The Chicago Black Sox (eight Chicago White Sox players who
were banned from baseball for throwing the 1919 World Series for gamblers) has
been one of the most popular topics of the sport’s literature for years.
However, with so many unknowns, allegations and passed time, it remains a
fruitful ground for new work. An excellent example of this is Charles Fountain’s
recent entry, The Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball
(Oxford
University Press).
Many books on the Black Sox scandal cover similar territory.
After all, there are only so many angles one can take on the subject. What sets
The Betrayal apart from its
predecessors is that it has a little bit of everything. Fountain rarely dallies
too long on any one aspect of the whole mess, and as a result is able to cover
an amazing amount of ground in 290 pages. In some capacity, the players,
gamblers, journalists, executives and authors/historians who have previously
worked with the subject are all examined. He does so while introducing some new
sources but never delving too deep; giving just enough information to weave a
tight informative narrative.
While it’s not necessary that someone reading The Betrayal has a prior knowledge of
baseball or the Black Sox, it definitely helps. The many nuggets within the
book don’t always have a lot of depth (length) but really enhance one of
baseball’s greatest and most tragic stories. These include:
-The feud between American League executive Ban Johnson and
White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, which resulted in Johnson practically
financing the investigation to prosecute the eight players in an effort to take
down his nemesis.
-The successful machinations of mobster Arnold Rothstein,
believed to have orchestrated the plot, to steer clear of any legal
ramifications.
-The debunking of various myths of the Black Sox, including
the infamous “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” utterance by a child as disgraced outfielder
Joe
Jackson left the courthouse.
-The 1924 law suit where Jackson attempted to extract back
pay from Comiskey after being released following his banishment from baseball. Although
the jury found in his favor, the judge overturned the verdict and briefly jailed
him and fellow Black Sox Happy Felsch
on charges of perjury.
Fountain does a good job of pointing out newer information
and that which is simply not true but has become part of the accepted story
over time. He not only suggests that the “Clean Sox” may not have always been
as pristine as their legacy suggests but also pulls the curtain back a bit on
shadier characters in the story such as gamblers Abe Attell and Bill Maharg,
and Swede
Risberg’s mistress.
Some points of view that would have been a welcome addition
to this work are those of the key figure’s families and of fans. While I can’t attest
to the availability of such sources, knowing a bit more from those perspectives
would round this story out all the more.
Fountain has an easy writing style that lends to good narrative.
While there is an occasional instance of verbosity, it’s certainly not something that diminishes
the quality of the book.
The 1919 World Series and the Black Sox will forever be one
of baseball’s great stories. Although it has been retold numerous times from
many different angles, there are still plenty of ways to keep the topic fresh
and engaging. A great example of this is The
Betrayal, which is something readers will enjoy, regardless if they are new
to the topic or are long-time students of the plot that nearly took down baseball.
Disclaimer: I was provided with
a free advanced copy of this book, but received no payment or other
consideration for this review.
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