punishment from the PCL case as Rumler was let back into baseball's good graces.
07-01-2021, 12:14 PM
Similar Threads
Threaded Mode