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According to reports, the 1919 World Series between Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox World Series was tainted before the first pitch was thrown. The betting line changed dramatically before the first game and tipped many people off that something was wrong.  The Chicago White Sox were originally slated as heavy favorites, but were later changed to underdogs in favor of the Cincinnati Reds.

Game 1 was won by the Reds 9-1. Reds pitcher  Dutch Ruether  pitched a six hitter, he went three for three with two triples and three runs batted in. Cincinnati also took game two 4-2, as Slim Sallee was the winning pitcher.

Game three moved to Comiskey Park  in Chicago where Chicago picked up the win 3-0 behind rookie Dickie Kerr’s  3 hitter. Kerr was unaware a fix was on and was not involved in the scandal a year later.

The inspired Reds took games 4 and 5 as Jimmy Ring (2-0) and Hod Eller (5-0) pitched back to back shutouts to take a 4-1 lead in the series. Why the series didn’t end there, the commissioner because of all the post war interest, had extended the series to the best of nine games.

Games 6 and 7 moved to Cincinnati and apparently to avoid suspicion the White Sox took games 6 and 7  by scores of 5-4 and 4-1. Dickie Kerr got his second win of the series in game six and Eddie Cicotte got the win in game 7. Game 8 moved back to Chicago with the Reds leading the series 4-3. Hod Eller started for the Reds and went the distance in a 10-5 win over the White Sox giving the Reds the World Series 5 games to 3.

It wasn’t untill late in 1920, after a long  investigation, were the 8 players indicted. The 8 players were pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude (Lefty) Williams, outfielders Joe Jackson and Happy Felsch, first baseman Chick Gandil, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver and reserve infielder Fred McMullin. The players were acquitted the following year despite their own confessions and were banned from baseball because of they’re link with known gamblers.

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