Eight men up … and then eight men out

Chicago jurors 103 years ago today celebrate their verdict of acquittal with the trial’s defendants, namely the eight White Sox players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

As the story goes, some jurors take turns carrying the eight defendants on their shoulders with no one getting a bigger boost than Joe Jackson, the Shoeless One who is the White Sox’s star left fielder.

Such a good, warm fuzzy moment for jurisprudence in what. at the time, is one of the most judicially corrupt cities in the United States.

Well, not everyone is pleased.

Commissioner Kenesaw Landis

Among the unamused 103 years ago today is newly anointed commissioner-for-life Kenesaw Landis, who waits until a day after the 1921 acquittal to announce that his own investigation shows all eight of the accused players did indeed take part in fixing the 1919 Series.

Landis then immediately bans from them from the game.

For life.

Seven of the eight still are playing through the 1920 season with only first baseman Chick Gandil retiring after the 1919 Series.

Among those Landis banishes, of course, is Jackson, whose .356 lifetime batting average remains the highest of any player not in the Hall of Fame.

To this day, Jackson remains the face of the fix.

For years, Jackson’s most ardent supporters call for a lift to his ban, a move that if successful would make him eligible for the Hall.

Joe Jackson

They claim Jackson is not a willing participant in the fix.

Hollywood – looking at you here, Field of Dreams – and others like to portray Jackson as the innocent, illiterate sap who does everything he can to win the Series and quickly cite his lofty .375 batting average in the eight games against Cincinnati.

The numbers sound great, but only until you take a closer look at them.

While Jackson goes 6-for-19 in the Series’ first five games – four of which the Sox lose – he more importantly is a horrid 0-for-7 in those games with runners in scoring position.

Of his 13 outs in those games, eight come on groundouts, two on strikeouts and two on infield pop-ups.

Only one out comes on a ball actually hit to the outfield.

This from the greatest hitter in the game at the time.

Go figure.

Coincidentally over the Series’ final three games – and after the eight so-called Black Sox reportedly double-cross the gamblers and now decide to play to win – Jackson goes 6-for-13 in those games (the first two being won by Chicago) and, again more importantly, goes 4-for-9 in those games with runners in scoring position.

Kind of makes you wonder.