Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs: The 1918 World Series Doesn't Need Fixing

In 2011, individuals not among the elite who are accused of crimes are rarely thought of as innocent until proven guilty. In the "court" of public opinion, evidence is often considered an unnecessary burden.

In April, a 1920 court deposition from Chicago White Sox ace pitcher Eddie Cicotte was displayed at the Chicago History Museum.

Cicotte claimed that several of his Black Sox teammates overheard that one or more Chicago Cubs were offered $10,000 to fix the 1918 World Series.

There is no documented proof to support either Cicotte's statement or the allegation that the 1918 World Series was fixed, but going back to newspaper reports prior to and during the 1918 World Series makes one wonder.

The Chicago Cubs were solid favorites to beat the Boston Red Sox. The Cubs' pitching, catching, and outfield were considered superior to that of the Red Sox.

The Cubs were the scrappier team and compared well to the 1914 Miracle Boston Braves, who upset Connie Mack's highly favored Philadelphia Athletics in a four game sweep, but the "experts" also knew that the Red Sox were no slouches.

It was recognized that a young Boston pitcher named Babe Ruth, with either his pitching arm, his bat, or both could make the Red Sox into the winner.

A new system of paying the World Series participants would be used for the first time. Regardless of attendance, each player on the winning team would receive $2,000, while each player on the losing team would receive $1,400. Players on each league's second, third, and fourth place team would receive a share of the gate receipts.

The Red Sox won the first game on a Babe Ruth six-hit shutout. The Cubs won the second game, but Boston won the next two. All three Red Sox victories were by a single run.

Then it happened.

"It" is circumstantial, but "it" indicates the players' displeasure when they discovered that baseball's National Commission refused to guarantee the money decided upon by the new system.

The players were willing to accept $1,500 instead of the promised $2,000 for a winning share and $1,000 instead of $1,400 for a losing share, but the National Commission stated that the shares would be based upon gate receipts for the first four games.

The winning share would be only $800. The losers would each receive $535. There were meetings the night before the fifth game that didn't assuage the players' concern.

The players arrived at the ball park for the fifth game but refused to put on their uniforms.

Red Sox outfielder Harry Hooper, the players' spokesman, wanted the second, third and fourth place teams to give up their shares in order to increase the World Series participants shares.

The situation was temporarily defused when former Boston mayor "Honey Boy" Fitzgerald convinced the players to take the field, based on the promise that two leagues would take up the differences in money after the Series.

Les Mann and Bill Killifer of the Cubs, and Harry Hooper and Everett Scott of the Red Sox offered to donate their shares to war charities if the other clubs, the National Commission, and the other players would do the same. Of course, all refused.

In a New York Times account of the game, which the Cubs won, 3-0, it was written "...the contest never indicated that the ball players even had a thought for the jamb they had just been through, but were out to win and without regard to politics and profit cuts."

Motivated by the Cicotte deposition, many of today's baseball "experts" have reacted to the possibility that the 1918 World Series might have been fixed.

John Thorn, Major League Baseball's official historian:

"It seems more likely that there would have been a fix than there would not have been. It would be surprising if it didn't come up. At that time, the connection between baseball players and gamblers was that strong."

Not exactly solid proof of anything.

Sean Devery's The Original Curse, cites some errors and mental lapses that pointed to a fix.

Errors are part of the game, as Brooks Conrad, who made three errors in the 2010 playoffs, learned the hard way.

Bill Lamb, who is on the Black Sox scandal research committee:

"There isn't anything inherently suspicious to me. You're telling me the right fielder threw the Series? Seems to me you would want the pitcher or the catcher instead."

It is obvious that it is pure speculation to claim that the 1918 World Series was fixed. There is almost no evidence to believe otherwise.

The document on display at the Chicago Historical Museum is a deposition from a player who was involved in the Black Sox scandal. One would not consider Cicotte to be a reliable, unbiased party.

Attempting to change history is dangerous. Many innocent individuals may suffer. Reputations may be ruined.

Hey, "experts," leave the Cubs and Red Sox alone.

References:

Pennington, Bill. "Whiff of Scandal Wafts Over 1918 World Series." New York Times. 14 May 2011.

"Cubs are favored in world's series: Season's figures give chicago club edge on boston rivals in games. (1918, Sep 01). New York Times (1857-1922), pp. 22. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/100133930?accountid=46260

"World Series Players Strike for More Money." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922) [Boston, Mass] 11 Sep 1918: 1.

"Cubs Take Fifth Game of Series by 3 to 0 Score." New York Times (1857-1922) [New York, N.Y] 11 Sep 1918: 14.

Webb, Melville. E. "Adjustment Today, Players Demand." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922) [Boston, Mass] 11 Sep 1918: 1.