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The headlines proclaimed the 1919 fix of the World Series and attempted cover-up as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America!" First published in 1963, Eight Men Out has become a timeless classic. Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the fantastic scandal in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation's leading gamblers to throw the Series in Cincinnati. Mr. 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 motives and backgrounds of the players and the conditions that made the improbable fix all too possible. Here, too, is a graphic picture of the American underworld that managed the fix, the deeply shocked newspapermen who uncovered the story, and the war-exhausted nation that turned with relief and pride to the Series, only to be rocked by the scandal. Far more than a superbly told baseball story, this is a compelling slice of American history in the aftermath of World War I and at the cusp of the Roaring Twenties.
"The most thorough investigation of the Black Sox scandal on record ... A vividly, excitingly written book:"—Chicago Tribune
"Dramatic detail ... an admirable journalistic feat." —The New York Times
"As thrilling as a cops and robbers tome." —The Boston Globe
I
THE FIX
“Arnold Rothstein is a man who waits in doorways … a mouse, waiting in the doorway for his cheese.”
—William J. Fallon
1
On the morning of October 1, 1919, the sun rose in a clear blue sky over the city of Cincinnati. The temperature would climb to a sultry 83° by midafternoon. It was almost too good to be true, for the forecast had been ominous. From early morning, the sidewalks were jammed. A brightly clad band marched through the streets playing “There’ll be a hot time in the old town tonight.” Stores were open but business came to a standstill. There was only one thing on everybody’s lips: The World Series.
Cincinnati had never been host to a World Series before. Nor did its citizens dream, at the start of the season, that the Reds would do much better than last year’s weak third in the National League. Somehow the Reds had worked a miracle, which is exactly what the fans called their triumph. For winning the pennant, Manager Pat Moran was known as the “Miracle Man.”
“Cincinnati is nuts with baseball!” wrote syndicated columnist Bugs Baer. “They ought to call this town Cincinnutty!”
The first two games of the Series were to be played here and every seat had long since been sold. Ticket scalpers were getting the phenomenal price of $50 a pair. Every hotel room was taken; visitors found themselves jammed three and four to a room, thankful to have a bed. In private homes, families crowded into one room and hung hastily made signs ROOMS FOR RENT on their front doors. City officials, recognizing the extraordinary conditions, announced that the public parks would be available to those who could not secure accommodations. Visitors slept on wooden benches, officially assured that added police patrols would protect them from thieves.
The center of all this activity was the Sinton, Cincinnati’s leading hotel, which appeared to be bursting at the seams. The huge lobby was barely large enough for the throngs who used it as a meeting place. Through it went such notables as Senator Warren G. Harding, entertainer and songwriter George M. Cohan, former star pitcher Christy Mathewson, brilliant young writer Ring Lardner. The restaurant and coffee shop were constantly overcrowded. The management had the foresight to triple its food purchases, reaching a staggering sum of $5,000 a day. The bakery boasted a daily production of seven thousand rolls.
To the hard-nosed New York newspaperman, Damon Runyon, the big day started like this:
“The crowds coagulate at hotel entrances. Soft hats predominate. It’s a mid-Western, semi-Southern town. Hard-boiled derbys mark the Easterners. The streets of old Cincy have been packed for hours. People get up before breakfast in these parts. The thoroughfares leading to Redland Field have been echoing to the tramp of feet, the honk of auto horns since daylight. It is said that some people kept watch and ward at the ballpark all night long. Might as well stay there as any place in this town. They would have had the same amount of excitement. Flocks of jitneys go squeaking through the streets. This is the heart of the jitney belt. A jitney is the easiest thing obtainable in Cincy. A drink is next … . Cincy is a dry town—as dry as the Atlantic Ocean.”
The excitement of the Series was prevalent throughout the country. The games would be telegraphed to every major city in America. Halls were hired to which Western Union would relay the action, play by play. Fans would experience the curious sensation of cheering a third strike or a base hit in a smoke-filled room a thousand miles from the scene. Over 100,000 miles of wire were to be used for this purpose, servicing 10,000 scoreboards in 250 cities, from Winnipeg, Canada, to Havana, Cuba.
This was the climax of baseball, 1919, the first sporting classic to be played since the end of the World War in Europe.
On this Wednesday morning, 30,511 people paid their way into Redland Park. To the Cincinnati fans, there was a throbbing nervous excitement and a secret foreboding. For all their enthusiasm, few could realistically anticipate a World’s Championship. Deep down inside, they foresaw the adversary walking all over them. Not even Miracle Men could be expected to stop the all-powerful colossus from the West.
For they were the Chicago White Sox, a mighty ball club with a history of triumphs. It was said that Chicago fans did not come to see them win: they came to see how. They would watch the great Eddie Cicotte, a pitcher with a season’s record of 29 victories against only 7 defeats, who would tease the Reds with his knuckle ball that came dancing unpredictably toward the hitter. They would see Ray Schalk behind the plate, a small bundle of TNT, smart, always hollering. They would see the finest defensive infield in baseball, “Buck” Weaver, like a cat at third base, inching ever closer to the batter, defying him to hit one by him, always laughing. And “Swede” Risberg on shortstop, a big, rangy man who could move to his left almost with the pitch when he sensed a hit through the middle of the diamond. On second, Eddie Collins, the smooth one, the greatest infielder of his time; he made plays that left White Sox fans gasping. And “Chick” Gandil on first, the giant with hands like iron. They would wait for “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, the left fielder, to knock down fences with the power of his big black bat. They would laugh at “Happy” Felsch in center, since anything that was hit out there was a sure out. And “Shano” Collins in right; he could run, hit, and throw with any ball club in the league. There was a growing mythology about this great team; the public had placed a stamp of invincibility on it. To Cincinnati fans who had never seen the White Sox play the image seemed frightening. These were the big-city boys coming down to show the small-towners how the game should be played. There was no other way for any real fan to see it.
There was, however, one incredible circumstance that would have a bearing on the outcome: eight members of the Chicago White Sox had agreed to throw the World Series.
Copyright © 1963 by Eliot Asinof
Lauren-Capra
Posted September 12, 2011
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Eight Men Out was a compelling book about the controversial 1919 World Series. Elliot Asinoff tells of the behind the scenes action in great detail and truly makes it all come to life in the reader's mind. It all begins with eight men on the Chicago White Sox planning to throw the series to Cincinnati, after struggling with underpayment and mal-treatment by their owner for so long. The eight men: Eddie Cicotte, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Charles "Swede" Risberg, Oscar "Happy" Felsch, Claude "Lefty" Williams, George "Buck" Weaver, and Fred McMullin, allied with gamblers around the country to earn a profit from the scandalous stunt. The book goes beyond the actual series as well, and reminisces the fix, exposure, impact, trials, and aftermath of the historical event. Themes such as integrity, greed, and justice are prominent throughout the recounting of the crime. Asinoff does a wonderful job bringing out your inner emotions towards the shocking event. You feel a certain empathy towards the players, fans, and the country, who all lost an abundance so long ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Asinoff made you feel as if you were right there, back 92 years ago, and living every bit of it as if it were today. The book was thrilling and I loved the great amount of detail Asinoff included. When reading, the story always kept my interest, though at times, there were instances when it seemed to be lengthy, stating details that were perhaps unnecessary to the overall story. In addition, it became a bit of a challenge to keep the many people involved organized. All in all though, this was genuinely one of the best books I've ever read! Learning about the monumental event in the history of baseball was a delight. It lead to so many aspects of baseball today. I would, without a doubt, recommend Eight Men Out. Baseball fans would definitely appreciate the dynamic recounting of the transgression, yet I would firmly recommend it to any reader that enjoys a well written, thorough, and vivid book too. Asinoff legitimately created a literary work of art in Eight Men Out. He generates an appreciation from the reader, towards how far the pastime of baseball has magnificently come.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Rachel-Eberle
Posted September 11, 2011
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Eight Men Out is a book that vividly describes the events of the 1919 World Series and the events that followed. Eliot Asinof describes, in life like detail, the meetings about how the baseball players and the gamblers were going to fix the games, each game of the World Series and specific plays that lost the White Sox the series, the exposure of the fix and how that impacted the American past time. Many may wonder why a team would purposely lose the World Series when they have the opportunity to win the title and go down in history. The reason is what corrupts countless people in America, greed and money. These ball players the best in the American league were paid the lowest salaries of any other baseball team. So when the gamblers offer them 10,000 dollars each to throw the Series they were inclined to accept.
Some major themes in this book are greed, cheating, and guilt. These all play a huge part in the plot of the story, in that order. The message that is the most obvious is that greed and money is not worth the guilt and penalty that always follows.
I really liked the way that Asinof told the story. I only know the basics of baseball and I had no trouble understanding the terms Asinof used. Also I generally don't encounter gamblers or famous baseball players so this book gave me a realistic look into the lives of people that I can only imagine. I also like the fact that this book is a page turner, there is never a dull moment. There are so many twists and turns that you can't even guess what is going to happen next. One thing I didn't like so much was the length of the book it defiantly was not the easiest read.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone that is into sports, gambling or is simply looking for a good nonfiction read. I usually am not the biggest fan of nonfiction but the way this book was told, made it seem like a fantasy. The events that happen seem far from realistic. The fact that this book seemed like fiction helped me to get through the book without feeling like I was reading a history book. Overall I absolutely loved this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Brittney_Maire
Posted February 19, 2013
Were the players guilty or not?
In the book, it tells the story of the Black Socks and the 1919 World Series. The players were being accused of throwing the series in order to get money from the gamblers that bet against them. It went to court and the court proved the team innocent but the men who were involved were still banned from playing in the major league for the rest of their lives. Some major messages that were spread throughout the book were cheating and scandals. There was a lot of mystery in the story and I liked the fact you couldn’t predict what was coming next. Throughout the entire book, you really couldn’t tell who was completely innocent or completely guilty. Before reading the book, I had no idea this had even happened. I love the game of baseball and reading this gave me a better idea on the history of the game. I don’t like the fact that the author gave so much background of the game itself. If you are reading this book, you most likely know a thing or two about baseball already and at times the detail seamed useless and unimportant. People should read this book because it shaped the current game of baseball. After this incident happened, the amount of gambling and throwing of games decreased a lot. Some rules were rewritten and people are now watched closer to make sure another scandal like this doesn’t happen again. It was very interesting to learn what happened and how fans were affected. I give Eight Men Out an overall rating of 7 out of 10.
Anonymous
Posted September 11, 2012
Baseball Lovers Finally Can Become Book Lovers
IN 1919 the “Black Sox” created one of the most important pieces of baseball history by scandalously throwing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds resulting in eight men, who were banned from baseball for the rest of their lives.
I've grown up with a love for baseball, and Eliot Asinof finally has mixed my most dreaded summer reading chores with something I absolutely love. I will admit the book is a little lengthy at times, but that will be the only flaw found in this entire transcendent piece of literature. Huge props to Eliot for his beginning quotes and review excerpts. The quotes were all inspiring and did the book and the sport of baseball, justice.
The book introduces its reader to not only the amazing story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, but also to emotions I never thought I’d encounter while reading a baseball book. Emotions such as anxiety, intensity, curiosity, disappointment, deception, sorrow, anger, defeat and vengeance.
Overall, this was an amazing read. I was so consumed in it, and I really hope the book lives on to touch others in the same way it did me, if not better. Eliot did an outstanding job piecing together such a mismatched, misunderstood, and mistreated story. Thumbs up, five stars, one of my new favorites.
Anonymous
Posted September 9, 2012
Eight Men Out, Quality Read, Little Too Much Detail at Times
This book was an exceptional story about a group of ball players in the 1919 World Series. The ball players attempt to throw the series but run into countless problems along the way. He has you hooked with in the first few chapters. Something that I really enjoyed about the book would be the way that Asinoff tells the story. It is written in third person omniscient point of view. Asinoff gets into all of the character's minds and reveals what is really going on inside. Elliot Asinoff tells this story masterfully; he really takes you back to the times and relates the problems from then to now. The eight men: Eddie Cicotte, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Charles "Swede" Risberg, Oscar "Happy" Felsch, Claude "Lefty" Williams, George "Buck" Weaver, and Fred McMullin, gang up with gamblers around the country to earn a profit from the scandalous stunt. These ball players, the best in the American league were paid the lowest salaries of any other baseball team. So when the gamblers offer them 10,000 dollars each to throw the Series they were inclined to accept. The whole thing starts to spin off course when the gamblers are holding back on the players with the money the requested. Their egos overcome them and the cooperation between the players and gamblers is frayed by miss communication. It was interesting to learn about the scandal and all but sometimes it got too much in depth and became a little boring. As long as you are into baseball you will be able to get through it easily in to the more interesting parts, but that was the only set back to this interesting book. The main gambler behind the whole operation was Arnold Rothstein. He was the man that was secretly pulling strings and he got the biggest payoff. The reason for this was everyone was in over their head, except for him he was even able to get out of any law suits by pinning the whole thing on his assistant and some gamblers that didn’t know any better. Some major themes in this book are greed, cheating, and guilt. Some of the ball players were in debt and were already under paid and greed was he driving factor to their demise. This book was also a good example of how your actions have consequences, because they were to prideful to see that this could potentially blow up in their face. By the end of the book all of the players were feeling major guilt and remorse for what they have done and actually some of them turn themselves in. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about this point in time and how the game of baseball grew and matured to the game it is today. It is a pretty quick read there is just some slower parts of the book but it pick up quickly.
csqurie24
Posted September 7, 2012
Eight men Out, a Perfect Narrative of the 1919 Series. In 1919 the Chicago White Sox were the best team in baseball and had made it to the game’s biggest stage, the World Series. But frustration of player salaries and the involvement of many gamblers opened the door for 8 players of the team to agree to lose the Series on purpose, thus causing their banishment from pro ball and a critical blow to the reputation of the game. Elliot Anisof uses an incredible amount of detail and description to portray the fixing of the Series from all angles. He brilliantly gathers information from nearly every person that was involved with the team/fixing of the Series. From the president of the White Sox, Charles Commiskey, to the Little Champ Abe Attel (gambler in the fix), to Kid Gleason, the manager of the club. Anisof uncovers an unreal amount of details and gives an inside look from everywhere allowing for a perfect interpretation of the 1919 scandal that was the Black Sox. From the first chapter Anisof has you hooked, and although it may get lengthy at times it is well worth it in the end.
Although Anisof does a great job with this book one thing I didn’t like was how he got at some points during the book. Some chapters were 26-30 pages long, and although you may like a lot of detail Anisof will go overboard every once in a while and almost over analyze some parts of the story. With the exception of this he does a brilliant job of writing and depicts nearly every detail that could be explained.
I went into this book thinking that I knew most of what was to know about the 1919 Series but after reading this book it was as if I had learned about a whole different baseball scandal, this is how well this book is written.
Again if you are a baseball fan, a detail oriented person, or just someone who wants to know more about the Black Sox, read this book!
Anonymous
Posted September 7, 2012
A very intersting book but a little bit too much detail at times.
Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof, is a quite in depth look on the 1919 World Series that explains how the whole scandal went down and how it effected baseball early on. Their was no trust in players that had been rumored to work with betters to make money. This World Series was no exception and a few players would end up being erased from the history books. See for yourself how it all plays out. A very good quote in this book was “never bet on anything that can talk”. This is a very important theme in the book because a lot of people depending on the Sox to win the World Series, lost a lot of money because of the eight men on the “Black Sox” that helped betters get money by throwing the World Series to get more money. It was interesting to learn about the scandal and all but sometimes it got too much in depth and became a little boring. I think that baseball lovers would like to read how it all went down. I would also recommend Man on Spikes by Eliot Aisnof as well because it is another great baseball book from this author. All in all I would give this book a 4 out of five because it just got a little boring at some parts but was mostly very interesting. If you love baseball and you are interesested in why Joe Jackson is not in the Hall of Fame, then this is definetly the book for you.
Anonymous
Posted December 30, 2011
This books very good. Loved the first 40 or so pages. Gets even better.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.nina_holley
Posted September 11, 2011
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Eight Men Out is a true story of eight men on the 1919 White Sox team. The team goes to the World Series, but decides to intentionally lose the series. They do this for a number of reasons, but number one on that list being they are underpaid by their owner, Comiskey. By throwing the games, they intend to receive money form the gamblers, who will be placing large sums on their loss, but only end up receiving a fraction of what they were promised.
Major themes of the story include greed, guilt, fame, cheating, jealousy, and revenge. The whole story line has to do with money, crime, and baseball. Even though this story took place almost a hundred years ago, it sounds like something very modern and up to date with the society we live in now.
This really is an intriguing book that teaches you about history and baseball. I believe that it really shows how life in America and professional sports has changed in less than one hundred years. It does take a while to get into the story line, and all the names of the players, gamblers, and owners can get confusing, but overall, the book is a good read. The book starts before the first game of the World Series, introducing characters and setting up a story line, and then follows these characters all the way through to the end of their criminal trial, which is several years after the series is actually played.
The attitude of the book is very mysterious and peculiar, which is partly why you just want to keep reading. There is never a dull moment and just when you think you know what is going to happen, the story takes a shocking turn, normally for the worse. The story really makes you think about professional sports and the impact they can have on a country. This is the first major sporting even since the end of World War I, and the fact that is rigged devastates the country and shows the value of these players.
Something that I really enjoyed about the book would be the way that Asinof tells the story. It is written in third person omniscient point of view. Asinof gets into all of the character's minds and reveals what is really going on inside, while he also has one character talk about another as you would in everyday conversation.
I would differentially recommend this book to anyone who is interested in baseball, history, crime and punishment, or anyone who just wants a good book to read! The amazing story line mixed with the point of view, accompanied by the history aspect is sure to please any reader.
Anonymous
Posted September 11, 2011
Eight Men out is an exhilarating story about how the White Sox's rigged the 1919 World Series. They took a bribe from gamblers to loose the World Series, which produced one of the greatest baseball scandals of all time. The players fell into this scandal because they weren't getting paid an adequate amount of money, which caused them to be frantic for wealth. I liked this book because I believe that it illustrates how the players were so anxious to support their families and to have a secure life, that they were not just hungry for more money. One of the themes in eight men out was how to not just go the easy route in life. For example, the players who took part in this scandal to enhance their lives got trapped in the end. I didn't like how it wasn't fair to the other players who weren't part of the scandal that worked so hard, to get to the World Series for it to be fixed. One incentive to not read this book is that if you're not into baseball it might be dreadfully boring for you and lengthy. I would give this book and overall rating of a five out of five because it was a great read and especially appealing to me to learn about this scandal because I'm fond of baseball.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 10, 2011
The book "Eight Men Out" is about the 1919 baseball World Series and how eight players of the Chicago Black Sox throw the series. What I mean by throw is that they take money from gamblers to make sure they lose. The gamblers do this so that they can earn money because they know how the games turn out. The only ones who get the money are the gamblers because they forget about the players because they want all their money. In the end, the players turn themselves in because they knew it was the wrong thing to do, but, they really don't get in trouble. They end up being able to play in the major leagues again but only a few go back, most of them want nothing to do with baseball ever again. The eight players that were involved were Claude "Lefty" Williams, Fred McMullin, Charles "Swede" Risberg, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, George "Buck" Weaver, Oscar "Happy" Felsch, Eddie Cicotte, and Arnold "Chick" Gandil. The main gambler behind the whole operation was Arnold Rothstein. Some major themes in this book are payback and giving up. The payback deal is the whole reason behind the throwing of the World Series. The team's owner, Charles Comiskey, isn't treating the players the way he should. His players are the reason that they are even in the World Series and one of the best teams in that era of baseball. So, they hook up with a few New York gamblers to get back at the way Comiskey has been treating them. The other theme, giving up, is a big one to me. To do this to your teammates, your coach, and your town is wrong. It's a sign of weakness and a sign that they just really don't care anymore. Back in the day, anyone would give up everything they had to play in the major leagues. I really liked this book because it gives you a look into how sports and how life was book in the day. Anyone would do anything for money. Also, I am a huge fan of baseball and this gave me a different look into the game. It's not always the cleanest game ever; I learned that some people do play dirty. A few dislikes was how the players got off so easy. They could go back into the major leagues, they didn't go to jail, and they didn't have to pay any fines. To me, that isn't fair at all! Another dislike was how their coach reacted. The coach was William "Kid" Gleason and he always had a bad attitude. At the end of the book, he wants nothing to do with his players. I would imagine that he would at least tell them that their idea was bad and that he was there if they needed anything. At least that's how my coaches act. Someone should read this book if they're really into baseball or if they want to read a book that is suspenseful. My overall rating of this book is that I really liked it and would give it an A-.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.9482303
Posted August 29, 2011
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0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.WTVCrimeDawg
Posted July 6, 2011
I Also Recommend:
The best overall narrative of the infamous Black Sox scandal: The 1919 World Series fix. Asinof breaks down the scandal into chronological chapters that flow nicely for the story. His writing is superb in some parts, especially the play-by-play details of the games, and it includes many direct quotes from newspapers, interviews, documents, testimony, etc. However, though the narrative is non-fiction, it is sympathetic to the players and it seems embellished or exaggerated in some parts. Since Asinof confronted silence from many who were involved, he had to fill in narrative gaps. Still, it's a very good read for both curious sports fans and avid baseball lovers.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 14, 2010
after reading eight men out i was really glad i made the choice cause even though it is a non-fiction book the author made it seem like you were on the side line watching every out.Also Eliot Asinof described every play and events leading up to the tragic game. finally the best part of the book for me was when he told you about how each of the players were picked,what their job was and how they suppose to make mistakes so that the out come would happen just right. finally one last point that make eight men out a good book to read if you are in to sports is probably the fact that the author didn't just start right a way with the game but lead you through before and after the series.so if you are in to history and baseball one book that you should try would be eight men out.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.drewhastings
Posted September 12, 2010
After reading this book for my school's summer reading assignment, I've been glad that I chose this book rather than another choice. This book told a very enjoyable story and it was interesting piecing together all the events that lead up to the White Sox scandal.
This book was full of styles and ideas that I liked. For one, I thought it was very interesting how the author sets up phone calls to the players, but does not reveal who is on the other line. It develops a sense of mystery in the story and really gets the reader intrigued and thinking. The author's word choice was also very elaborate. He made simple sentences with little meaning into key sentences that set up the story quite nicely.
There weren't many things in this book that I didn't like, but there are a few that I would change. For example, the author at times seemed to take too long describing something irrelevant to the story. He spent paragraphs and even sometimes pages describing things like where the ballplayers are from and what it was like back home. Though it was interesting reading this, I found it hard to relate it to the actually story and it bugged me a little bit.
This is a story that I would definitely recommend to other readers! It's quite detailed and gets the reader thinking deep into the text and really analyzing the situations in the book. There are moments in this book that I feel everyone can relate too. There's emotional pain, fame, greed, jealousy, cheating, and other topics that we face every day as well. Besides, who doesn't like a good baseball story?
I personally have never read something like this. I would consider it as more of a document of the past rather than a story. The author doesn't sugarcoat anything; he tells it how it happened. I respect that about him and it makes the book seem even more genuine and authentic.
My overall rating of this book would be 4.5 out of 5. There was rarely a dull moment in this book, and the action that took place was very exciting and got the reader anticipating every move. With the exception of the slow and irrelevant sections, this was almost a perfect book. I had a great time reading it, and I hope my review inspires you to read it as well. (:
TwinsfanLR
Posted March 31, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Asinof took the world series scandal and turned into a great non-fiction story. You get insight on every player, and a day by day recolection of events leading up to, and during the world series, game by game. Then you learn the aftermath of the whole thing; how long it took, the people it effected, and then the final outcome. It is a great read, and there couldn't be a better way to learn the true story of the 1919 World Series.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I had to buy this book for a research project at school. I chose this book because I already had background information of baseball, because my brother played for years. I began the book and had a positive thought, but it was very boring. The information of the story was all there. It was filled with information and was great for a research book (you can't expect a ton of entertainment from a book you have to get to do a school project) and the chronological set up of the book was quite helpful, but overall it was very boring and slow. It showed how any of the greatest ball players can go down just like the rest of them. For information it is wonderful, but for enjoyment, if you are not a hardcore baseball fan this is not a book I would recommend for you.
SLOW! BORING! GOOD FOR RESEARCH! INFORMATIVE!
Bobby5243O
Posted May 25, 2009
The book, Eight Men Out, was very entertaining. It showed how even the best baseball playeres could be taken advantage of by signing contracts.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 1, 2007
The manager of the White Sox¿s team, Kid Clominskey treated the 1919 World Series team like they were worthless. They were the greatest baseball players of their time, and the were treated like they were nothing. Have you ever been treated like you were worthless and did something about it that could have changed you life forever. Eight players from the team were making 6,000 dollars a year, which was nothing for great baseball players¿ back then. They were getting mad because the team manager was doing nothing about it so they decided to loss the World Series games on purpose. They met with gamblers all over the east coast and ¿The Fix¿ was on. The players were asking for 100,000 dollars, which they would split between the eight of them. Will the players get caught or will they get away with it? This book is a historical nonfiction novel, which takes into account how the fix got started and how it ended up for the players. I really like this book because it is historical and it has to do with sports. If you don¿t like sports (baseball) or historical nonfiction then this book is not for you. It also has a semi-hard vocabulary because there are a lot of baseball and sports jargon in this novel. People have been debated over this situation ever since it ended. Did the players do the right thing, because they had to do it for their families? I personally think that the players did the right thing because their manager wasn¿t helping them out, so it was their last resort. They did it for their families and that is why I think they did the right thing. This novel is a great read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, because you don¿t know whether they with get got. It will make you start to think about what you are doing and are you doing it for the right reason.
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Posted May 10, 2004
The Eight Men Out book is a very good story of the real life when the White Sox threw the World Series in 1919 because of gamblers paying the players. This later became know as the Black Sox Scandal. The book is fun to read and easy to keep up with. It shows the lifestyle of the people around this time and also the lives of professional atheletes such as Shoeless Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver. If you like baseball or even like sports I think you would enjoy reading this book. If you read the book and enjoy it I recommend also watching the movie.
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Overview
The headlines proclaimed the 1919 fix of the World Series and attempted cover-up as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America!" First published in 1963, Eight Men Out has become a timeless classic. Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the fantastic scandal in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation's leading gamblers to throw the Series in Cincinnati. Mr. Asinof vividly describes the tense meetings, the hitches in the conniving, the actual ...