Big League Baseball, be it National League or Americn League. Just what is it? What makes us Watch it on TV, listen to its Radio Broadcasts, Pack the Ball Parks, Buy the Daily Paper just to read the Box Scores and Curse Out those damn, self-opinionated Sports Columnists! Well, if you'd have asked me, I think those Ball Players are nothing but a pack of Spoiled Brat, Over-paid Millionaires, who get the luxury of living the life of Riley, remaining Boys, all their lives (or at least until the end of their playing days), just Playing Ball! And, Oh Lord, how lucky can a guy be!
Though the United States of America has no 'Offical' or State Religion*, for 6 months a year we do devoutly live and die with our team, whatever that team may be. In my own case, it is The Chicago White Sox, the subject of this little dissertation.
While there is no doubt that the player of the World War I/Roaring 20's Era made no salaries that compared to their counterparts in this modern age of ours, we have to take all factors into consideration. They did far better than their every day, working stiffs counterparts. Most any Baseball guy made much more in his half year than any household did for a whole year.
What kept the ball players in control was what was called the "Reserve Clause". What it meant was that no matter how long a period of time a contract had in its duration, the management could keep a player as long as they pleased. The Reserve Clause was in essence a legal instrument designed to have this 'just one more year' automatic amendment on every contract. Of course, this was all subject to the whim of the Owners, who could unilaterally terminate the agreement.** So it is to this year of 1919 that Director Sayles brings us.It is the year after the 'War to end all Wars', The Great World War I was over. We observe the excitement of 2 brothers*** gleefully running through the streets of the Bridgeport Neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, the older brother having gotten enough money for the two of them to get bleacher tickets to the White Sox game. The bleacher tix cost $0.25 each, and it was made by "hawking papers!" We get the kids' view of this game and learn of even children have a little larceny in their hearts from a little con game they pull in order to get some candy money.
The action soon moves around the Ball Park to the Press Box,to the Suite of Owner,Charles Comiskey(Clifton James) and finally to two Grifter Types in "Sleepy" Bill Burns(Christopher Lloyd) and Billy Maharg(Richard Edson)who are discussing which players would be willing participants in rigging the outcome of the upcoming World Series that The Sox would be in as winner of The American League Pennant.
As the game progresses, the 2 conspirators evaluate players as they bat or make some defensive play. One by one the put them down for a 'yes', 'no' or a 'maybe'.
Later all the team is gathered at some local Pub for celebrating their clinching the Amrican League Pennant. Here a Bostonian Gambler, Sport Sullivan ( Kevin Tighe)is busy bending the ear of Sox 1st Baseman('Chick' Gandill)about throwing the Series for money. Gandill is also pitched the same idea by Maharg and ex-pitcher Burns.
So unbeknownst to each other, 2 different fixes are in, making it a double-bubble pay day to the 8 conspiring ballplayers. That is if everything goes as planned.
Both 'Sport' Sullivan and the Burns/Maharg think of financing the operation with backing of The Big Guy of Gambling, New York Gambling Czar, Arnold Rothstein (Michael Learner).
The story moves through one double cross after another and the extremes the Underworld would go trough to insure that the players see the fix to the end.
The Book and Movie of EIGHT MEN OUT both take a sympathetic view of some of the players, like:29 Game Winning Pitcher Eddie Cicotte(David Stratharin). But real "Not Guilty" verdicts are lobbied for 3rd Baseman 'Buck'Weaver(John Cusack) and especially Outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson(D.B.Sweeney).
The cast is superb and work together like a Theateratrical Reperatory Company. The only Actor,other than John Cusack, who can be called a "Movie Star"would be Charlie Sheen, who works well with the rest,proving to be a real trooper.The others not yet mentioned but still worthy of mention are Don Harvey, Gordon Clapp,John Mahoney,James Read,Perry Lang,Jace Alexander,Bill Irwin and Michael Mantell. Special notice must be given for the performances given by John Anderson as Judge Kennisaw Mountain Landis, Director John Sayles as Ring Lardner and Chicago's own Rennaisance Man Studs Terkel as Chicago Herald-Examiner Sports Writer, Hugh Fullerton.
Sayles took special care in creating a true period piece.The costuming, and the sets are near perfect, with parts of Indianapolis subbing for Chicago. Also the Old Ball Park made a good stand-in for Comiskey Park.
This is one truly Underrated Film, of Chicasgo, of Baseball and of the Human Condition.
* Someone once said that in order to understand Americans and their Country, they should learn Baeball. Motion Seconded!!
** Slavery & any other Involuntary Servitude was supposed to have been outlawed following our Civil War, yet it took until 1976 and civil litigation by people like Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith to include Baseball.
*** Seeing these 2 kids running down the street in their rag-tag hand me downs makes me think of my own Uncle John R.Ryan(born 1913)and our Dad, Clem Ryan(born 1914)who were almost old enough to have been there at that time. They lived not far away (in the Canaryville neighborhood, just South of Bridgeport)and must have had a thousand stories about Sox Park-including Old Man Comiskey letting all the kids around the Ball Park into the Game after a few Innings!!
Though the United States of America has no 'Offical' or State Religion*, for 6 months a year we do devoutly live and die with our team, whatever that team may be. In my own case, it is The Chicago White Sox, the subject of this little dissertation.
While there is no doubt that the player of the World War I/Roaring 20's Era made no salaries that compared to their counterparts in this modern age of ours, we have to take all factors into consideration. They did far better than their every day, working stiffs counterparts. Most any Baseball guy made much more in his half year than any household did for a whole year.
What kept the ball players in control was what was called the "Reserve Clause". What it meant was that no matter how long a period of time a contract had in its duration, the management could keep a player as long as they pleased. The Reserve Clause was in essence a legal instrument designed to have this 'just one more year' automatic amendment on every contract. Of course, this was all subject to the whim of the Owners, who could unilaterally terminate the agreement.** So it is to this year of 1919 that Director Sayles brings us.It is the year after the 'War to end all Wars', The Great World War I was over. We observe the excitement of 2 brothers*** gleefully running through the streets of the Bridgeport Neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, the older brother having gotten enough money for the two of them to get bleacher tickets to the White Sox game. The bleacher tix cost $0.25 each, and it was made by "hawking papers!" We get the kids' view of this game and learn of even children have a little larceny in their hearts from a little con game they pull in order to get some candy money.
The action soon moves around the Ball Park to the Press Box,to the Suite of Owner,Charles Comiskey(Clifton James) and finally to two Grifter Types in "Sleepy" Bill Burns(Christopher Lloyd) and Billy Maharg(Richard Edson)who are discussing which players would be willing participants in rigging the outcome of the upcoming World Series that The Sox would be in as winner of The American League Pennant.
As the game progresses, the 2 conspirators evaluate players as they bat or make some defensive play. One by one the put them down for a 'yes', 'no' or a 'maybe'.
Later all the team is gathered at some local Pub for celebrating their clinching the Amrican League Pennant. Here a Bostonian Gambler, Sport Sullivan ( Kevin Tighe)is busy bending the ear of Sox 1st Baseman('Chick' Gandill)about throwing the Series for money. Gandill is also pitched the same idea by Maharg and ex-pitcher Burns.
So unbeknownst to each other, 2 different fixes are in, making it a double-bubble pay day to the 8 conspiring ballplayers. That is if everything goes as planned.
Both 'Sport' Sullivan and the Burns/Maharg think of financing the operation with backing of The Big Guy of Gambling, New York Gambling Czar, Arnold Rothstein (Michael Learner).
The story moves through one double cross after another and the extremes the Underworld would go trough to insure that the players see the fix to the end.
The Book and Movie of EIGHT MEN OUT both take a sympathetic view of some of the players, like:29 Game Winning Pitcher Eddie Cicotte(David Stratharin). But real "Not Guilty" verdicts are lobbied for 3rd Baseman 'Buck'Weaver(John Cusack) and especially Outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson(D.B.Sweeney).
The cast is superb and work together like a Theateratrical Reperatory Company. The only Actor,other than John Cusack, who can be called a "Movie Star"would be Charlie Sheen, who works well with the rest,proving to be a real trooper.The others not yet mentioned but still worthy of mention are Don Harvey, Gordon Clapp,John Mahoney,James Read,Perry Lang,Jace Alexander,Bill Irwin and Michael Mantell. Special notice must be given for the performances given by John Anderson as Judge Kennisaw Mountain Landis, Director John Sayles as Ring Lardner and Chicago's own Rennaisance Man Studs Terkel as Chicago Herald-Examiner Sports Writer, Hugh Fullerton.
Sayles took special care in creating a true period piece.The costuming, and the sets are near perfect, with parts of Indianapolis subbing for Chicago. Also the Old Ball Park made a good stand-in for Comiskey Park.
This is one truly Underrated Film, of Chicasgo, of Baseball and of the Human Condition.
* Someone once said that in order to understand Americans and their Country, they should learn Baeball. Motion Seconded!!
** Slavery & any other Involuntary Servitude was supposed to have been outlawed following our Civil War, yet it took until 1976 and civil litigation by people like Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith to include Baseball.
*** Seeing these 2 kids running down the street in their rag-tag hand me downs makes me think of my own Uncle John R.Ryan(born 1913)and our Dad, Clem Ryan(born 1914)who were almost old enough to have been there at that time. They lived not far away (in the Canaryville neighborhood, just South of Bridgeport)and must have had a thousand stories about Sox Park-including Old Man Comiskey letting all the kids around the Ball Park into the Game after a few Innings!!