A new Chicago Stories documentary covers The Black Sox Scandal, in which Chicago White Sox players intentionally lost the 1919 World Series for a payout, and changed the game of baseball forever.
Playlist Baseball
Baseball
The Man Who Shaped Both the Cubs and the Sox
Daniel HautzingerBill Veeck was behind the ivy at Wrigley Field plus Harry Caray singing during the seventh inning stretch, names on uniforms, and the exploding scoreboard with the White Sox. He brought the Sox and Cleveland to the World Series, and always boosted the attendance of lagging teams.
Chicago's Starring Role in the Creation of Baseball's Negro Leagues, 100 Years Ago
Daniel HautzingerChicago looms large in the creation of baseball's Negro Leagues, for reasons both positive and negative. One influential player-manager spearheaded the creation of the Negro National League 100 years ago; another helped solidify the sport's color line decades earlier.
The American Mythology of the Black Sox Scandal
Daniel HautzingerIn the 100 years since the Chicago White Sox players fixed games to lose the World Series, lots of myths about the scandal have sprung up. Two experts clear them up, and discuss the scandal's enduring significance. “It’s the power of poetry and fiction to overwhelm history.”
How Chicago's Ballparks Reflect the American City (For Better or Worse)
Daniel HautzingerWrigley Field is beloved; Guaranteed Rate Field was essentially outdated within a year of construction. The Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger, who wrote a book on American ballparks, discusses the two parks and how they reflect larger trends in American urbanism.