In 1919 the White Sox were arguably the best team in baseball. After finishing the season in first place, the White Sox faced the Cincinnati Reds, who were making their first-ever World Series appearance. The series back then was actually a best-of-nine contest. This format was apparently used to generate more revenue (and who says that baseball has changed?), but the best-of-seven format we all know and love was restored after 1921.
Although heavily favored at 5-1 odds, the Sox ended up losing in eight games to the Reds. Even before play started, there had been rumors that the series had been fixed. In fact, as a result of the rumors, money began shifting towards the Reds, who became the favorite with 8-5 odds as a result.
One year later, the rumors of foul play were confirmed. This fix was so extensive that at one point the Chicago mob was involved. Ultimately, eight players, along with several other individuals from the “outside,” were found to have been involved. While all eight were eventually acquitted, none were allowed to play ever again.
Eighty-eight years later, however, it seems as though the shroud that has been hanging over Major League Baseball, to say nothing of the White Sox organization, has finally been lifted. The White Sox have gotten the monkey off their back with a 4-0 series sweep of the Houston Astros.
Let’s face it. It can’t be fun to be the Houston Astros right now. Look at what they’ve gone through: they battled through 14 long innings in Game 3, only to be defeated yet again by this Sox team. Clearly, the Astros were hanging tough, going inning for inning with the Sox and doing nothing but their absolute best. But even then, they still couldn’t pull off a win.
Say what you will about pride, the Astros were broken. The Sox carried all the momentum in the world into last night’s Game 4. Did the win in Game 3 come easy? Of course not. But those are the W’s that feel best.
When the Sox won, it was not so much the beginning of an era as an end of one. I don’t really see Chicago in the series again next year. But it’s almost as if, in sweeping the Astros, they are also sweeping away a shaded past.
Finally, that World Series victory, one that is 88 years overdue, is at hand. Obviously, it will never be completely forgotten that the White Sox are the team that threw away the big one almost nine decades ago when they finally win. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
Like any faded stain, the Black Sox of 1919 remain a reminder of mistakes made so that they won’t be made again, or so we all hope. The fact of the matter is, by winning it here and now, the Sox are giving themselves a heavy dose of Clorox.
