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The Fix
While the facts surrounding the throwing of the Series are confusing, people familiar with the case agree Gandil was the ringleader. A few weeks before the 1919 World Series, Gandil approached Sullivan about fixing the Series. He told Sullivan that for $100,000, Gandil and several of his teammates would make sure the White Sox would lose. Gandil was known as a rough character and, at the age of thirty-three, he was getting ready to retire. Before his career ended, he had one last shot to make big money. While Sullivan started raising money, Gandil went to work getting the cooperation of his teammates.
Pitcher Eddie Cicotte had a grudge If the gamblers were going to put up $100,000, Gandil needed to ensure that a sufficient number of players were willing to go along with the fix. Two of Chicago's pitchers, Ciccotte and Williams (some stories say Williams acted as the liaison between the players and the gamblers), had won fifty-two games between them that season. If he was going to succeed, Gandil needed their participation. Cicotte had his own special grudge against Comiskey and was ready to get even. Comiskey had once promised Cicotte that if he won thirty games, he would receive a $10,000 bonus. When Cicotte won twenty-nine games, Comiskey benched him with the excuse that Cicotte should rest up for the pennant games. Comiskey never gave him the money since he had won only twenty-nine games. Cicotte's personal request, regarding the fix, was $10,000 up front. Williams and Risberg were interested and utility-man McMullin, who overheard Gandil talking to shortstop Risberg, demanded a piece of the action.
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