Fact1: Sleepy Bill Burns and Billy Maharg get wind of players discontent offering shady player Chick Gandil to convince select group of Sox including star knuckleball pitcher Eddie Cicotte, Fact2: Cicotte was nearing milestone until Comiskey ordered team manager Kid Gleason to bench with excuse, Fact3: 35-year-old veteran 's arm needed rest before series, Fact4: Gleason With championship now in intends to Cicotte from next start jeopardy, Fact5: Williams was relieved with Big Bill James in 1st inning
Output: In 1919, the Chicago White Sox are considered one of the greatest ever assembled, however, the stingy teams owner, Charles Comiskey, gives little inclination to reward his players for a spectacular season. Gamblers Sleepy Bill Burns and Billy Maharg get wind of the players discontent, offering shady player Chick Gandil to convince a select group of Sox—including star knuckleball pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who led the majors with a 29–7 win–loss record and has an earned run average of just 1.82—more money to play badly than they would have earned by winning the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Cicottes motivation for being involved was because Comiskey refused him a promised 10,000 should he win 30 games for the season. Cicotte was nearing the milestone until Comiskey ordered team manager Kid Gleason to bench him for 2 weeks missing 5 starts with the excuse that the 35yearold veterans arm needed a rest before the series. A number of players, including Gandil, Swede Risberg, and Lefty Williams, go along with the scheme. Shoeless Joe Jackson, an illiterate and the team hitting star is also invited, but is depicted as being not bright and not entirely sure of what is going on. Buck Weaver, meanwhile, insists that he is a winner and wants nothing to do with the fix. When the bestofnine series begins, Cicotte pitching in Game 1 deliberately hits Reds leadoff hitter Morrie Rath in the back with his second pitch in a prearranged signal to gangster Arnold Rothstein that the fix was on. Cicotte then pitches poorly and gave up 5 runs in four innings—four of them in the 4th, including a triple given up to Reds pitcher Walter Dutch Ruether. He is then relieved by Gleason, though the Sox lose the first game, 9–1. Williams also pitched poorly in Game 2, while Gandil, Risberg and Hap Felsch made glaring mistakes on the field. Several of the players become upset, however, when the various gamblers involved fail to pay their promised money up front. Chicago journalists Ring Lardner and Hugh Fullerton grow increasingly suspicious. Meanwhile Gleason continues to hear rumors of a fix, but he remains confident that his boys will come through in the end. A third pitcher not in on the scam, rookie Dickie Kerr, wins Game 3 for the Sox, making both gamblers and teammates uncomfortable. Other teammates such as catcher Ray Schalk continue to play hard, while Weaver and Jackson show no visible signs of taking a dive with Weaver continuing to deny being in on the fix. Cicotte loses again in Game 4. With the championship now in jeopardy, Gleason intends to bench Cicotte from his next start, but he begs for another chance. The manager reluctantly agrees and is given an easy Game 7 win. Unpaid by the gamblers, Williams also intends to win, but when his wifes life is threatened, he purposely pitches so badly, he was quickly relieved with Big Bill James in the 1st inning. Jackson hits a home run off Reds pitcher Hod Eller in the 3rd inning, but the Sox lose the final game. Cincinnati wins the Series 5 games to 3. Fullerton writes an article condemning the White Sox. An investigation begins into the possible fixing of the Series. In 1920, Cicotte and Jackson admit that a fix existed though the illiterate Jackson is implied as having been coerced into making his confession. As a result of the revelations, Cicotte, Williams, Gandil, Felsch, Risberg, McMullin, Jackson, and Weaver are tried. The eight men are acquitted of any wrongdoing. However, newly appointed commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis bans the eight men for life because they either intentionally lost games or as Weaver did knew about the fix and didnt report it to team officials. The final scene, some years later, shows an older Jackson playing semipro ball under an assumed name as fans, amazed by his incredible hitting and fielding, start to suspect his real identity. One fan says that he actually saw Shoeless Joe play and describes him as simply the best at all the aspects of the game. Some others ask him directly if Jackson could be the player they are watching. He denies it, stating that all those players are gone now. The fan turns out to be Buck Weaver, protecting his old friend and former teammate.