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A semi-fictionalized account of the scandal surrounding the 1919 World Series, coined the Black Sox Scandal, is presented. The Chicago White Sox, considered the cream of the crop and one of the best major league teams ever, has just won the American League pennant, and are odds on favorites to win the World Series against the Reds. While team owner publicly crows about the superiority of the team he has assembled especially in their cohesion, he is unaware that arguably the cohesion in the players determination to win is matched only by their feeling of unappreciation by Comiskey, especially financially as he screws them over time and time again on promises made. Sensing an opportunity, professional gamblers begin to feel out who they believe may be sympathetic Chicago players to a game and/or series fixing scheme, especially lucrative seeing as the to the disparity between the two teams. There end up being eight players "in" to various degrees, from being the "all in" negotiators between the gamblers and the players, to those somewhat unaware of what is happening, to those just in the know but remain silent. Things quickly go off the rails as each individual and group is looking out solely for his own interest, from the disparate groups of players, to the gamblers, to the scheme financiers, to the team owners - Comiskey and others - as closely watching sports journalists can see that some of the Sox players are not playing as hard or as well as they can.
The great Chicago White Sox team of 1919 is the saddest team to ever win a pennant. The team is bitter at their penny pincher owner, Charles Comiskey, and at their own teammates. Gamblers take advantage of this opportunity to offer some players money to throw the series. (Most of the players didnt get as much as promised.) But Buck Weaver and the great Shoeless Joe Jackson turn back at the last minute and try to play their best. The Sox actually almost come back from a 3-1 deficit. Two years later, the truth breaks out and the Sox are sued on multiple counts. They are found innocent by the jury but baseball commissioner Landis has other plans. The eight players are suspended for life, and Buck Weaver, for the rest of his life, tries to clear his name.
John Cusack
Buck Weaver
Clifton James
Charles Comiskey
Jace Alexander
Dickie Kerr
Gordon Clapp
Ray Schalk
Don Harvey
Swede Risberg
Bill Irwin
Eddie Collins
Perry Lang
Fred McMullin
John Mahoney
Kid Gleason
James Read
Lefty Williams
Michael Rooker
Chick Gandil
Charlie Sheen
Hap Felsch
David Strathairn
Eddie Cicotte
D.B. Sweeney
'Shoeless' Joe Jackson
James Desmond
Smitty
John Sayles
Ring Lardner
Studs Terkel
Hugh Fullerton
Richard Edson
Billy Maharg
Michael Lerner
Arnold Rothstein
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