Eight Men Out Audiobook By Eliot Asinof cover art

Eight Men Out

The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series

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Eight Men Out

By: Eliot Asinof
Narrated by: Harold N. Cropp
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In 1919, American headlines proclaimed the fix and cover-up of the World Series as "the most gigantic sporting swindle in the history of America." In this painstaking review, Eliot Asinof has reconstructed the entire scene-by-scene story of the scandal, in which eight Chicago White Sox players arranged with the nation’s leading gamblers to throw the series to Cincinnati. Asinof vividly describes the tense meetings, the hitches in the conniving, the actual plays in which the Series was thrown, the Grand Jury indictment, and the famous 1921 trial. Moving behind the scenes, he perceptively examines the backgrounds and motives of the players and the conditions that made the improbable fix all too possible. Far more than a superbly told baseball story, this compelling American drama will appeal to all those interested in American popular culture.

©1963 Eliot Asinof (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Baseball & Softball Sports

Critic reviews

"Dramatic detail…an admirable journalistic feat!" ( New York Times)
"As thrilling as a cops and robbers tome!" ( Boston Globe)
"The most thorough investigation of the Black Sox scandal on record…a vividly, excitingly written book." ( Chicago Tribune)
Fascinating Historical Account • Well-researched Details • Fantastic Job • Compelling Player Perspectives
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Would you listen to Eight Men Out again? Why?

Not really, I know the story inside out by now. In fact, I'd watched the John Sayles film of the same name (a masterpiece, in my opinion, notwithstanding Jon Cusack's questionable athletic skills). And I've also read The Betrayal, a more recent book on the subject.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Eight Men Out?

I'll say that it was the detailed accounts of the fix by the players, which were not fully fleshed out in the film. In particular, there are quotes from Hap Felsch, Joe Jackson and others which, understandably, would have run the film too long. The one advantage to the book is that there is a deeper understanding of the motivations of the players, beyond the acrimony towards Comiskey.

Have you listened to any of Harold N. Cropp’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't believe so, though it was fine. Only at times does he descend into the campy voice such as he does in the sample when he reads quotes about Arnold Rothstein being a mouse in a doorway waiting for his cheese. There is some of that, but not too much.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not moved, but it surprised me that the actual adjudication of the suspension took much longer (over an entire season) than I'd previously known.

Any additional comments?

As I mentioned, it was a good story, well told, but still, the film is masterpiece for baseball fans.

Excellent account. Still, see the John Sayles film

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Probably lacks 100% fact, but a hell of a good yarn. Great listen. recommend

Awesome

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Nice to know the details of the scandal, most not given in the movie. Plenty of corruption on both sides to go around.

Plenty of corruption to go around

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Learned so much about what really happened in the Black Sox scandal. So much that I didn't know. The book was very informative and entertaining. I highly recommend this book
to any die hard baseball fan.

Review of 8 Men Out.

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What an absolutely abhorrent flight for those young athletes. Taken advantage of for the lack of education and their naïveté. They never had a chance. What is sick and avaricious old man Comiskey was. Absolutely no honor.

Very interesting and sad.

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Told from the 1919 perspective and not a look back. Enjoyed it very much and would recommend to anyone who loves history, sports, or both.

Good read. Told from the eyes of that time.

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Eight baseball players arrived on the national stage to throw the outcome of the 1919 World Series and ruin their lives in baseball history.

The tale is a details painful loss of individual talents, the Joe Jackson Hall of Fame tragedy, and the drama's inevitable implication for ownership rights and player pay as the Babe Ruth era begins.

Never did these eight players realize their on-field desperate actions -- with the underground strangers they bargained away their peace of mind and future -- would be judged so thoroughly in court and by public opinion for decades to come.

Black Sox Explained with Sorrow and Regret

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I have wanted to read about the story of the 1919 black Sox for awhile. This is a great way of hearing the story. The way that it is read is slow and at times very dry, but any baseball fan should have a go at this book!

Say it ain't so Joe

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The story of the 1919 World Series and the conditions the players had to deal with makes perfect sense.

Great Read! Eye opening…

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This is well-worth the reading by baseball historians everywhere, and, like the sad Pete Rose tale, a lifelong cautionary tale against MLB players gambling on the game. Indeed, there should be NO betting on Baseball, period. Sadly, MLB is as full as hypocrites today as they were in 1919!

ENTERTAINING AND SAD...

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