Sports stars are public figures. Their fame can inspire us to join charity and change the world we live in. The star power of a professional sport can even bring a divided nation together. President Nelson Mandela managed to bring a divided nation together with a national sport at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Like in South Africa, American baseball is a sport that is part of our culture. From the Civil War to the War in Afghanistan, from games of chance played on sandlots to fantasy baseball played on computers, baseball's tradition is directly tied to America's history. The Black Sox scandal was probably the most famous scandal in baseball history. Although betting on baseball and having "fixed" games during the regular season was "normal" in the early 20th century, it was something no one had ever seen. The scandal occurred in 1919 when 8 of the Chicago White Sox players lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude "Lefty" Williams, Buck Weaver, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Fred Mcmullin, Charles "Swede" Risberg and Oscar "Happy" Felsch received money for completely losing the Worlds Series in 1919. to the Cincinnati Reds. They received the money from William Burns who had previous ties to White Sox players while he pitched for Chicago during his short 5 year career. Billy Maharg was another player who had connections to underground gambling rings. Arnold Rothstein was America's most successful and best-known gambler. Rothstein agreed to give Billy Maharg $100,000 to finance the plot. With the scandal rumored to be in place, the amount of betting increased significantly and Cinniati's Reds won the series. T...... middle of paper...... players would also be banned for life if caught. In 1924, Jackson, Felsch and Risberg sued the White Sox for back wages that were not paid when the players were banned. Each of the players had claimed $100,000 in damages to their image and ruined their livelihood. Both Felsch and Risberg settled out of court. Jackson's case was tried in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the franchise was incorporated. The jury ruled in favor of Jackson paying the superstar the money he was owed. Works Cited Asinof, Eliot. Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the World Series 1919. New York: H. Holt, 1987. “Black Sox Scandal” print. - BR bullpen. Np, and Web. May 26, 2014. "Historical Files - Chicago Black Sox." Historical Files – Chicago Black Sox. Np, and Web. May 26, 2014. “The Trial of the Chicago Black Sox.” The Trial of the Chicago Black Sox. Np, and Web. May 27 2014.