Part 4/9:
With the Chicago White Sox clinching the American League pennant and the World Series on the horizon, the team’s dynamics became strained. Players divided into cliques based on their salaries and social standings, which fueled resentment towards the then-owner Charles Comiskey. This tension ultimately led to a decision that would change their lives forever: eight players agreed to throw the Series for a combined payment of $100,000.
The scheme involved enlisted gamblers, with Arnold Rothstein—a figure entrenched in organized crime—playing a pivotal role. Rothstein's eventual acceptance of the plan secured significant financial backing. This clustering of illicit deals created an intricate web of deception that was to culminate in the scandalous World Series.