Eight Men Out

The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series

In 1919, American headlines proclaimed the fix and cover-up of the World Series as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America." In this painstaking review, Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the scandal, in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation’s leading gamblers to throw the series to Cincinnati. Asinof vividly describes the tense meetings, the hitches in the conniving, the actual plays in which the Series was thrown, the Grand Jury indictment, and the famous 1921 trial. Moving behind the scenes, he perceptively examines the backgrounds and motives of the players and the conditions that made the improbable fix all too possible. Far more than a superbly told baseball story, this compelling American drama will appeal to all those interested in American popular culture.

©1963 Eliot Asinof (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Dramatic detail…an admirable journalistic feat!" ( New York Times)

"As thrilling as a cops and robbers tome!" ( Boston Globe)

"The most thorough investigation of the Black Sox scandal on record…a vividly, excitingly written book." ( Chicago Tribune)

Excellent account. Still, see the John Sayles film

Would you listen to Eight Men Out again? Why?

Not really, I know the story inside out by now. In fact, I'd watched the John Sayles film of the same name (a masterpiece, in my opinion, notwithstanding Jon Cusack's questionable athletic skills). And I've also read The Betrayal, a more recent book on the subject.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Eight Men Out?

I'll say that it was the detailed accounts of the fix by the players, which were not fully fleshed out in the film. In particular, there are quotes from Hap Felsch, Joe Jackson and others which, understandably, would have run the film too long. The one advantage to the book is that there is a deeper understanding of the motivations of the players, beyond the acrimony towards Comiskey.

Have you listened to any of Harold N. Cropp’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't believe so, though it was fine. Only at times does he descend into the campy voice such as he does in the sample when he reads quotes about Arnold Rothstein being a mouse in a doorway waiting for his cheese. There is some of that, but not too much.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not moved, but it surprised me that the actual adjudication of the suspension took much longer (over an entire season) than I'd previously known.

Any additional comments?

As I mentioned, it was a good story, well told, but still, the film is masterpiece for baseball fans.

Awesome

Probably lacks 100% fact, but a hell of a good yarn. Great listen. recommend

Plenty of corruption to go around

Nice to know the details of the scandal, most not given in the movie. Plenty of corruption on both sides to go around.

Good read. Told from the eyes of that time.

Told from the 1919 perspective and not a look back. Enjoyed it very much and would recommend to anyone who loves history, sports, or both.

Black Sox Explained with Sorrow and Regret

Eight baseball players arrived on the national stage to throw the outcome of the 1919 World Series and ruin their lives in baseball history.

The tale is a details painful loss of individual talents, the Joe Jackson Hall of Fame tragedy, and the drama's inevitable implication for ownership rights and player pay as the Babe Ruth era begins.

Never did these eight players realize their on-field desperate actions -- with the underground strangers they bargained away their peace of mind and future -- would be judged so thoroughly in court and by public opinion for decades to come.