White Sox: 8 Misconceptions About The Black Sox Scandal
By Bill Felber
Black Sox Scandal Misconception #1: Charles Comiskey as Scrooge
In popular culture, the players’ motivation for agreeing to throw the Series is often presented as the cheapskate approach that owner Charles Comiskey took to operating the team. The study recalls author Eliot Asinof’s assertion in his groundbreaking 1960s book, “Eight Men Out,” that the White Sox “were the best and were paid as poorly as the worst.”
Several scenes from the Sayles movie deliver the same message. In those scenes, Chick Gandil – the first baseman who organized the fix – uses the idea of a big payday to recruit players who view themselves as underpaid, notably Cicotte, the team’s star pitcher.
In fact, the researchers note, the White Sox had one of the highest payrolls in baseball and most players were paid better than their peers. The study points to newly available organizational contract cards available at the National Baseball Hall of Fame documenting that the White Sox’ $88,461 opening day payroll was more than $11,500 higher than the National League champion Cincinnati Reds.
The SABR study notes that in their numerous interviews, the players involved rarely suggested they were influenced to join the scandal by a sense of aggrievement. “The scandal was much more complex than disgruntled players trying to get back at a big bad boss,” the authors write.