Mount Rushmore of baseball scandals. What is the worst?

[jcs0218]

There is a Mount Rushmore of baseball scandals.

1. The Black Sox - a collection of 8 players agree to lose the World Series on-purpose to collect money from gamblers.

2. Pete Rose - a player and manager is caught betting on games his own team participated in.

3. BALCO/Biogenesis/Steroids Scandal - many MLB players are convicted or suspected performance-enhancing drug (PED) use and other chemical/biological use.

4. Astros and Red Sox Scandal - these teams used various sign-stealing, camera surveillance, and other tactics to aid in their illegal competitive advantage.

5. Other - Please offer an explanation as to a scandal I might have missed.

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[PanthersPens62]

Black Sox AINEC

 

[Didalee Hed]

Those 4 seem pretty good to me

 

[Fenway]

Black Sox is still #1 but there is ample evidence the 1918 Series was tainted as well.

Pete Rose

George Steinbrenner said it best back in 1989 - his concern was games that Rose did not bet on the Reds to win.

 

[Unholy Diver]

a few more to add...

Marge Schott's racist comments and acts leading to her banishment

Collusion of the owners to hold down FA contracts

The Pittsburgh drug trials

from Pittsburgh drug trials - Wikipedia

Seven players were determined to have been prolonged drug users who had also facilitated distribution to other players, and were suspended for a full season.[13] The players were allowed to continue playing under the condition that they donated 10% of their base salaries to drug-abuse programs, submitted to random drug testing, and contributed 100 hours of drug-related community service.

• Joaquín Andújar
• Dale Berra
• Enos Cabell
• Keith Hernandez
• Jeffrey Leonard
• Dave Parker
• Lonnie Smith

Four players were suspended for 60 days; they were allowed to continue playing if they donated 5% of base salaries and contributed 50 hours of drug-related community service:[8]

• Al Holland
• Lee Lacy
• Lary Sorensen
• Claudell Washington

Ten other players were named, but not suspended or otherwise punished. They were, however, subject to random drug testing for the duration of their careers:[13]

• Dusty Baker
• Vida Blue
• Gary Matthews
• Dickie Noles
• Tim Raines
• Manny Sarmiento
• Daryl Sconiers
• Rod Scurry
• Derrel Thomas
• Alan Wiggins[14]

 

[Perennial]

I just watched Eight Men Out for the first time a couple of days ago...

 

[Halladay]

Trying the change thr Phanatics appearance for sure.

 

[82Ninety42011]

To actually get 8 guys to throw that series incredible. Probably biggest scandal in sports history really in North America.

 

[The Head Crusher]

Another candidate would be the owners collusion in the 80's to keep contracts down. A 32 year old Andre Dawson ended up signing a $500,000 contract because no one was willing to sign the 6 time Gold Glover, 3 time all star, 3 time silver slugger, and Former ROTY. Between 85-87 the owners were found guilty of collusion and were forced to pay $280 million to the players.

 

[The Head Crusher]

While the Black Sox Scandal was a major event that resulted in the end of the career of 11 players including Shoeless Joe, in the end it only impacted the league for that one season (outside of the White Soxs). The Steroid Scandals defined and impacted an entire era of baseball.

 

[Cas]

While the Black Sox Scandal was a major event that resulted in the end of the career of 11 players including Shoeless Joe, in the end it only impacted the league for that one season (outside of the White Soxs). The Steroid Scandals defined and impacted an entire era of baseball.

The scandal also ended the reign of Ban Johnson and established the Commissioner system.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

To actually get 8 guys to throw that series incredible. Probably biggest scandal in sports history really in North America.

Eventually the mob got smarter and realized they could have similar results just by paying off a single referee.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Amphetemine use should be mentioned. Shit ton of older guys get let off the hook for some reason.

 

[Voight]

Astros/Red Sox... they cheated and won a title each as a result. Thats huge.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Rename Balco/steroids scandal as Bud Selig scandal.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

The Black Sox. Not even close.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

To actually get 8 guys to throw that series incredible. Probably biggest scandal in sports history really in North America.

you had the point shaving scandal with NYU back in the day. As far as sports scandals that is up there

 

[Voight]

you had the point shaving scandal with NYU back in the day. As far as sports scandals that is up there

Boston College shaving points for the mob as well

 

[FiveTacos]

The Black Sox. Not even close.

Been thinking about this ... the Sox did something wrong, but the other team ended up winning. Granted, no one ever talks about the Reds winning that series, because it's assumed that it was completely fixed, but when they tally up team championships they don't necessarily discount that one. It has an asterisk but at least we can say the villains didn't win.

OTOH, the Astros doing something wrong actually won them something, and thus screwed over their opponents. So in that sense, they personally benefited from doing something wrong.

In the sense of scandal, fixing an outcome is far worse for the credibility of the sport. But if you're a competitor from another team ... I'd be much more pissed that someone cheated to beat me than I would be if the opponent threw a game for money.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

There's A LOT less proof that the Black Sox did anything, especially compared to Pete Rose and the Astros.

Shoeless Joe batted .375 in that 8 game series. If he was trying to throw it he did a shit job.

 

[bleedblue1223]

While not a specific scandal, I think the reluctance of the league and owners to not fully integrate for as long as it did should qualify. And sure, there were more real-world influence on this one compared to the others, but it's up there with the rest IMO.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

While not a specific scandal, I think the reluctance of the league and owners to not fully integrate for as long as it did should qualify. And sure, there were more real-world influence on this one compared to the others, but it's up there with the rest IMO.

This is what bothers me about Baseball HOF claiming integrity and character as one of the qualifications yet they have KKK (alleged) and diehard segregationists in there.

Either take them out or don't make character one of the qualifications.

 

[Islay1989]

Yeah, it's damn hypocritical to have Cobb in and celebrate him as one of the greats and then dock others for character issues.

 

[MMC]

Where does them allowing a World Series game to continue with a player who tested positive for COVID-19, and then letting him back onto the field with no mask to celebrate rank?

 

[PanthersPens62]

Where does them allowing a World Series game to continue with a player who tested positive for COVID-19, and then letting him back onto the field with no mask to celebrate rank?

Can we re-do the survey? I'd now like to change my vote!