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"In September 1920, the sports world in general and Chicago in particular
were shocked to discover that eight members of the Chicago White Sox—
arguably the best team in baseball—had deliberately thrown the 1919 World
Series in the most notorious gambling fix of its time. Though a jury acquitted
all eight players—Swede Risberg, Chick Gandil, Eddie Cicotte, Joe Jackson,
Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch, Lefty Williams, and Fred McMullin—the newly
named Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, declared
that ‘no player who throws a ball game will ever play professional baseball’
and banned all eight Black Sox players for life.
Third baseman Buck Weaver had played his heart out through the entire
World Series of 1919. His only ‘crime,’ as it were, was flat-out rejecting an
offer from Gandil to participate in the double-cross. However, since he had,
according to Landis, ‘sat in conference with a bunch of crooked ballplayers’
and not ratted on his teammates, he was banished under the same cloud of
shame that forever shadowed the remaining seven."
—Colleen Wilson, SportsAmerica
GEORGE DAVIS WEAVER (also called The Ginger Kid) played for the
Chicago White Sox for all 9 years of his major league career, and most
people thought he was one of the greatest shortstops who ever lived. But
nobody even remembers him anymore. Why? Because 3 weeks before
the World Series in 1919, a bunch of gamblers talked 7 of the guys into
throwing the games. They even asked Weaver if he wanted in on the
scam too, but all Weaver said to them was, “Piss off, you cheeseballs” and
played his guts out. It wasn’t good enough to beat the fix, though. The
White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds anyway, even though they might
have had the best team anybody ever saw. But the Reds didn’t really win
either. The crooks did.
When the beans were spilled a year later and everybody found out about
it, Buck was banned from baseball forever, right along with the 7 ginks
who started it all. But not for throwing games. He was banned for not
ratting on his team. What’s wrong with this picture? My dad says that
you can always be proud of yourself for listening to your heart. Buck
Weaver listened to his heart too, but all he got was punished for it. And
just because he’s dead doesn’t mean it’s not unfair anymore. Buck
Weaver deserves to be un-banned.
Please click on the “Clear Buck” link and add your name to the petition.
Sooner or later the Commissioner of Baseball’s going to have to make up
his mind about something. It might as well be this.
Thank you.
T.C. Keller
Brookline, Massachusetts
Clear Buck
were shocked to discover that eight members of the Chicago White Sox—
arguably the best team in baseball—had deliberately thrown the 1919 World
Series in the most notorious gambling fix of its time. Though a jury acquitted
all eight players—Swede Risberg, Chick Gandil, Eddie Cicotte, Joe Jackson,
Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch, Lefty Williams, and Fred McMullin—the newly
named Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, declared
that ‘no player who throws a ball game will ever play professional baseball’
and banned all eight Black Sox players for life.
Third baseman Buck Weaver had played his heart out through the entire
World Series of 1919. His only ‘crime,’ as it were, was flat-out rejecting an
offer from Gandil to participate in the double-cross. However, since he had,
according to Landis, ‘sat in conference with a bunch of crooked ballplayers’
and not ratted on his teammates, he was banished under the same cloud of
shame that forever shadowed the remaining seven."
—Colleen Wilson, SportsAmerica
GEORGE DAVIS WEAVER (also called The Ginger Kid) played for the
Chicago White Sox for all 9 years of his major league career, and most
people thought he was one of the greatest shortstops who ever lived. But
nobody even remembers him anymore. Why? Because 3 weeks before
the World Series in 1919, a bunch of gamblers talked 7 of the guys into
throwing the games. They even asked Weaver if he wanted in on the
scam too, but all Weaver said to them was, “Piss off, you cheeseballs” and
played his guts out. It wasn’t good enough to beat the fix, though. The
White Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds anyway, even though they might
have had the best team anybody ever saw. But the Reds didn’t really win
either. The crooks did.
When the beans were spilled a year later and everybody found out about
it, Buck was banned from baseball forever, right along with the 7 ginks
who started it all. But not for throwing games. He was banned for not
ratting on his team. What’s wrong with this picture? My dad says that
you can always be proud of yourself for listening to your heart. Buck
Weaver listened to his heart too, but all he got was punished for it. And
just because he’s dead doesn’t mean it’s not unfair anymore. Buck
Weaver deserves to be un-banned.
Please click on the “Clear Buck” link and add your name to the petition.
Sooner or later the Commissioner of Baseball’s going to have to make up
his mind about something. It might as well be this.
Thank you.
T.C. Keller
Brookline, Massachusetts
Clear Buck
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