Bucky!
I got it, Bucky! We're in!
I got me the 2 bits! We're in!
How'd you get it?
Hawking papers. C'mon, it's starting!
We're going to see the Sox!
Two bleachers. - Two bleachers.
Thank you.
Three, please.
Safe!
We'll divvy it up. Two makes heavy dough.
These are the best seats in the joint! - You bet!
If Cicotte's arm holds up it will be murder.
Better get movin', boys. Commy's forum is in the clubhouse.
Commy sure knows the way to a writer's heart. - Sports writers of the world, unite!
You have nothing to lose but your bar privileges.
Here comes the old Roman.
Hello, my boys! Everybody happy?
Hi, Billy!
Tommy! Smitty!
Hey, sourpuss.
So, Hughie?
- Ban Johnson says he's pretty sure your boys are going to win.
No question if my boys will win.
Just a matter of how many games it's going to take 'em.
Think it'll go the full nine?
Nine games? Not a chance.
You sound pretty cocky.
I got the horses, Smitty. I got the horses.
And, more than that, I got the team, fellas!
Kid Gleason has done a heck of a job at the helm this year,
bringing these boys together.
Smoothing out the defense. Building up the offense.
Getting the boys to think and move together.
Hell! They eat together, travel together,
room together on the road
and when it's time to play they let off steam together.
No room for prima donnas in this ball club!
Every man for the good of the team!
Out!
You're out!
That one wake you up, Collins?
Hey, "college boy" needs his beauty sleep.
What for? He goes to bed at 9:00 o'clock.
Wouldn't hurt you guys to get a little sleep once in a while.
Shove it, "college boy".
It's like a family, ya know?
What about the odds on your boys?
It's already 3 to 1 in their favor.
They are... underestimating us.
Any bet against my Sox this series is a sucker bet.
Of course, I'm not a gambling man.
Collins? - Nah.
"College boy" is the only one on the club who's getting paid what he's worth.
Tied it in his contract when he got traded.
C'mon... Go!
Hey, mister! Hey, mister! You made my brother spill his Cracker Jacks!
Mister!
- Here, kid. Shut him up, will ya?
- What about Chick Gandil?
He might do business.
Chickie's a sport.
Gandil? Only first sack in the league doesn't need his glove to play.
Hands of steel.
I'll put my Joe Jackson...
up against any player in the circuit.
The boy can hit... he can run... he can throw.
- If he could read he'd be perfect.
C'mon, Betsy, it needs a walk now. Big walk.
Tell me when, Betsy.
Does it ever talk back to you, Joe?
- He probably sleeps with it, too.
Lay off, you guys.
Ah, you crackers stick together, huh?
- Ask him for a triple, Joe.
Did you hear me?
Sixty years since the civil war, Lefty. Ease up.
Besides, you guys lost. It's in all the papers.
That wouldn't help Jackson, though.
Just leave 'em be.
What are you lookin' at, busher?
Here he comes!
C'mon, Joe! Nail it!
- Hey, professor...
read any good books lately?
- Hey, professor...!
Run, Joe, run!
C'mon go, go, go!
C'mon, take it!
C'mon, Joe, slide!
Safe!
Whoopee! Whoopee! Way to go, Joe!
- Hey, Jackson! Hey, Jackson!
Can you spell "Cat"?
C'mon "Shoeless Joe", can you spell "Cat"?
Hey, mister, can you spell "Shit"?
Buck Weaver?
Bucky is one of the boys.
But, the thing about Bucky is he don't like to lose.
Everyone's standing up!
Here.
C'mon, Buck! Repeat Joe's!
Out!
He can't stand to lose. Put him on the "maybe list".
What about Schalk?
- Not a prayer.
Listen, Ray, settle a bet between me and Hap, will ya?
He says everybody knows how to smile. Even you.
And I said your puss would crack if you ever tried.
Go piss up a rope.
OK, Eddie! C'mon, ball five, Eddie!
Ball five. Here we go, Eddie!
- Eddie Cicotte has had his control back this year.
And I think his record speaks for itself.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's got two, maybe three good seasons left in that arm.
Foul ball!
C'mon, Eddie. Let's make a lot of noise. Let's just make a lot of noise, Eddie!
C'mon, get it in here, Eddie.
Here we go. Here we go, Eddie.
C'mon, fast as you can, Eddie!
Let's get it. Let's get it!
Foul ball!
C'mon, Knuckles. Don't make me nervous.
Keep it down there. Keep it down there, Eddie!
Hey, frag arm! Frag arm!
Hey, old man! Get a rockin' chair!
OK, Eddie, one more strike. Don't worry about it!
Their luck is running thin.
Pitch it right in there! One more ace, c'mon!
OK, let's do it, Eddie!
Big five, Eddie.
Here we go! Big five, Eddie!
Strike three!
50 years of baseball.
He's got the best knuckle ball I've ever seen.
If he's such a fan why doesn't he pay him a living wage?
Eddie's getting old for this game.
I know the feeling when you walk out on the mound with your arm hanging.
You couldn't pitch when you were young, Burnsy.
Eddie is the key. We don't get Eddie, we forget about it.
- OK, Eddie, let's finish 'em off here now!
We're going to the series!
A guy could knock his brains out doing that.
What brains?
"Shoeless Joe" is ignorant. Hap Felsch is dumb.
Jesus, Hap. Save it, will ya?
Save it for what?
- Stay hungry, you guys.
Uh, what's the scoop, Harry?
Mr. Comiskey sent these down to you.
His congratulations for a successful pennant race.
Ah, that's white of him.
He didn't happen to mention when
we could expect that bonus he promised us if we took the flag, did he?
This is your bonus.
Cheap bastard.
Fellows, if it was up to me -- - Kid, we got no beef with you.
It's flat.
To the old Roman, Charles Comiskey.
To Commy! To Commy! - Beat their pants off, Commy.
To the Sox!
Hey, Buck.
- Hey, Winslow.
Gentlemen.
Winslow, your boys look sharp. - Yeah.
They're the best I've seen yet.
The best white folks team, anyways.
I say they're the best, Hughie. The best ever.
Time will tell, kid.
Time will tell.
C'mon, fellas, pretend this is Commy's wake.
♫ Now listen, honey, what I say
♫ How can you tell me that you're goin' away ?
♫ Don't say that we must part.
♫ Don't break this aching heart.
♫ I've loved you truly all these years.
♫ Loved you night and day.
♫ How can you leave me, don't you see these tears ?
♫ Now listen while I say
♫ After you're gone and left me cryin'
♫ After you're gone, there's no denyin'
♫ You'll feel blue, you'll feel sad... ♫♫
"The Sox assured the best of the 9".
Don't want me to skip and find what they talk about you?
Start from the beginning, baby.
"Now that we have put the Hun in his place
it is time for Americans to turn their attentions to more pleasurable pastimes".
Hey, they're sayin' we got no bench.
That's you they're talking about.
- Hey, if Gleason puts me on, I'm gonna put a hole through them Reds.
Yeah? You going to fart at 'em or swing a bat?
Hey, wise guy. Pow!
Hey, Freddie got the best hands in the league.
I never once seen him drop a mug of beer once he's got his mitts on it.
Look at the way he fits this stool.
That's a professional bench warmer's butt if ever I've seen one.
I hear you're quite a performer, Mr. Gandil.
Yeah. I ain't bad on the diamond, neither.
They say you don't even need a glove to catch a ball.
Let me see your hands.
Look at them mitts, ladies.
You should have been a pug, Chickie, with mitts like that.
Oh, I done some scrappin'.
- Spiffy lookin' bird is "Sport" Sullivan.
Anything that moves in Boston, he's got a bet down on it.
Think he's beat us to it?
Nah. He's just fishing around for some inside dope, is all.
- My nose is broke...
my eyes is swelled up so bad I can't hardly see.
And somehow I bust the guy square with this upper cut.
He goes down.
Somebody shoves 50 bucks in my hand. 50 bucks!
I'm stepping on something and it's the other guy's teeth.
"What's he get?", I say.
Referee kneels over the guy and he says,
"From the look of his jaw, he gets a liquid diet for 6 weeks".
Now, what we should have done...
was waltz around for a few rounds...
then one of us takes a turn
and we split 25 bucks apiece later on.
And nobody gets hurt.
Chickie is smart money.
Whenever I'm in town, he's the man I see.
- If you don't play the angles, you're a sap.
Say, why don't you ladies go powder your noses for awhile?
The way I figure it that son of a bitch Comiskey's
the only one that's going to make a killing on this deal.
It's his ball club, his stadium.
His grass, his dirt, his air.
In fact, Commy owns you, Buck.
I'm surprised he ain't got you all doing yard work for him in the off season.
Nobody owns me.
- That's a laugh.
Claude?
You're getting paged, Lefty.
It's time, Claude. You promised.
Gleason caught him sneaking back at the Cruxie one night in Philly.
Asked him what his wife would think
and he said that's who he'd gone to see.
His own wife on the road?
Pitiful.
Just supposing...?
Yes--
You'd need at least 2 starting pitchers...
a couple of infielders...
a couple of heavy hitters.
I mean, if you really want to be sure.
What about the Sox?
Six, maybe seven, they'd go for it.
I'd say you'd need at least 10,000 apiece.
Of course, who could put that kind of money together?
I could.
You go back to Boston and turn 70,000 at the drop of a hat?
I find that hard to believe.
You say you can find seven men
on the best club that ever took the field
willing to throw the world series?
I find that hard to believe
You never played with Charlie Comiskey.
♫ I see you flirt with some frail skirt
♫ And I'm in a purple rage
♫ White hot passion's
♫ Been the fashion
♫ Since the old golden days... ♫♫
It would take 4 seasons sweating it out for Commy to make 10,000.
Now, if we did get an advance, put it down on the Reds...
It gets heavy odds-- it starts to multiply.
Just a couple of games we're talking, or the whole series?
That's one thing that we'd have to work out.
Now, the way I figure it--
Hey, guys.
Damn!
Freddie...
You oughtn't creep around like that, pal. You made Chick wet his pants.
How about letting me in?
In what? What are you talking about?
Whatever you guys got goin'.
The fix.
You're in, Freddie. - What?
You want in, Freddie? You're in.
Now, if you can just leave us alone here...
we've got some things to iron out.
Sure, Swede.
Freddie.
Keep a lid on it, eh?
Sure, Swede. You know me.
Listen. I know he's your buddy and all, but--
- He's in.
Swede, hey. He's not even going to play.
Chick... He's in.
Okay, he's in.
What next?
Chick Gandil! Hey, long time no see!
Bill Burns. Remember me?
Oh yeah. Right, yeah.
Listen, Chick, long as I'm here there are a couple of things I'd like to pitch to you.
He'll chase after almost anything with 2 strikes on him.
I saw him whip on a curve in the dirt against the Cubs last month.
Congratulations, fellas. Hell of a season.
Thanks, Hughie.
Surprised to see you fellows in a gin mill.
- It's a celebration.
The whole team should be here.
Ginger ale. I had some of this once.
I think I was 6. Maybe 7.
Suppose that's what they're drinking over there?
Everybody's got their own way of letting off steam, Ring.
It's what you do on the field that counts.
So, if the thing with "Sport" falls through we can try them two birds.
Why don't we just deal with them both?
That way it's twice the payoff for the same games.
Well, what if they find out about each other?
Big deal. What are they going to do? Call the cops?
Six or seven guys, $10,000 each?
One guy who's got the scratch to back that kind of action.
Rothstein?
If we can get Rothstein and they get Eddie Cicotte--
Eddie. Eddie's the man.
Real bad?
No worse than it's been.
We'll get you rested pretty soon.
I'll dose three games in the series.
You'll do fine. You always do.
Every time I throw the fast ball I feel it all the way down my spine.
And the knuckler--
Well, you know, I try to put it where it don't wanna go.
Some days it just does what it wants to.
You always worry and you always do fine.
Hi, girls.
Your daddy's going to pitch in the world series.
- Hey, Mr. Weaver.
Don't you fellas never go home?
We saw you play today.
Here's your 2 bits back.
I stunk up the joint.
Nah. You'll straighten up before the series.
Sure.
His name's Bucky. We named him after you on account you're his favorite.
No kiddin'? - "Shoeless Joe" is my favorite.
Joe's a heck of a player. - Can you show me some tricks?
No, it's gettin' kind of late.
I gotta go. The wife, you know.
Please?
Alright.
Get on your third sack and stance.
Sure thing, Mr. Weaver.
Buck. Call me Buck. Ready?
Bend your knees.
Forget it. I make 6,000 a year. A lot of people are out of work.
How old are you, Eddie? How long is the arm going to hold up?
Arm's fine.
You got hurt Commy wouldn't even pay your train fare home.
What do you do then?
I hear you're planning on sending those girls of yours to college.
Lookit, Chick, will you just get off my back.
Just hear me out, will ya?
Hey, what's your hurry? - I got a meeting with the old man.
Right now? - Yes. Five, please.
You wouldn't say nothin', would you, Eddie?
- You said if I won 30 games this year
there'd be a 10,000 dollar bonus.
So?
I think you owe it to me.
Harry, how many games did Mr. Cicotte win for us this year?
29, sir.
You had Kid bench me for 2 whole weeks in August. I missed 5 starts.
We had to rest your arm for the series.
I would have won at least 2 of those games.
You knew that.
I have to keep the best interests of the club in mind, Eddie.
I think you owe me that bonus.
29 is not 30, Eddie.
You will get only the money you deserve.
Anything else?
No, Mr. Comiskey, that's it.
10,000.
Huh?
Before the first game.
Cash.
What?
You heard me.
That's him, Burnsy. I seen him fight once, just before he lost his featherweight title.
Held some kid up for three rounds until he could drop the decision.
It takes a real artist
to dump a fight without hitting the canvas.
See, I told you, Bill, it's the little champ.
They don't take nickel bets down here, fellas.
Abe Attell, right?
You. You were a ball player.
Bill Burns. - "Sleepy" Bill Burns.
Strictly bench material.
I won a few games. - You lost a few more.
And, you my friend, did not get that nose bobbing for apples.
I'm a fighter, sort of. - Sort of.
Let's see... Philly?
Yeah.
Billy Maharg!
You seen me fight? - Yeah, I seen ya. You're a bum!
Hey.
Yeah!
So, wadda you 2 birds want with me?
Word is you work for Arnold Rothstein.
We got a proposition to make. Could be big money.
Well, I'm Mr. Rothstein's ears, so let's hear it.
No dice.
You're a practical man, Lefty. You can see the advantages.
- Claude, who's that?
We got Cicotte in the bag already.
The hell you do!
He's in, Lefty. You can ask him.
Eddie can dump 3 games all on his own.
The thing is done, Lefty. With you or without you.
We just didn't want to leave you out of the payday.
If you got Eddie...
you got me, too.
- Claude! Who is that?
Salesman.
- Well, whatever he's selling, we don't want none.
Maxie Schwartz and "Irish Tommy" Flynn.
Very tough boys.
What's the action on them?
- Both are young and stupid. Trying to make it the hard way.
I'd lay off if I was you.
Fight's on the level, huh?
Listen, A.R...
this serie thing those 'ham and eggers' pitched--
Not interested.
We could see a good hunk of change on it.
If it's Burns and Maharg you're worried about, we could just cut them out and do it ourselves.
Word gets out Arnold Rothstein
is betting against the Sox, what happens to the odds?
They drop down the john, but I can bet through these guys.
How long do you think they're going to keep their mouths shut?
20 minutes? Half hour? What?
Yeah, but, they got six guys, maybe seven.
Doesn't surprise me.
But, they're the champs.
You were the champ once, Abe.
You went down for the bucks.
This is different.
Look, champ, I know who these guys are.
I grew up with guys like that.
I was the fat kid they wouldn't let play.
"Sit down fat boy", that's what they tell me.
"Sit down. Maybe you'll learn something".
Well, I learned something, alright.
Pretty soon I owned the game.
And, those guys I come up with, they come to me now with their hats in their hands.
Tell me, champ.
All those years of pugging, how much you make?
The honest fights, or the ones I tanked?
Altogether I must have made 10 times more betting on you than you did slugging it out.
I never took a punch.
Yeah, but I was champ.
Featherweight champion of the world.
Yesterday.
That was yesterday.
No, A.R., you're wrong.
I was champ and can nothin' take that away.
Now, about this fix thing. Maybe if we--
I'm not interested, Abe.
I gotta go get me some air.
I'll see you later.
Grammercy 8439.
8...4...3...9.
Right.
Nat?
A.R.
Tell your Mr. Sullivan he can stop by tonight.
Have him use the servant's entrance.
Yeah, he's in...
but, he wants his name kept out of this.
Mr. Rothstein don't like publicity.
- No problem.
'Cuz if this gets out the odds go to shit and he goes off it .
Gandil wants $100,000 for the players.
That shouldn't be any problem for Arnold Rothstein.
No. It's a cinch.
Yeah, yeah, I understand, Joey. My heart bleeds.
But, Mr. Rothstein's been carrying you on this for months now
and you ain't come back with a nickel.
That's right, I'm collecting for him now.
What, you'd rather talk with Monk Eastman?
No, no, Joey. I don't expect the whole 40,000 right up front.
But, listen, Joey, how about 10 or 15 as a gesture of good faith?
It makes me happy to hear you say that, Joey.
Come in.
Mr. Rothstein.
Let's hear it.
It's the series, Mr. Rothstein.
Seems to be a popular topic today.
I can get eight men in, including Cicotte.
So, what do you need me for?
Well, I'm a big man in Boston...
but, Boston's a small town.
The kinda cash that I need--
A man shouldn't bite off more than he can chew.
People watch what you do real close, Mr. Rothstein.
If you, or one of your people, were to bet heavily on the Reds, well--
If I lay the action, the odds stay fat.
And, there's no direct link.
Go home.
Don't do anything until you hear from me.
Yes, sir.
Good night, Mr. Rothstein.
Big man in Boston.
You should've seen his place, Jimmy.
Them big bankrolls.
I never seen the like of it outside of a museum.
Message from Mr. Rothstein.
You--
go away.
- Jimmy...
go get me some cigarettes for the trip.
Sure.
Mr. Rothstein says he's in.
40,000 to the players, up front.
You hold the other 40 'til they blow the series.
Tell Cicotte to hit the first batter
if the fix is on.
Anybody connects Mr. Rothstein with this,
I come see you again.
You don't want that.
You tell Mr. Rothstein he's got my word.
I never knew you smoked, Sport.
Holy mother.
When you look at it, Jimmy, all spread out like that...
Whose is it? - Who do you think?
I want you to take this 20,000 back to Boston.
I want you to go over to Mullcahy.
You know the password.
I want you to put it all down on Cincinnati for the first game.
Tell him it's just a hunch I've got.
Some hunch!
Then, I want you to take this to McGinnis.
And, you tell him you're sure I've gone crazy...
but, I want to place 10 big ones on the Reds
for the whole show.
I'm laying bets for Rothstein?
You're laying bets for me.
That thievin' jew don't know it, but he just givin' me a loan.
Well, then what's left for the players?
Jimmy, you know what you feed a dray horse in the morning
if you want a day's work out of him?
- What?
Just enough so he knows he's hungry.
Fellas. - Hey, Ring.
Hey, boys. - Hughie.
Hey, you guys want in on this?
No. I hear Gandil deals from the bottom.
Good luck with the Reds, fellas.
Thanks, Ring.
Hey, fellas. - Hi, Ring.
Good luck. Knock 'em dead.
Hiya, Eddie.
How's the old soup bone feeling?
Uh... Bad.
- Hughie's bringing his nest-egg down to lay it on you birds for the series.
Ha. He shouldn't ought to do that.
Anything can happen in baseball.
Hughie's a lucky man.
Luck won't have nothin' to do with it.
- Eddie?
Excuse me, Ring.
- C'mon, it's in the bag.
I just wanted to let you and Buck in on the take.
In on what take? - Sounds like you're already in pretty deep.
C'mon, Hap. We lose a couple of games, we make 20,000 dollars.
A couple, or the whole bit?
Hey, whoa, whoa! What are you guys talking about?
What about Jackson? - Swede's pitching him now. He'll come around.
You can be sure if Joe ain't in, I ain't in.
So what if they find you're dealing double? You cross a guy like Rothstein
they're gonna find you in the gutter with your toes curled up.
Hey, fellas...
Who's this?!
Anyone care for a drink?
- Hey, Joe.
Hi.
I stare at it 'til the eye goes blind.
Oh... What then?
Do the other one.
It's good for my batting eye.
Something wrong?
Hey, you're the doctor.
Listen, Joe. We got together, most of the guys. And the thing is, uh...
we're going to drop a couple of games in the series.
Who?
Oh, everybody.
Chick, me, Cicotte, Lefty-- - Lefty?
Sure, Lefty. And Fred and Hap and Bucky.
Everybody.
And Joe... some of them--
I won't name names, but--
I had to tell them no.
We can't leave Joe out of this. He's one of us.
You want me?
We need you, Joe.
I don't know.
- You'd be an awful sap to turn it down at this point, Joe.
Lefty and Eddie?
I mean it would just be stupid not to do it.
You don't want to be stupid, do you, Joe?
I don't know.
People are going to be awful pissed if you fuck up their plans, Joe.
You don't want to piss everybody off, do you, Joe. Huh?
You don't want me mad at you, do you?
Everybody else is in?
Everybody we need.
Okay.
There's a good boy.
You won't have to look bad.
Just ease off a bit.
That's all we want.
Oh... About the money--
At least 10,000, on top of your regular series pay.
Chick's workin' on it.
Hey, Bucky.
Welcome to the club.
Now, Sport, how about it, hey?
If your fellas come through, Chickie, you'll see the rest of it.
But, you gotta show something for this.
Now, listen. I told the boys before-- - Hey, Swede. You're lookin' fit, boy.
He come through?
Yeah, everything's well.
Listen now. Burns and Maharg are in the bar car with this Abe Attell character.
They say they got the jack lined up, so I'll go in there
and have a couple of pops with 'em 'til I'm through with the boys in there.
Sure. And which way's Bucky?
No problem.
Bucky's one of the boys.
Hughie!
Ring!
Get it all down? - I go to bet last night at 7 to 3 on the Sox.
Now it's even money. - You're kidding?
No, I'm not kidding. some very big money from New York went down on the Reds.
Maybe they know something we don't.
Think Cicotte's arm is sore?
Eddie's had a sore arm for 10 years.
Something's up.
Hey, Bill.
Not a trace of Attell. - Where is that little rat?
It's all out on bets.
That's not good enough.
Jesus.
You'll get it soon enough.
When?
How much?
100,000, like I said. 20 after each game.
Now, wait a minute. That's five games.
I thought we were just going to dump a few.
No, you lose the first three.
Kerr is going in the third. He's not with us.
So what? If we don't hit for him he'll fold. He's a busher.
After that we'll play it by ear.
We gotta make this look good, see?
I said before the first game, Chick.
Look under your pillow. - Huh?
Compliments of "Sport" Sullivan.
Whenever Mr. Rothstein fixes something, it stays fixed.
Getting the jump on us, Bucky?
Hi, Kid.
No. It's just all them reporters at the hotel.
I couldn't think.
I hear some of you fellows got together on the train last night.
Pep talk, you know.
Something on your mind, Bucky?
You don't look so good.
Kid, what would you--
No, forget it. It's just nerves. Nerves is all.
Remember all that ground ball patch when you first come on?
Yeah. You made a ball player out of me.
You were a ball player all along.
I just took some of the rough edges off, that's all.
Do you miss it, Kid? Playing?
Every day and every night.
I don't know what I'd do without it.
Better go back and get some sleep.
We gotta be sharp for them Reds tomorrow.
Alright.
In the morning. - Good night, son.
Cicotte, you're a bum! Go! Go home, Cicotte!
...good seats.
These guys don't look so tough.
Yeah? That's what Custer said when the Indians took the field.
Smitty... Today's the day!
- It's a fine day.
A beautiful day for it, huh?
- Look, I heard the same thing, fellas.
Every series I've been to there's been some rumor about a fix just to shake up the odds.
Hang out in bars you hear a lot of screwy things.
Doesn't mean they're not true.
My guys would've told me if something was up.
- Sure they would, Kid.
Give 'em a hard day.
Let's keep separate score cards.
You circle every play that smells fishy. I'll do the same.
We'll compare them after the game.
Probably nothing to it.
Yeah, nothing to it.
How's it feeling, Joe?
I don't want to play.
What?!
I don't want to play.
You can tell the boss that, too.
You'll play, Jackson!
You'll play!
[ Band Playing ] ♫ I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles ♫
- I've been hearing a lot about odds lately, like this is a race track.
Everybody's a damn handicapper.
Well, sometimes the smart money
gets a little too smart for its own good.
But, I tell you...
I've been in this game over 30 years.
I never yet seen a club could hold a candle to you fellas.
That's the straight dope.
The way I figure, we can't be beaten.
We can only beat ourselves.
You fellas know what I mean.
Alright, let's get 'em!
Excuse me.
- Weaver fouled out to Roush.
Sox, no score. First half inning.
Cincinnati coming to bat.
Would you like a seat, Mr. Rothstein?
I won't be here that long.
Alright, let's play ball!
- Let's go, Eddie! Let's get 'em now! Let's get 'em!
Here we go, Eddie!
Right in here! Throw a five, Eddie!
Strike!
Take your base!
Rath, hit by a pitched ball...
advances to first.
- Right in here, Eddie.
Let's do it, Eddie!
C'mon! Right in here, Eddie!
- Okay, Eddie, breeze it here, Eddie!
C'mon, Eddie!
Back, back!
Way to go, Happy.
What the hell's he doing? - No one wants to look bad.
Eddie's going to have to do it all by himself.
Safe!
- He was off the bag!
C'mon, guys. That coulda been two!
One out!
Swede! Swede!
Risberg, you zero, What are you doing?
You woulda had him!
- C'mon, Eddie! Cut him down!
You okay? - Gimme the ball.
Take it easy. - Gimme the ball.
Hey, Eddie! Keep it down!
Short! Short!
Eddie, he's the goddamn pitcher!
- The pitcher's finished!
Guess it's not your day, Eddie.
Guess not.
- Gandil grounds out to second base.
Final out.
Redlegs 9, White Sox 1.
So, what's the story, Buck?
What does it look like?
It looked like you skunked out on us.
I haven't taken a nickel. I don't owe any of you a damn thing.
We let you in on a meeting.
You just play your ball game and I'll play mine and we'll see how it comes out.
Come on in.
Ring.
Hiya, Eddie.
Have a seat.
I thought Cincy was a dry town.
Laws were made to be broken.
Catch.
- What's this?
The new ball they're thinking of using next year.
It's wound tighter.
This thing will take off like a rabbit.
- The word is they'll outlaw the spitter next year.
And, your shine ball.
Things will be tough for pitchers.
Things are always tough for pitchers.
You really took a shelling out there today.
Ah, they got their raps in.
That one Reuther caught hold of looked like you tossed it in underhand.
It didn't break.
You didn't put anything on it.
Why should it break?
You bring me up here to tell me I had a lousy day?
I wanna know if the series is on the level, Eddie.
What if I told you we're doing our best?
I'll believe you.
We played like a bunch of bushers today.
But nobody's in the bag.
Don't be sore at me for asking, okay?
Nah. We're just dumb ball players.
We need a mug like you to keep us honest.
Yeah.
- It's me, Joe.
I got something for you, Joe.
On the dresser.
Swede said he'd appreciate it
if you'd ease up a little on the field.
You looked awful good out there today.
- Hey, c'mon, Lefty, let's groove one!
Let's get this guy!
Ball!
Just stick 'em on for the glove, will ya?
- C'mon, Dale!
- C'mon, Claude, let's go!
Get it in here!
Safe!
Time!
I called for a curve ball. - That's what I threw.
Looked pretty straight to me.
Two outs!
Let's go!
I got it.
Safe! - Curve ball, damn it!
- You White Sox stink!
- Williams! You stink!
- Okay, let's go, Lefty! C'mon!
Bring it in here! Let's go, let's go!
Okay, Lefty! Hump it!
Out!
Alright, Bucky!
You guys see that? Way to go, Buck!
Nice grab.
Yeah.
- If you can't hit good, go back to Chicago! - Go back!
- You got shit for brains, Schalk!
Hold it! Hold it!
Go! Go!
Safe!
Alright, fellas! C'mon! C'mon!
Ask it if it can pitch.
Williams, you son of a bitch!
- What's the matter with you guys?
Son of a bitch!
He blocked me up all day out there with those goddamn curve balls!
What's this, Williams?
What's that?! - How about it, Lefty?
- There he is! Hey, Kid! - How about a few quotables, Kid?
I got nothing to say!
Hey, c'mon. Don't be a sore loser.
I got nothin' to say!
Now, get off my back, all of you!
What's the scoop, Buck?
Print what you want, Smitty.
Have a good game, Gandil?
Not bad. Did you?
I know what you're doing, you son of a bitch!
I know what you're doing!
So help me...!
Gandil! Gandil!
C'mon, boys! C'mon, let's go!
- Hey, Gleason! Comiskey!
We got one of your stiffs down here!
Mr. Comiskey?
- Who is it? Gleason!
I gotta talk to you.
It better be important.
If I'm being robbed of my world series
he damn well better do something about it!
- What do you two birds want?
We need the rest of the player's cut.
It's all out on bets.
What's this? - You heard me.
I made an agreement with those guys. - Well, that's your problem, ain't it?
You little prick!
Hey. A couple of boy scouts here, they made a deal.
The players are in now, get it?
We got 'em by the short ones.
What are they going to do? Call a cop?
Here... 10,000.
But, that's all of it. That's the end.
Here. You give it to them. - No, Burnsy, not me.
C'mon, Billy.
It stinks in here.
And, tell them bums to make it look good tomorrow.
It's 2:00 in the morning.
He's president of the league. He has to do something.
He isn't even talking to you, Commy.
He's got to talk to me.
- What do you want?
Now, I just talked to Gleason.
He thinks Williams threw the game.
- All I saw was that your boys didn't have a shot--
Sure thing, Sport.
- They lost it fair and square.
I'm being robbed
and you're going to do something about it!
That's the welcome of baiting currs!
Commy!
How you doin', Kid?
Did you get it down?
Every penny. 6 to 5 for the Reds is all.
Even though the Chicago bunch think Dickie Kerr will win.
How's it feel, Dickie?
My arms great.
It's my knees.
Just another ball game.
Sure.
Pitch 'em one at a time, son.
I remember the time I threw a clean slate at the Cleveland club.
You beat Cy Young one to nothing.
Hughie Jennings hit a homer in the ninth. - Huh?
My grandfather took me.
First big league game I ever went to.
Kid Gleason beat the Indians with a no-hitter.
No kiddin'?!
You're havin' a hell of a series, Buck.
What's that supposed to mean?
Nothin'. Just keep it up is all.
Why wouldn't I?
You'd know the answer to that better than I would, Buck.
- Take your base.
Run, damn it!
You're out!
What the hell was that?
I could have beaten that throwout with my shoes tied together!
- Never get work as an actor.
- Okay, Dickie, this is it, Dickie. You got 'em!
Here we go! Here we go, Dickie!
Let's do it!
Here we go, Dickie, here we go!
- Swing! - Swing!
You're out!
Beautiful, Dickie, that's the way!
Come on, Dickie!
Slide! You've got it!
Safe!
Swing!
You're out! Three strikes!
Out!
Great throw, buddy!
That's the winner! Alright, Dickie!
Bill? - Yeah?
Think you can stake me the train fare back to Philly?
Hey, Joey, I hate to bother you but, it's about that 20,000 you still owe Mr. Rothstein.
You gonna come up with it? What?
Well, if it's all clear between you two, I'm delighted to hear it.
Listen, Joey. Since you're sitting pretty over there I could use 2,000 over here--
What do you mean it's all out on bets?
Kerr had the day of his life...
but, if it wasn't 5 out of 9 this year, they'd be cooked.
We'll have to see what Eddie Cicotte shows them tomorrow.
Yeah, Eddie is the ticket.
Ah, so that's where you went.
Keep you up last night?
Don't make any difference.
You're the one needs the sleep.
You shouldn't worry so much.
You're gonna wallop 'em today.
You got the home field.
The whole city's there backing you up.
If I tell you something, you swear you'll never tell a soul?
What is it?
Some of the guys ain't playing on the level.
Nah?!
Chick, Swede, Lefty, Eddie Cicotte and some of the others. It's hard for me to tell.
Eddie? - Eddie.
They wanted me in on it, too.
What'd you tell 'em?
I told them to take a hike!
Now, I go out there on the field, you know. I make the plays. I don't feel right.
Isn't there somebody you can tell?
Kid knows. He's got to.
Sometimes I figure he's like me.
He's waiting for the boys to straighten up in time to take the series.
The dugout is like--
Nobody can look each other in the eye.
Go out on the field and you don't know who's trying and who's not.
I wish I didn't know.
Yeah, me either.
- Okay, Eddie!
Let's get 'em!
Right in there! Throw a five, Eddie!
Eddie! Eddie!
Cicotte! What was that?
You look like a busher.
- C'mon, Knuckles, keep it down!
C'mon, Eddie! Let's go! Let's get it in here!
Joe, four!
Let it go! Let it go!
Eddie, what are you doing?!
How do you make a play like that?
- What did you grab it off for, Eddie?
You lied to me, Eddie.
- Don't worry, Commy.
Your boys will be right tomorrow.
- Okay! Okay! Let's get 'em!
Safe.
Now it's Felsch.
Get it down, Happer!
- Go! Run! Run!
Safe.
Safe? You goddamn fiddlesticks, I had him! Who's paying you?
Take a walk, Ray.
That's the worst call I've ever seen, Draper, and that I've seen for seven years!
You heard me, Ray-- Out of the ball game!
It's all yours, Kid!
C'mon, let's go!
It's all yours!
Throw it!
Hey, Buck.
Hi, fellas.
Hey, guys! Look, it's Buck Weaver.
Tough breaks today.
Yeah, I couldn't get the wood on the ball. - No kiddin'.
My old man says you guys just gave up.
He says the Sox just laid down for the Reds.
Your old man don't know beans! - Says who?
Hey! Hey, ease up!
Thanks for sticking up for us.
A guy's gotta stick up for his friends.
- Even when they play like a bunch of stiffs?
Yeah, especially then.
A guy who don't stick up for his friends...
there ain't much to say for him.
Right, Buck?
♫ I'm forever blowing ball games
♫ Pretty ball games in the air
♫ I come from Chi
♫ I hardly try
♫ Just go to bat, and fade and die
♫ Fortune's coming my way
♫ That's why I don't care
♫ I'm forever blowing ball games
♫ And the gamblers treat us fair ♫♫
A crackpot.
Yes! Way to go, Joey!
Quiet! Quiet!
Kerr must have got out Knight or something.
They say it's tied going into the eigth inning.
Wait a minute!
- Here we go, Chick!
Let's go! C'mon!
Play ball!
C'mon, Chickie baby! We gotta do something here now, Chick.
C'mon, Chick!
C'mon, Chick, show me something.
Oh, shit.
It's open.
Hey, Eddie.
How's it goin'?
Okay.
Still now word from Chick about the money.
I don't care about the money.
- Yeah.
Peculiar way to find that out, isn't it?
What are you going to do out there tomorrow, Eddie?
I don't know yet.
I thought you were supposed to be in charge of this thing.
What happened to Sullivan?
He switched hotels. We can't seem to track him down.
- And what happened to Attell?
He says he shot his wad in the third game when Kerr won.
He says he's busted.
Well, the hell with them then.
You two made an agreement.
Hey, we lose one more game and it's over.
We dumped four games, I've only been paid for one.
You don't know what these guys are like.
Once you're in, you're in for good. You can't welch on these guys!
It's your funeral, assholes.
Problems?
No. We still got Eddie.
Put it away, Eddie. I'm going with Wilkinson today.
Why?
You haven't had the stuff lately, have you.
But I feel alright today.
I can't take any chances. I'm sorry.
I say I can't lose. That's how right i feel.
Sure you do, Eddie.
- Kid?
I can't miss.
Watch him.
Your move, Eddie.
- Give it a change up.
- What a waste! You stink up the lawn!
- Go back home, Eddie!
How long do you think he'll go before he dumps it?
Play ball!
Okay, Eddie baby, this is it!
It's up to you, Eddie baby.
Let's go! Let's go! Let's get this guy, Eddie!
Strike!
Forget it, Morey.
Strike!
Strike three! You're outa there!
You're out!
One more!
Okay, Hap! That's the way!
Strike!
Two more men, eh?!
Yeah, let's go! That was a beauty!
C'mon, Eddie! Bring it on in there! You got the power! You got the fire!
Give 'em another one!
C'mon, Eddie! One more batter!
Throw 'em a shine ball, then blow it right by 'em.
Okay, Eddie baby, this is it!
It's up to you, Eddie! Let's get this guy!
You got the fire!
Strike two!
Did you see that pitch?!
Okay, Eddie! One more, Eddie!
Let's get 'em!
Let's get 'em now, Eddie!
You got 'em! Bring it in here, Eddie!
Here we go, Eddie!!
You're out!
Alright, Eddie! Yes!
That's beautiful, Eddie!
And I figured I ought to save my blue-chip ball players.
If you've got faith in your fellas they'll come around.
The Reds only need one more game to take the series. That's do or die for your club.
No sweat. - What makes you so confident, Kid?
I think the boys are back on their form.
They've got the look of Moran's staff now.
And they'll be swinging free from this point on.
I tell you, trust always comes through in the clinchers.
Eddie came to me this morning and he said, "Kid, I can't miss".
We got Lefty Williams pitching tomorrow. One of the finest pitchers I ever seen.
Super big game, Lefty.
How do you explain the way your boys laid down in the other games?
What do you mean, 'laid down'?
Well, they didn't seem too enthusiastic about their jobs
- Nobody did any laying down.
Might have been a little overconfident... Maybe we didn't have the fine edge...
but the boys have been putting out.
- The boys been put out more than they've been putting out.
- You really think you can turn this series around, Kid?
No sweat!
- The odds are pretty steep.
My boys don't care about the odds!
Anything can happen in this game. Anything!
So, you figure the boys will be hitting tomorrow?
I sure hope so.
You gotta pitch better than your last time out.
I suspect I will.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
Hello, friend.
You want me to sign this, too?
You're going to lose tomorrow.
Oh, is that so. - I know it for a fact.
Is that your wife?
Yeah, what's it to you?
You're going to lose tomorrow or she dies.
Who sent you? - You made a promise to certain people.
You son of a bitch! - You can't protect her.
If I don't do it, somebody else will.
First inning, Mr. Williams.
What did he want, honey?
Oh, nothin'. He just give me some advice
on how to pitch the game tomorrow.
Everybody's an expert.
♫ Oh say, can you see
♫ By the dawn's early light
♫ What so proudly we hailed
♫ At the twilight's last gleaming?
♫ Whose broad stripes and bright stars
♫ Through the perilous fight
♫ O'er the ramparts we watched,
♫ Were so gallantly streaming?
♫ And the rocket's red glare
♫ The bombs bursting in air
♫ Gave proof through the night
♫ That our flag was still there
♫ Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
♫ O'er the land of the free
♫ And the home of the brave? ♫♫
Excuse me, sir.
I would like to bet you that my husband, Lefty Williams,
will pitch a no-hitter game.
Ma'am, in my opinion, it won't go past the very first inning.
I will bet you $5.00.
Okay, Lefty, bring it in! Bring it in!
- Take a shower, Williams!
Bear down, Lefty! You can do it!
Ball.
- Put the ball over the plate!
James, get your arm ready!
Shit! What the hell are you throwing?
Nothin' but fast balls.
Slow ones.
James, your in.
Didn't take you long, did it, Lefty?
Told you it wouldn't go past the first.
Got a tip on it.
Thank you.
- Cincinnati scores again.
Score is four to nothing.
Tough inning, huh? - Yes, but they'll come through.
Comeback! Comeback!
C'mon!
♫ [ Bugler Playing 'Taps' ] ♫
These five...
maybe more.
You prove it, this town will never forgive you.
Yup.
You had a damn fine series, Bucky.
We lost.
We didn't get the breaks.
Maybe we just weren't good enough.
That's a load of bull, Kid.
You know it!
Alright, game two. Who's the best baseball pitcher in the whole league...
Lefty Williams, right?
Best thrower out there by a ballpark.
And that includes his curve ball, all day.
A nice fly ball and Hap--
"...the match on Friday because they were superstitious.
"Question, does Gandil say anything?
"Answer, yes. He wants to know who would win from such a thing".
Sign the petition here!
No Sox were behind it!
Stop the lies! Sign this letter now!
Will you please sign, miss?
Sign the petition!
"Such writers are leeches,
"sucking the life blood of honest sportsmen,
"and should never again be allowed
"to darken the threshold of a professionl arena."
You're a leech, Hughie.
Keep reading.
"These writers use up valuable newspaper space
"that would be better employed for an exposé
"of the long-nosed...
"thick-lipped gambling elements
"that prey upon the boys in the field."
Makes you proud to be a sports writer, doesn't it?
Now, I don't want any reward money, Mr. Comiskey.
I just figured you should know what's what.
Why'd you wait 'til now to tell me this?
Well, I thought maybe it was only one or two games.
That they'd straighten it out themselves.
I didn't want to be a squealer.
I'll take it under advisement.
What's that mean?
You're the college boy, you tell me.
It's your ball club, Mr. Comiskey.
Harry,
get me Alfred Austrian.
- Protecting the organization that you've built and maintained
is what's best for baseball.
Now, some kind of investigation is going to be launched.
Our job is to control that investigation.
In fact, to appear to be leading that investigation.
Alfred, if I lose those players--
You might not have to. - They are guilty.
Well, that from a business point of view, is irrelevant.
What's important is that your business, baseball,
is going to take a shellacking at the ticket window
unless you and your fellow owners make the public think
that you are absolutely clean in this matter.
How do we manage that?
- We felt that with your record of service
and with the high esteem the public holds for you--
We need a commission--
Someone outside of baseball...
who'd have certain powers to--
Absolute power.
Absolute powers? - It won't work any other way.
People won't believe it.
Absolute power.
Well, anyhow, we felt that the man
that cleaned the Reds out of the country during the war
was the right man to clean up baseball.
We are prepared to offer you a two year contract--
- Lifetime contract.
Lifetime?
A man worried about his job
is bound to play favorites.
You gentlemen don't want that, do you?
But, a lifetime contract seems--
I'm back in court in five minutes, gentlemen.
Let's talk salary.
A man, who in the dark days
of the last great conflict
made use of his official trust
to fight the Hun on these very shores.
A patriot of the first order. A family man...
Landis used to lead the league in reversed decisions.
He says he's gonna clean up baseball.
He can start with the birds up on the stairs with him.
...over our all American pastime of baseball.
It gives me great honor
to introduce Judge Kenesaw Mulkin Landis.
Read all about it! Baseball corrupt! Read it here!
Grand jury called! Read all about it!
So long, suckers.
[ Practicing Spanish ]
Wait here, Mr. Cicotte.
- Eddie.
This is the man handling the grand jury, Eddie.
He's got the goods on you. Just come clean, he'll take care of you.
- Eddie.
- Sign this, Eddie.
I know what you wanna know.
I know.
Yeah, we were crooked.
We were crooked!
- What's the story? - What can you tell us?
- Was it fixed, Eddie?
- Who was the brains, Eddie? - Did you get immunity, Eddie?
For spilling the beans. Did you get immunity?
What's that?
- They just wanna clean up the gamblers, Joe...
not the ball players.
I gotta stay out of trouble. - They don't want you in jail.
They want you to be a witness. Now, you just sign right there.
My wife usually--
- You gotta sign to be a witness, Joe. Everybody does.
Eddie signed it. Lefty...
- What's the scoop here, Hap? - Yeah, the word is that you made a bundle!
Yeah, sure, I saw some cash.
They promised us all 20,000 each and all I saw was 5.
What am I gonna do? Call the cops?
- You looked pretty good out there for a guy dumping games.
It's something that must have come over me.
- You mean you double-crossed the gamblers?
No. No, I'm a man of my word.
- So, why did you do it, Hap? Somebody lean on you?
Everybody else was getting some.
I figured without the pitchers we're going to lose anyway.
So, why shouldn't I get fat, too?
I may be dumb, fellas, but I'm not stúpid.
Well, that wasn't so bad, was it, Joe?
Kinda felt good to get it off my chest.
You did the right thing, Joe. We're proud of you.
- What did you say, Joe?
- Were you in on it?
- C'mon, who was the big cheese? Who did all the brain work?
- Why'd you wait so long to spill it, Joe?
A hard guy.
Swede is a hard guy. - Joe!
Say it ain't so, Joe.
Say it ain't so!
- Wait, Joe!
- Joe!
- Wait, Joe!
Joe...!
I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Ben Short,
Mr. Tom Nash and Mr. Michael Ahearn.
Now, you may not be familiar with their names
but I would say they are the Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Zack Wheat
of the legal world.
Who's the Babe Ruth?
That's me.
Now, these are the men who are going to be taking care of you during the trial.
You have only two choices.
Do exactly what we tell you to do or go to jail.
You guys are such hot shots, you don't come cheap. Who's footin' the bill?
Well, you boys have a lot of fans in this town. Some of them are very wealthy people.
How about a name?
Rule number one in a conspiracy trial...
The less you know, the better off you are.
Mr. Rothstein feels
that he and your Mr. Comiskey
have certain interests in common.
Negative publicity can be very bad
for both of their businesses.
What does he want?
The confessions.
And, the players?
I'm certain you can help them understand where their best interests lie.
They'll do what they're told.
If I had the jack I'd get my own damn lawyer.
Commy won't let us have our series bonuses.
Who do you think is paying for the guys you've got?
Think it's Commy?
Put your shoulders back.
Of course it's him.
You think he's going to let the best ball players in the game
slip away without a fight?
You look handsome.
I look like a future jailbird.
Sox trial starts today!
Get the news! Trial starts for 'black' Sox!
Sox trial starts today!
It looks like schools's out.
There's Commy's lawyer.
He's got counsel lined up for the boys.
I thought Commy was testifying against them.
Depends on which way the ball rolls.
If Commy says one thing
that will hurt him in the cash register, I'll eat my hat.
Three signed confessions. That's a tough hand to beat.
This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen.
- Here they are!
Edward Cicotte...
Joseph Jefferson Jackson...
Arnold Gandil...
Charles Risberg...
Oscar Felsch...
Frederick McMullen...
Claude Williams...
and George Weaver are hereby accused
of conspiracy to commit a confidence game
on one Charles Nims.
Who the hell is Charles Nims?
Some sucker who bet on us in the series.
When did you first become aware of the conspiracy?
You mean the possibility of a conspiracy?
- Pardon me, the possibility of a conspiracy.
Shortly after the series began.
And, you took no action?
I informed commissioner Ban Johnson,
I hired private detectives to check on the players
and I personnaly kept a scorecard of every game.
What did you find?
Hearsay. Nothing that would warrant
publically slandering honest ball players.
If they're honest.
So, you think they're innocent.
I'll abide by the ruling of the court.
- Why are you appearing today for the prosecution?
I owe it to baseball. - So, you are making an accusation.
Not if they're innocent. - But, you have suspicions.
They have been indicted by a criminal court!
If that isn't suspicious, I don't know what the heck is!
They pitched it to me. They asked me if I knew somebody
willing to put up money if they dumped the series.
- And, you made this connection?
I know a few people.
- Did you ever stop to think about the legality of your action?
Introducing people who want to get together?
Bettin' on the Reds?
I was just acting on a tip from inside dope, like any guy would.
And, how much did you profit from your inside dope?
Not a red cent.
They busted me in the third game.
- So, the players doublecrossed you?
There's no honesty in this world.
In fact, your reason for testifying is revenge, isn't it, Bill?
If the players had really been crooked and lost the third game
you would have been satisfied.
You think you're even with them now? - I will be before I leave here.
You don't like me much, do you, Bill?
Sure I do, Ben.
If we'd a had a smart fellow like you at the head of this deal
we'd all be rich now.
- Who was present at this meeting?
Chick Gandil...
Risberg...
Hap Felsch...
Cicotte, Williams, McMullen...
and Buck Weaver.
Joe Jackson was not present?
No, but he knew what was going on,
just like he said in the confession.
To what confession are you referring?
The confession he gave to the grand jury.
Can I ask that the prosecution
produce these alleged confessions?
Please bring them forward.
We don't have them, your honor.
They've been stolen.
Order!
Sit down, or I'm going to clear this court.
Must have cost somebody an arm and a leg.
Rothstein? - Or Comiskey?
Or, maybe Rothstein's arm and Comiskey's leg?
I want you to move out to the farm
if I go to jail.
You think they'll decide guilty?
I always figured it was talent
that made a man big, you know,
if I was the best at something?
I mean, we're the guys they come to see.
Without us there ain't a ball game.
Yeah, but look at who's holding the money and look at who's facing a jail cell.
See, talent don't mean nothin'!
And, where's Comiskey and Sullivan...
Attell, Rothstein?
Out in the back room cuttin' up profits, that's where.
That's the damn conspiracy.
- You woulda won, too.
You woulda beat those guys so easy.
Well, won't nobody ever know that now.
You lived and worked with these men every day.
Shared trains and hotels and locker rooms.
And they never purposely or inadvertently
let slip of their plans?
I find that hard to believe.
Relations between me and most of the defendants...
were strained.
- Why was that?
Personal differences.
And yet you were positive that there was a fix on.
It sounds like you had it in for the defendants.
I suspected there was a fix. - You said you were positive.
No, you said that.
And, if you want, I can show you where in the court transcript.
- On what were these suspicions based?
Some of the guys didn't seem to be
putting out 100%.
- Mr. Collins, have you ever played a game
when you were not in peak mental and physical condition?
Occasionally.
Have you ever played a game where you were distracted,
or upset,
and couldn't find it in you to give your best effort?
No.
- Couldn't or didn't put out 100%?
Didn't give it the old 'college try'?
No, never.
Then you're a very remarkable man, Mr. Collins.
Well, you said it, I didn't.
Your honor, please. Can I say something? This man is not asking the right questions!
Can we have some order here, please?
Your bunchng us all together! And, who is he to talk?
Collins wouldn't even hit his own weight! Your honor, if it pleases the court...
Sit down, Bucky. - Shut up!
If it pleases the court I would like to take the stand.
You'll take the stand when you're called.
What if they don't call me?
- Please be seated. - Wait a minute. What if they don't call me?
Be seated. - Your honor, I want a separate trial!
The fact that I never took a penny hasn't been brought up once!
I hit .327 in the series!
I didn't make an error!
I'm being charged with a conspiracy I didn't have nothin' to do with!
Sit down, Mr. Weaver, or I'm going to have to hold you in contempt of this court!
- C'mon, Buck. Sit down.
Nobody's interested in your batting average.
- Would the prosecution care to cross examine?
- No, your honor.
"Trial will continue tomorrow
"with 'black' Sox manager Kid Gleason
"expected to take the stand."
What's all this 'Black Sox' stuff?
Smart guys. Reporters think they're smart guys.
All I wanna do is go back and play ball and forget about it.
I don't know if they're going to let you do that, Joe.
There's all this stuff about how baseball can never have no cheaters.
I played good!
They gotta let me play!
If they don't, what are you all gonna do?
I don't know.
- How long were you a player in the big leagues, Mr. Gleason?
A long time. Over 20 years. I was a pitcher.
- As a pitcher you had a great deal of control over the outcome of a game.
Well, sometimes the other team had more control than I did...
but, yes. The pitcher, the catcher, they had the most control.
- Were there gamblers involved in sports in your day, Mr. Gleason?
Sure. How you gonna keep them out?
- Were there incidents where games were thrown?
- I heard stories.
- Were you ever approached personally?
No. No, not personally.
I, uh... I had a reputation...
for being the kind of guy who wouldn't go for something like that.
- So, you never had any thought
of instigating a deal?
Oh, no, no. I never--
I mean I can see, though, where a--
Well, maybe if a guy feels he's being underpaid and, uh, maybe...
falls in with the wrong kind of people and they feed him a line how he could--
You know, people are human.
But, I never--
Well, not that I'm a 'holy Joe'... Nothin' like that--
- You don't have to apologize
for being honest, Mr. Gleason.
Yeah.
- Well...
What do you think of these players of yours now, Mr. Gleason?
I think they're the greatest ball club I ever seen. Period.
Hey, Buck.
Hi, fellas.
Seen you outside court today.
Some circus, huh?
Is it true what they're sayin' in there?
About Joe and the others.
Don't be too down on the guys, fellas.
When you grow up things get... complicated.
You didn't do nothin' wrong, did you, Buck?
Guess I never grew up.
I still get such a bang out of it...
playing ball.
Same as I did when I first come up.
When you get out there and the stands are full...
everybody's cheering.
It's like everybody in the world come to see you.
Then, inside, the players... They're yacking it up.
The pitcher throws...
You look for that 'pill'...
and suddenly there's nothing else in the ballpark except you and it.
And, sometimes, when you feelin' right...
there's a groove there...
and the bat just eases into it
and meets that ball.
When the bat meets that ball you can see that ball just give...
You know it's gonna go a long way.
Damn! It feels like you're gonna live forever.
You couldn't give that up.
Not for nothin'.
How do you think their going to call it tomorrow?
You stay out at third base next season you're going to see Buck Weaver playing his butt off!
Yeah!
"The aforementioned parties are also accused
"of conspiracy to commit a confidence game,
"an offense which, in this case, carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail
" and a $2,000 fine."
- Does anyone have a statement to make
before the final verdict is made?
I do, your honor.
- Very well. Mr. Weaver.
I want to put on the record somewhere
that I asked for a separate trial and I was refused.
That evidence of my playing in world series games was not admitted,
and that I never got a chance to take the stand on my own behalf.
It will be so noted.
A big setup!
Will the foreman read the veredict?
Yes, your honor.
We find the defendants...
not guilty on all charges.
That was a bigger fix than the series.
Gamblers 8, baseball nothing.
You got your ball club back, Commy!
I will make them pay for this!
- Hey, Chick!
Hey, small world, huh?!
Well done!
Make room for the 'clean' Sox!
How you feeling, Joe? - Like a million bucks!
I've seen some lawyerin' in my day, but you people in Chicago got some lawyerin' birds!
Those guys could talk a buffalo off a nickel if they put their minds to it!
What did I tell you, partner? It was in the bag all the time.
"Regardless of the veredict of juries...
"no player who throws a ball game...
"no player who undertakes or promises to throw a game...
"no player who sits in conference
"with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers...
"where the ways and means of throwing a ball game are discussed,
"and does not promptly tell his club about it,
"will ever play professional baseball again."
To baseball!
- Ball!
Fellow's playing kind of shallow in center, isn't he?
He's new.
Damned if that doesn't look like him.
Look like who?
Nah, couldn't be.
He's gonna get burned playing in so close.
How did he get back there?! - Who is that guy?
It is. It's him!
What's his name... the new guy? - He don't look so new to me.
It says his name is Brown.
A name is easy to change. It's him.
Who is 'him'?
It's Joe Jackson.
What?! - Get outa here!
- Who's Joe Jackson?
- Look at how he's hitting us. He's killing us out there.
A double. Two home runs.
These bushers make peanuts, Les. Jackson made a fortune on those games.
It's him!
You ever see him play?
Yeah, I saw pictures.
Pictures!
- I saw him play.
Yeah?
What do you think?
He was the best!
Run, hit, throw...
He was the best.
So, what do you think?
Is that him?
Nah.
Those fellows are all gone now.
Home run!
- Stand up!
You got it beat!
Safe!
- Yeah. Brown, huh?
- Who is Joe Jackson?
One of the guys who threw the series back in '19.
One of them bums from Chicago, kid.
One of the 'black' Sox.
Subtitles = PhilSpace @ Subscene