Black Sox Ringleader Arnold “Chick” Gandil Tells His Story!

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 Black Sox Ringleader Chick Gandil Tells His Story!

With this week marking the 98th anniversary of the grand jury handing out indictments to eight members of the White Sox on charges of fixing the last season’s World Series, let’s take another look at the so-called “ringleader” of the plot, Chick Gandil. You can read his version of the sordid events below.

Chick Gandil to gambler Sport Sullivan: “We could never pull off a fix.”

Sport Sullivan to Chick Gandil: “Don’t be silly…it’s been pulled before and it can be again.”

“I give you my solemn word I don’t know to this day what happened to the cash. I’ll go to my grave with a clear conscience.” –Chick Gandil in 1956 to sportswriter Melvin Durslag

Chick Gandil was often described as the “ringleader” of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. While we often hear cries calling for the reinstatement of Shoeless Joe Jackson or Buck Weaver, there has never been any love lost for Gandil. No one ever thinks he got a “raw deal,” only that he got what he deserved.

Described by one contemporary as a “professional malcontent,” the physically imposing 6’2”,195 lb Gandil had a callous disposition to go with a mean, bulldog facial mug (see photo above) that only a mother could love.   In his early years, he acquired his imposing physical strength working as a boilermaker in the copper mines, and later became a heavyweight boxer. In a word, he wasn’t the type of guy you wanted to mess with.

Gandil played 10 years in the major leagues with the White Sox (1910), Senators (1912-15), Indians (1916), and again with the White Sox (1917-19). Over his career, he hit .277, with 1176 hits, 556 RBIs, and 153 stolen bases. From 1912 to 1915, Gandil led the Senators in RBIs three times. He was an excellent defensive first baseman, leading American League first basemen in fielding percentage four times and assists three times.

On February 25, 1917, he was reacquired by the White Sox. That season, the White Sox defeated the Giants in the World Series. In perhaps his first exposure to fixing games, Gandil and teammate “Swede” Risberg allegedly collected $45 from each member of the White Sox and paid off the Detroit Tigers in two crucial doubleheaders late in the season. The Tigers lost all four games, allowing the White Sox to win the American League pennant.

As the 1919 World Series rolled around, the gamblers, including Sport Sullivan, knew Chick Gandil would be safe to approach with the idea of a fix:

“I had only social contacts with gamblers until that September day in 1919 when Sullivan walked up to Eddie Cicotte and me as we left our hotel in Boston. I was kind of surprised when Sullivan suggested that we get a “syndicate” together of seven or eight players to throw the series to Cincinnati. The idea of a plot scared me, but he had a persuasive manner and backed it up with a lot of cash. He said he was willing to pay $10,000 each to all the players we brought in on the deal. Considering our skimpy salaries, $10,000 was quite a chunk, and he knew it.”

The fix was on, and it was eventually agreed that “The Big Bankroll,” Arnold Rothstein would pay out $100,000 to the players. The money was to be divided up among Gandil, Cicotte, and six other players of their choosing. They decided on Jackson, Weaver, Risberg, Felsch, McMullin, and Williams. They chose the teammates “to cut in on the gravy,” as Gandil put it, not because they loved them, but “let’s just say we disliked them the least.” In addition to serving as the contact for the gamblers, Gandil was responsible for delivering the cash. He allegedly received $35,000 for his role in throwing the plot – nearly nine times his 1919 salary of $4,000.

The rest is familiar history.The heavily-favored White Sox lost the series and the eight conspirators were eventually indicted. In July, 1921 they stood trial for fixing the series. The jury found the them not guilty, but their joy was short lived. Gandil and the others were permanently banned from organized baseball by new commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

In 1956, Gandil told his version of events to sportswriter Melvin Durslag. Gandil admitted to leading the plot and expressed guilt and remorse over having done so. However, he claimed that after an initial payment was made, the players panicked and ultimately tried their best to win. According to Gandil, they concluded they could never get away with a fix, and instead decided to betray the gamblers. Carrying all this mental baggage into the series, they couldn’t play their best and eventually lost. It wasn’t the first or last time a favored team lost a World Series.

Although he believed Landis’ decision to ban them all was draconian, he felt they deserved what they got. Once word got out that they had conspired with gamblers and had actually accepted money, they were forever guilty in the eyes of the baseball world, in spite of what may have actually transpired on the field. From that point on, no one would ever believe their hollow protestations of innocence. Like a tar baby, once they touched the gamblers, they could never be totally freed.

Chick Gandil played semi-pro ball with other Black Sox teammates for a number of years after the scandal. He eventually settled in the Napa region of Northern California and lived out the remainder of his life uneventfully working as a plumber. He passed away on December 13, 1970 aged 82, survived by Laura, his wife of 62 years. 

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from the Black Sox Wikipedia page.

Check out my two books, both now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback:  “Paul Pryor in His Own Words: The Life and TImes of a 20-Year Major League Umpire” and “Memorable World Series Moments.” All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation

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