Banished for Life
“Say it ain’t so, Joe. Say it ain’t so.”
-Possibly said by a youngster as Shoeless Joe left a federal building in Chicago after the public became aware of the baseball scandal.
-Bygone baseball by C. Philip Francis – February 1, 2005
Part 1
When baseball changed from a gentleman’s game into a professional sport in the 1870’s, gambling on a ballgame was common, and if one could induce a player to intentionally change the outcome of the game – then so much the better. Knowing that the public would not pay to watch a game that was determined before the first pitch was thrown, the 1877 Louisville Grays of the National League, later called the Louisville Crooks, became the first team to clean out any corruption when four players were found to have been “selling games”, or performing less than their abilities. The “Louisville Four” were implicated when the team was expected to easily win the pennant, but didn’t. The four wrongdoers banished for life were:
Bill Craver (b.1844-d.1901), the team shortstop and field captain, was blackballed from the game for “misconduct and suspicious play”. He later became a policeman.
Jim Devlin (1849-1883) was the team’s pitching workhorse with records of 30-35 in 1876 and 35-25 in ‘77. After being expelled from the game he died nearly destitute six years later.
George Hall ((1849-!923), the team’s left fielder, was the National League’s first home run leader with 5 in 1876, but hit no homers the following year.
Al Nichols (unknown) had only six appearances in 1877 after being purchased in July as a reserve infielder. Nichols was the only member of the “Louisville Four” to go on to play professional baseball under an assumed name.
While the four mentioned above were the first four major league players to be barred from major league baseball, they were not the last. You are well aware of the Pete Ross situation, and most baseball lovers know that baseball commissioner Landis forced eight Chicago White Sox players out of the game for life after they apparently helped the Cincinnati Reds win the 1919 World Series. But did you know that an additional 17 ballplayers, umpires, and owners have also been tossed from baseball for life while none of the 30 corrupted men were ever allowed back into professional baseball? They are:
Dick Higham (1851-1905) is the only umpire to be expelled from baseball. Although he was a fine hitter in the late 1870’s having a batting average of .323, there were often rumors that the English-born outfielder’s play was somewhat on the shady side. In spite of his reputation Higham was hired as umpire after his playing years were over. Suspecting that the umpire was calling most plays against his team, William Thompson, the mayor of Detroit and the president of the Detroit Wolverines, hired a private detective to find out of the arbiter was in the clutches of gamblers. He was. The crooked ump then worked as a bookkeeper in Chicago.
The most infamous gambling scandal in baseball followed the 1919 World Series when the highly favored Chicago White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds 5 games to 3. It was near the end of the 1920 pennant race when eight White Sox players were indicted for throwing the 1919 Series for money paid by gamblers. Although all eight were cleared by a grand jury major league owners hired federal judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the new commissioner of baseball, and gave him absolute power to restore the lost integrity of the national pastime.
Landis quickly exiled the eight “Black Sox” ballplayers for life. They were:
Eddie Cicotte (1884-1969) was the ace of the Sox pitching staff in the ’19 season with a mark of 29-7. He was paid $10,000 for his complicity, won 1 and lost 2 in the Series, and did it “for the wife and kiddies, and to buy a farm for security.” He took an assumed name to protect his family, and later worked for the Ford Motor Company in Detroit where he died. Eddie once said, “…I’ve tried to make up for it by living as clean a life as I could. Nobody can help me anymore.”
Oscar “Happy” Felsch (1891-1964) was an excellent centerfielder with a rifle arm. The fun-loving Felsch was one of the ringleaders who was controlled by the gamblers through threats, and was becoming a good power hitter with 14 home runs in 1920 when barred from the game. He continued to play sandlot ball, and later became a bartender.
Arnold “Chick” Gandil (1888-1970) ran away from home at 17 to play ball along the Arizona-Mexico border, and boxed at a heavyweight getting $150 a fight. He came up with the White Sox in 1910, went to Washington until 1916, and then rejoined the Sox in 1917 as their regular first baseman. During that time Chick became an acquaintance of bookie Sport Sullivan who had powerful friends. Gandil was also one of the leaders in the White Sox conspiracy, and received $35,000. He did not play in the 1920 season due to a contract dispute, and returned to the southwest and became a plumber.
Shoeless Joe Jackson (1887-1951) was an exceptional good ballplayer, but was less than gifted in education, judgment, and character. Shoeless Joe, one of the greatest national hitters in baseball, went on to become an American tragedy.
Joe was hitting .382 before he was left baseball, and finished his career with the third ever highest batting average of .356. He did, however, admit to receiving $$5,000 from professional gamblers for helping to lose the 1919 World Series although he was the batting star of the Series, and had no errors.
After banned from baseball, Joe went back to South Carolina where he prospered as the owner of a dry cleaning business. He played in outlaw baseball games, and was warmly regarded by all when he died. (Note: In my opinion if anyone on the banished list is ever elected to the Hall of Fame, posthumously or otherwise, it should be Shoeless Joe Jackson.)
Next: Part 2 of “Banished for Life”, more players and owners whose integrity could not overcome the temptations of greed.
Chatter from the Dugout welcomes all comments and questions, and may be reached at: dugoutchatter@ejourney.com