The Last Big Baseball Scandal-- Part 4: The 1919 World Series

The White Sox had won the World Series in 1917 and were heavy favorites to to defeat the challengers from the National League, the Cincinnati Reds. Some even talked of a dynasty as the Sox had it all: pitching, hitting and defense.

But the series opened poorly for the Sox with starting pitcher Eddie Cicotte hitting the Reds' leadoff batter to signal the fix was on. The Sox lost 9-1. Game two was a 4-2 loss, but the Sox won game three.

The fix returned in game four with a 2-0 loss. The Reds went on to win the 8th game of the nine game series and the world championship on the same day that Mrs. O'Leary's cow started the Chicago Fire 48 years earlier.

Rumors of a fix were immediate. Comsikey offered a $10,000 reward for information that the series had been thrown, but refused to pay several claimants. Everybody returned for the 1920 season and played well.
A Sad Time For Us Sox Fans, Indeed.  --Cooter