Eight Men Out
... throw the 1919 World Series for money. The Cincinnati Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox, one of the best teams in the league, who were the favorites to win the World Series. The scandal shocked America and damaged the game’s reputation. The following year, eight of the White Sox players were accused of accepting bribes from gamblers in return for losing the World Series. There was an investigation and a trial, in which all eight players were acquitted by a jury, but were banned from ever playing professional baseball. The decision to ban the eight players from ever playing professional baseball was ruled by the commissioner, Kenesaw Landis, to restore baseball’s public image. The point of view that the two films, Eight Men Out and Baseball, held were those of the players. The films manipulate the audience by showing the concerns of the players. I think they made these films for the baseball viewers to understand why the players decided to fix the 1919 World Series. The Chicago White Sox were one of the best teams in the league, yet they were the least paid. The players became angry and complained about their wages. The owner, Charles Comiskey, refused to raise their salaries, often lying about raising them or even refusing to negotiate with them. In return, several players desperate for money came up with th...