Most controversial scandals in MLB history: #10. Chicago White Sox throw away World Series
Every player in the Major Leagues was once a kid with a dream of making it. Once that dream was realized, new ones began sprouting out. Amongst them, was winning the World Series. With that said, the 1919 Chicago White Sox couldn’t care less.
At the end of the season, only two teams remained standing with a chance to win it all. The first was the previously mentioned White Sox. Meeting them on the grandest stage of them all was the Cincinnati Reds.
Unlike today where the World Series winner is determined in seven games, during the early 1900s, the final series was actually a best of nine on some occasions. Although the Sox were considered a terrific team, they lost four of the first five games. They would eventually catch a bit of a rhythm, winning the next two before ultimately losing the series in eight games.
Believing the manner in which they lost was unbelievable, MLB investigated the matter. What they then found out, turned the sport on its head. As many as eight players were found to be throwing games. Their punishment was a simple but harsh one: lifetime banishment. The White Sox would have no credibility in the sport for several years to come.