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2 episodes with charles comiskey
Recording on the day after Luis Robert Jr. stole a grand slam and then knocked in four runs himself, duty geezer Leigh Allan and his son and (while he's in a play in Cincinnati) Ohio Valley correspondent, Will, call for the White Sox to trade Luis before another game is played, taking whatever a contending team will offer. Said urging by people who are very much his fans is not just so the Sox can perhaps pick up a decent prospect, or at least a top-of-the-line parking lot attendant, but to free Robert from captivity and let him play in meaningful games where his immense skills can be useful and he can enjoy the game. This won't happen, of course, but at least we were pulling for you, Luis. On the bright side, the duo cover the excellent appearance of Edgar Quero and the post-adjustment success thus far of Miguel Vargas, and what appears to be a pleasant abundance of catching talent. This being the White Sox, the bright side on position players is limited, so the conversation ventures to the darker aspects, of which there are many, most notably Andrew Vaughn. Five years in, the excuses for Vaughn's weakness (now 0.0 bWAR for his career), while often valid, are wearing thinner than a Swedish pancake, so the question is asked, “Why won't they give Tim Elko a chance?” Elko is tearing up Triple-A ball in Charlotte, so why not find out if he's strictly a AAAA player, or if he can hack it in the majors? He can't be worse than Vaughn defensively, because Charles Comiskey himself would be better, even while deceased — and maybe he can hit. Otherwise, there is disagreement over whether to let youngsters take over and sit the 30+ has-beens or never-weres when they're off the IL, and much praise for the excellent performance of the young starting pitchers. Will even ventures into the possibility the team could be adequate by 2027 or 2028. Oh, yeah — Will also has a rant against the Colorado Rockies, for apparently trying to destroy the White Sox record for ineptitude just one year after it was set, leaving Sox fans nothing to strive for this season. Please support our White Sox writing and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week's guest is Jim Leeke, author of the new book, "The Gas and Flame Men: Baseball and the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I" (Potomac Books, 2024). This is the Leeke's fifth book about baseball and the Great War authored by Leeke, a retired journalist, copywriter and U.S. Navy Veteran. We thoroughly enjoyed this chat.This interview discusses players such as Hall of Famers Eppa Rixey, Christy Matthewson and Ty Cobb that served in the Army's Chemical Warfare Service during the "The Great War."Leeke's other books on Baseball and The Great War are:"Ballplayers in the Great War: Newspaper Accounts of Major Leaguers in World War I Military Service" (2013) (co-edited);"Nine Innings for the King: The Day Wartime London Stopped for Baseball, July 4, 1918 (2015); "From, the Dugout to the Trenches: Baseball During the Great War (2017); and"The Best Team Over There: The Untold Story of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Great War" (2021) -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandrunsHooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.comHooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandrunsHooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandrunsAndrew Eckhoff on Tik TokLink: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffestRex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
Will Smith joins the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!Before we get to our interview with the latest San Jose Sharks sensation, Keegan McNally and Sheng Peng talked about the culmination of Sharks development camp, Thursday night's prospects scrimmage (1:55).Sheng shares pre and post-scrimmage insights from Sharks director of player development Todd Marchant and San Jose Barracuda head coach John McCarthy about development camp, as he and Keegan talk about how Team Teal's Will Smith (4:15), Cam Lund (9:54), Theo Jacobsson (11:05), Kasper Halttunen (15:42), Michael Fisher (17:05), Luca Cagnoni (18:50), and Eric Pohlkamp performed in the scrimmage. They then chat about the performances of Team White's Quentin Musty (23:15), Filip Bystedt, Ethan Cardwell, Brandon Svoboda (31:18), Ozzy Wiesblatt (33:32), Jake Furlong (36:04), Mattias Havelid, Dylan Ernst (39:38), and Valtteri Pulli (40:30).Sheng adds some interesting Marchant/McCarthy thoughts about the development camps of Henry Thrun (44:20), Nick Cicek, and Thomas Bordeleau (45:48).Then, Keegan and Sheng review what the San Jose Sharks have done so far in free agency, including the acquisitions of Anthony Duclair (51:53) and Leon Gawanke (57:08), and the signings of Givani Smith (1:05:57) and Kyle Burroughs.They also talk about why it makes sense for the Sharks to be in on remaining high-end free agents Matt Dumba and Vladimir Tarasenko (1:13:41), even in the midst of their rebuild. With the help of independent scouting service Team 33 (1:19:00), Sheng gets into why Dumba, despite his recent statistical decline, could be a fantastic fit for San Jose.Next, Keegan and Sheng talk about Erik Karlsson (1:27:50), and why the lack of suitors for Karlsson could spell trouble for the Sharks.Finally, Will Smith (1:36:55)! Smith talks about who's the best bowler among the Sharks prospects (1:37:32), why he chose No. 2 as his jersey number (1:37:58), how his sister Grace supported his career (1:40:40), carrying one of his grandpa Bill's last business cards at the Draft (1:41:35), his dog Rigney and being the great-great grandson of Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey (1:42:45), his favorite nickname -- non-Fresh Prince or Smitty category (1:43:50), and hooking William Eklund up with a sponsorship deal with Chipotle (1:44:50). ★ Support this podcast ★
Happy Holidays! In the midst of the MLB offseason, what kind of topics do you talk about? Things that could happen. Minnie Miñoso. Carlton Fisk. Charles Comiskey. Luis Aparicio. Nellie Fox. Billy Pierce. Harold Baines. Frank Thomas. Paul Konerko. What statue will (probably not) join the crew in the outfield? Join the CHGO White Sox Crew, Herb Lawrence, Vinnie Duber, and Sean Anderson as they give their suggestions. BUY WHITE SOX TICKETS HERE: https://gametime.hnyj8s.net/c/3442941... TAILGATE WITH US: https://bit.ly/3SRS03z SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/CHGOSports WEBSITE: http://allCHGO.com/ BUY MERCH: http://CHGOLocker.com FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Twitter: @CHGO_Sports Instagram: @CHGO_Sports Use Code: CHGO for 50% off 2 or more pairs at https://ShadyRays.com - Buy One, Get One Free. Check out pinsandaces.com and use code CHGO to receive 15% off your first order and get free shipping. GET OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: http://www.allchgo.com/newsletter Check out FOCO for merch and collectibles here https://foco.vegb.net/CHGO and use promo code “CHGO” for 10% off your order on all non Pre Order items. Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Just visit https://athleticgreens.com/CHGOSox Visit https://dkng.co/chgo to sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook using the code “CHGO” If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800- NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visithttp://ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. $150 in Free bets: New customers only. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 pregame moneyline bet. Bet must win. $150 issued as six (6) $25 free bets. Ends 12/31/22 @ 11:59pm ET. Stepped Up SGP: 1 Token issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Min $1 bet. Max bet limits apply. Min. 3-leg. Each leg min. -300 odds, total bet +100 odds or longer. 10+ leg req. for 100% boost. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm ET. See eligibility & terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com/footballterms. When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. #WhiteSox #ChicagoWhiteSox #ChangeTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bernie chats with St. Louis Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III. Bill recaps the Cardinals Hall of Fame inductions of Matt Holliday, Charles Comiskey, and Julian Javier. Bill also shares his enthusiasm towards how the Cardinals have trended upwards in the second half with Paul Goldschmidt chasing a Triple Crown. DeWitt then highlights the job Oliver Marmol has done in his first season at the helm.
Mike Claiborne joins The Show to talk about Hall of Fame weekend this weekend at the stadium celebrating Matt Holliday, Julian Javier, and Charles Comiskey. Plus, Claibs gives his read on the Cardinals coming down the stretch.
Ted Sullivan, once known as "the Daddy of Baseball," is almost entirely forgotten today. Author Pat O'Neill joins us to discuss the life of the Irish immigrant who discovered Charles Comiskey, took baseball international and coined the word 'fan.'
On the second of a two-part series, Chip speaks with Charles Comiskey of RiskTech Inc. about business insurance policies or Wraps. The industry has changed rapidly. Tune into this conversation about mitigating risk for large business projects involving contractors and employees. Resources Connect on LinkedIn with Chip Arenchild and Charles Comiskey Check out InterWest Insurance Services and RiskTech Inc. Learn more about RiskProNet check out our website. Follow us on Twitter.
If you're running a business or project with multiple employees, this episode is for you. Wrap insurance, an umbrella type policy, provides coverage for general contractors, subcontractors, and individual employees. Learn how you can navigate a wrap policy for your business or project with Charles Comiskey, President of RiskTech, Inc in Houston, Texas.ResourcesConnect on LinkedIn with Chip Arenchild and Charles Comiskey Check out InterWest Insurance Services and RiskTech Inc. Learn more about RiskProNet check out our website. Follow us on Twitter.
It's the 11th episode of Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast! Join your host, Andrew Stockmann, as he interviews Dan Wallach, Executive Director of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library in Greenville, South Carolina. Then, Andrew shares information about Charles Comiskey in the pod's Overtime segment! Check out the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum online! Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum on Facebook @shoelessmuseum on IG @shoelessmuseum on Twitter Articles and interviews about Shoeless Joe SABR article about the Black Sox Scandal SABR Biography of Charles Comiskey Follow Hallowed Ground on social media! Twitter: @HGPod Instagram: hallowedgroundpod Music by Timmoor from Pixabay
What does this film, about the 1919 ‘Black Sox' scandal, tell us about the Kantian stricture that we should not treat people merely as means to our own ends? How does the team ownership, in the person of Charles Comiskey, illustrate? How do the gamblers illustrate? How does their taking advantage of the illegality of the arrangement, to break promises to the players, illustrate? How does the film contrast Comiskey's ‘talk' and his ‘walk' when it comes to respect for his players? In 1919 the White Sox players lived among their fan base, and interacted with them daily. What implications does this carry for the connections between players and fans? How do the admiring children reflect this in the film? How does the film capture the equally close relationship between sports writers and the players, and the level of betrayal felt by the former, after they found out players had lied about the collusion? How did the formation of players' unions improve the lives of players? Do unions insulate modern players from legal consequences for cheating? Should Shoeless Joe Jackson be allowed into the Hall of Fame after so much time has passed since the events portrayed in the film?
The American League was founded by a few men, but two are largely given most, if not all, of the credit: Charles Comiskey and Byron Bancroft “Ban” Johnson. Despite what history tells us, there was a third gentleman who deserves just as much credit; and if Comiskey and Johnson were alive today, they would most likely concur – Tom Loftus. The three men spearheaded the idea of taking on the National League at a time when several leagues were trying to make a “go” of it. The Players League, the American Association and the Western League were the most noteworthy. With the exception of the Players League which lasted just over a year, all other comers were regarded as “minor” leagues, that is until the American League was hatched. In fact, the National League agreed to recognize the American League as a “major” instead of a minor league. But there was a lot of work to be done. Johnson, who wanted to create a league that would play a more fan-friendly style of baseball instead of the rough-and-tumble National League, needed help. Comiskey and Loftus also wanted to create something bigger than the lightly regarded circuits they were working with. So, with Johnson in tow, the three went about their business and worked on securing teams in cities with large populations. Instead of building teams in places like St. Paul, Minnesota or Dubuque, Iowa or other cities where filling the stands with thousands of people on a nightly basis would be a huge challenge, the triumvirate went about establishing teams (with the permission of the National League) in such places as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Chicago to name a few. Loftus was there every step of the way. He owned teams, managed the 1903 Washington Senators and actually led the American League contingent when both leagues sat down to establish rules that would be played in both leagues such as no designated hitter, a pitcher’s mound that was the same height in all parks and abolishing the rule in which a foul ball never counted as a strike. But Tom also grew tired of the game and the grind it presented and walked away shortly after the inaugural season of 1903. He was approached a few times thereafter to take control of a team or, in some cases, manage a team. But Tom, who had a terrific reputation as a manager, turned down all offers and stayed home in Dubuque. And it was that decision that played a huge and negative role in his legacy as one of the American League founders. Both Comiskey and Johnson were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Loftus, well, he is barely mentioned anywhere in the annals of baseball history. On this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, John Pregler, a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) joins to talk about Loftus. Pregler just published an in-depth article about Loftus for SABR’s Baseball Research Journal and shares what he wrote and more. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes
Baseball was the only truly national American sport in 1919, loved by fans across the United States. But the mood among players was grim--team owners kept salaries artificially low. When the Chicago White Sox won their league championship, the temptation to accept hard cash from gamblers to deliberately lose the World Series was irresistible. After all, what could possibly go wrong? The Wingfoot Express took its maiden voyage around Chicago on July 21st, 1919. The 150-foot long airship was filled with hydrogen gas--lighter than air, but extremely flammable. The dirigible caught fire in downtown Chicago, inside the Loop, right above the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank, at the corner of LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard. The entire ship was consumed in literally seconds. The five men aboard jumped and tried to inflate their parachutes, but only three were successful. One man, mechanic Carl Weaver, plunged through the skylight of the bank. In this photo of the bank before the disaster, you can see how the interior was ringed by a circle of teller stations. They enclosed an area where typists, telegraphists, and other bank staff worked. For security purposes, this inner area could only be accessed through two gated entrances. Flaming debris, including the engine and two full tanks, crashed through the skylight above this inner area, starting a massive fire and trapping employees inside. This image of the interior of the bank after the disaster gives some sense of the horror of those trapped inside. 13 people died in the crash, ten of them bank employees. Before radio, fans had few ways to follow a live baseball game. Newspapers would receive game updates by telegraph and posted results in their windows. In 1912, the Washington Post invested in an elaborate scoreboard system complete with lights indicating balls, strikes, and position on the field. You can see here fans gathered to "watch" the 1912 World Series. The American and National Leagues kept player salaries low with the reserve clause, a provision in player contracts that kept players tied to one team and unable to negotiate higher salaries. The clause also made it difficult for new teams and new leagues to attract top-quality players. The Federal League, founded in 1913, tried to operate as a third major league and ended up suing the established leagues for operating an illegal monopoly. This is an official scorecard of one Federal League Team, the Neward Peps. The case came before Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. It couldn't have landed on the desk of anyone more deeply invested in the game of baseball. At the start of World War I, team owners were desperate to keep the game going and their players out of the trenches. One attempt to demonstrate their patriotism was the practice, seen here, of holding drill sessions with players before games. The War Department was not impressed and made players eligible for the draft after the 1917 World Series. The president of the American League, Ban Johnson, suggested reserving 18 players for each team and conscripting the rest. No one was impressed by this plan. While more than one third of major league players enlisted, others went to work for factories in essential industries such as steel manufacturing or shipbuilding. The players spent far more time playing baseball for factory teams than painting or welding, and team owners worried that major league baseball would be run out of business by industrial ball. Charles Comiskey, owner of the Chicago White Sox, denounced the factory team players as unpatriotic and sniffed that he wasn't sure he wanted them back on his team. The 1918 World Series was held in early September at the request of the War Department, so the second, most deadly wave of the Spanish Flu pandemic was just getting started when baseball ended for the season. Nevertheless, at least some players took to the field in masks to prevent the spread of the disease. I have been able to find out little about this photo. I don't know who was playing or the exact date. I wish I knew more--when and where the picture was taken would be a start. If I find out more, I will post it. The 1919 White Sox had a fantastic team, with several top-notch players and one genuine superstar in Joe Jackson. Shoeless Joe Jackson is one of baseball's all-time greatest players. Eddie Cicotte was a fine pitcher and possibly the inventor of the knuckleball. Lefty Williams was another strong pitcher for the White Sox. Chick Gandil, on other hand, was just average. On the other hand, he had a reputation as being crooked and multiple contacts with gambling organizations. Gandil's connections went all the way back to New York underworld figure Arnold Rothstein. Thoughtful and scheming, Rothstein inspired multiple fictional representations, including Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. The Cincinnati Reds beat the White Sox in the World Series five games to three. It was difficult to tell, watching the White Sox play, if some men on the team were playing to lose. Certainly, some of the players seemed off, but a player can have a run of bad luck. Other members of the team, such as the catcher, were sure something fishy was going on. Rumors swirled throughout the series and into the off-season that the the series had been fixed. In the fall of 1920, the story broke open, the case went before the Cook County grand jury, and all eight players were indicted. Cicotte, Jackson and Williams confessed before the grand jury--after being told they would not be prosecuted if they told the truth. In fact, the person who made that promise, Charles Comiskey's attorney, had no power to make such a promise. In the summer of 1921, the Black Sox went on trial for intent to injure the business of the Chicago White Sox. It was a difficult case to prove. Cicotte, Jackson and Williams retracted their confessions, and it proved impossible to get the gamblers in court. Ultimately, the men were acquitted. Despite their acquittal, Judge Landis, now the Commissioner of Baseball, declare the men banned from baseball for life. This had the intended effect of cleaning up the game, but was seen then and now as unjust. In this cartoon from 1921, a laundry woman, identified as the jury, shows Landis the White Sox uniforms and declares them "Clean and white!" Landis replies, "They look just th' same to me as they did before." A myth arose about the Black Sox, that they were more sinned against than sinning--hard working, blue-collar guys who just wanted to play ball but were unfairly treated by the owners, the lawyers, and the commissioner. The ultimate expression of this myth is the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. In this scene the spirits of the players emerge from an Iowan cornfield to again play baseball.
During the latter third of the 19th century, Chicago established itself as a world class city. It was becoming a world class baseball city too with the White Sox joining the Cubs in town. A rivalry was sparked instantly between Owners James Hart and Charles Comiskey, making an eventual competition between the two teams inevitable. John McMurray, the chair of SABR's Deadball Era Committee joins this week's show to talk about the formation of the AL and the start of city series all around baseball.
It's been 100 years since the most infamous event in baseball history. In 1919, a group of Chicago White Sox players conspired to lose the World's Series. This the story of legendary players like Shoeless Joe Jackson; baseball moguls like Charles Comiskey; and ruthless gamblers like Arnold Rothstein. This is the true story of "Eight Men Out." Special thanks to the SABR Black Sox Research Committee for assistance in this production. For more details, please visit www.blackbarrelmedia.com
This Saturday night The Irish American Hall of Fame hosts its 8th Annual Gala (TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE AT www.iahof.org!) at the at the Irish Irish American Heritage Center and on this week's show the lads dress to the nines to pay tribute to its esteemed inductees. The 2018 class includes Author and Historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Studs Lonigan author James T. Farrell, former Mundelein College President and women's rights champion, Sr. Ann Ida Gannon BVM, Philanthropist Charles "Chuck" Feeney, John Philip Holland, Inventor of the Submarine, former White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, Blessed Solanus Casey, Vice President Joe Biden, and our 2018 Hometown Hero Rags of Honor founder Mark Doyle. Tune in as Mike and Tim tell their stories as Hall of Famers hoping to give a sense of OUR stories as Irish-Americans without shamelessly lobbying for their own induction. With music from Dublin pop-rock band The Script, Hothouse Flowers, Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, Chicago folder Steve Goodman, Liverpool's Irishmen The Beatles and a tribute to our friend of musical note, Whitey O'Day. Tune in to Windy City Irish Radio each and every Wednesday from 8PM - 9PM and tune in to this Hall of Fame broadcast at www.windycityirishradio.com.
Gambling and sports have been in the news lately in the US. Authorities in Nevada and New York have shut down the fantasy sports operatorsDraftKings and FanDuel in their states, judging that their daily fantasy games constitute illegal gambling. Both companies had already come under scrutiny this past October, when news broke that their employees were scoring among the top money-winners each week. Is fantasy fixed? Or do all players have a fair chance of winning? State officials across the U.S. are deliberating whether this new variety of sports-related betting represents contests of skill and research, like investing in promising stocks, or illegal games of chance. Wagers have always been a part of modern sports. In fact, many aspects of what makes our games modern – uniform rules, standardized playing spaces and equipment, the authority of governing bodies – were developed in order to ensure a fair bet. As Charles Fountain shows in his book The Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball (Oxford UP, 2015), gamblers were a constant presence around organized baseball from its start, so much so that a common term in baseball vernacular of the 1800s was “hippodroming,” a word used to describe a game whose results had been pre-arranged. Chuck points out that when rumors of a fix began to swirl around the 1919 World Series, it was nothing new or unusual. And when the rumors were revealed as true, it was thanks not so much to a principled effort to clean up the game but to the personal feud between White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson, the president of the American League. But no matter how the news broke, the Black Sox scandal had a decisive influence on baseball and – as this new history shows – a lasting legacy in American popular culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gambling and sports have been in the news lately in the US. Authorities in Nevada and New York have shut down the fantasy sports operatorsDraftKings and FanDuel in their states, judging that their daily fantasy games constitute illegal gambling. Both companies had already come under scrutiny this past October, when news broke that their employees were scoring among the top money-winners each week. Is fantasy fixed? Or do all players have a fair chance of winning? State officials across the U.S. are deliberating whether this new variety of sports-related betting represents contests of skill and research, like investing in promising stocks, or illegal games of chance. Wagers have always been a part of modern sports. In fact, many aspects of what makes our games modern – uniform rules, standardized playing spaces and equipment, the authority of governing bodies – were developed in order to ensure a fair bet. As Charles Fountain shows in his book The Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball (Oxford UP, 2015), gamblers were a constant presence around organized baseball from its start, so much so that a common term in baseball vernacular of the 1800s was “hippodroming,” a word used to describe a game whose results had been pre-arranged. Chuck points out that when rumors of a fix began to swirl around the 1919 World Series, it was nothing new or unusual. And when the rumors were revealed as true, it was thanks not so much to a principled effort to clean up the game but to the personal feud between White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson, the president of the American League. But no matter how the news broke, the Black Sox scandal had a decisive influence on baseball and – as this new history shows – a lasting legacy in American popular culture.
Gambling and sports have been in the news lately in the US. Authorities in Nevada and New York have shut down the fantasy sports operatorsDraftKings and FanDuel in their states, judging that their daily fantasy games constitute illegal gambling. Both companies had already come under scrutiny this past October, when news broke that their employees were scoring among the top money-winners each week. Is fantasy fixed? Or do all players have a fair chance of winning? State officials across the U.S. are deliberating whether this new variety of sports-related betting represents contests of skill and research, like investing in promising stocks, or illegal games of chance. Wagers have always been a part of modern sports. In fact, many aspects of what makes our games modern – uniform rules, standardized playing spaces and equipment, the authority of governing bodies – were developed in order to ensure a fair bet. As Charles Fountain shows in his book The Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball (Oxford UP, 2015), gamblers were a constant presence around organized baseball from its start, so much so that a common term in baseball vernacular of the 1800s was “hippodroming,” a word used to describe a game whose results had been pre-arranged. Chuck points out that when rumors of a fix began to swirl around the 1919 World Series, it was nothing new or unusual. And when the rumors were revealed as true, it was thanks not so much to a principled effort to clean up the game but to the personal feud between White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson, the president of the American League. But no matter how the news broke, the Black Sox scandal had a decisive influence on baseball and – as this new history shows – a lasting legacy in American popular culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gambling and sports have been in the news lately in the US. Authorities in Nevada and New York have shut down the fantasy sports operatorsDraftKings and FanDuel in their states, judging that their daily fantasy games constitute illegal gambling. Both companies had already come under scrutiny this past October, when news broke that their employees were scoring among the top money-winners each week. Is fantasy fixed? Or do all players have a fair chance of winning? State officials across the U.S. are deliberating whether this new variety of sports-related betting represents contests of skill and research, like investing in promising stocks, or illegal games of chance. Wagers have always been a part of modern sports. In fact, many aspects of what makes our games modern – uniform rules, standardized playing spaces and equipment, the authority of governing bodies – were developed in order to ensure a fair bet. As Charles Fountain shows in his book The Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball (Oxford UP, 2015), gamblers were a constant presence around organized baseball from its start, so much so that a common term in baseball vernacular of the 1800s was “hippodroming,” a word used to describe a game whose results had been pre-arranged. Chuck points out that when rumors of a fix began to swirl around the 1919 World Series, it was nothing new or unusual. And when the rumors were revealed as true, it was thanks not so much to a principled effort to clean up the game but to the personal feud between White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and Ban Johnson, the president of the American League. But no matter how the news broke, the Black Sox scandal had a decisive influence on baseball and – as this new history shows – a lasting legacy in American popular culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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