Book Journal: Eight Men Out

What a great read. I haven't had much literary experience in sports literature, but I picked this book out at Eagle Eye bookshop and devoured it. Asinof has a great way of writing sports literature, ending every scene, every paragraph, every chapter with a hook. The story is so touching because it is so sorrowful, especially for its two most tragic figures--Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof

The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 (almost 100 years ago!!!!!) is infamous--a grimy, dirty-money scandal that lopped in a few gross figures, a few stupid ones, and two really tragic ones. Eight players are banned forever from baseball after they are involved (however directly or indirectly) with gamblers in a conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series for money. Underpaid by their tightwad jerk of an owner, Comiskey, the players, led by ringleader Chick Gandil, desperately wanted the money their talented deserved, even if it was tainted.

The story is really tragic because of Weaver and Joe Jackson. I like to believe in Weaver's innocence and I think the evidence plays out, but even more tragic is Joe Jackson. So talented, not very intelligent, sensitive to his lack of education, he was tossed around and manipulated and threw away an incredible chance to live out his life as an amazing baseball player next to the likes of Babe Ruth. He got by played semipro baseball in anonymity and that's just heartbreaking. The saddest thing of all is that these boys just couldn't tough it out. Baseball was destined to rise; just a few more years under Comiskey's frugality and their money would have been a veritable cashflow. As tragic as it is, and as sorry I feel for Joe Jackson and Weaver, I also commend Kenesaw Mountain Landis and his stance against such a horrible situation. Perhaps one day we'll see Weaver's reinstatement, but until then, we can only look at this as a tragedy in sports. And a sign that DIRTY MONEY IS DIRTY STILL!

8/10