Black Sock Scandal “黑袜丑闻”
20世纪初期，芝加哥白袜队曾是一支所向披靡的职业棒球队。可是1919年爆发的“黑袜丑闻”，彻底改变了这支球队的命运。在“黑袜魔咒”的笼罩下，白袜队直到1959年才重返世界大赛，直到领导慰问新闻稿2005年才重获大赛冠军。让我们一起来了解一下其中的端倪吧。
Black Sock Scandal
“黑袜丑闻”
By Vicky Williams 万熙卿 译
In 1919, the life of professional baball almost ended becau of a betting scandal surrounding the Chicago White Sox and the World Series. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox (later nicknamed the Black Sox) were accud of throwing the ries against the Cincinnati Reds. Details of the scandal and the extent to which each man was involved have always been unclear. It was, however, front-page news across the country and, despite being acquitted of criminal charges, the players were banned from professional bas
eball for life. The eight men included the great “Shoeless” Joe Jackson; pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude “Lefty” Williams; infielders Buck Weaver, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMullin, and Charles “Swede” Risberg; and outfielder Oscar “Happy” Felsch .
1919年，一场以芝加哥白袜队和棒球“世界大赛”为中心的赌赛丑闻几乎终结了美国职业棒球事业。芝加哥白袜队（后被戏称为“黑袜队”）的八名运动员被指在对辛辛纳提红人队的棒球“世界大赛”中故意输掉比赛。丑闻的具体细节以及每位运动员的参与程度至今仍然众说纷纭。但这一事件登上了全国上下的报纸头版，而牵涉其中的八位运动员虽然没有身陷刑事诉讼，却被罚终身禁赛。其中包括著名的“光脚汉”乔?杰克逊，投手艾迪?西科特和“左撇子”克劳德?威廉姆斯，内野手巴克?韦佛、“坏小子”阿诺德?甘第尔、弗雷德?麦克马林和“瑞典佬”查尔斯?里斯伯格，以及外野手“乐天派”奥斯卡?费尔许。
Charles Comiskey and the White Sox
查尔斯?科米斯基与白袜队
The White Sox team was formed in 1900 as a franchi of the American league, under th
e ownership of Charles Comiskey. The Sox were originally called The White Stockings. They shortened the name to White Sox in 1902. In its first year, the team won the league championship. By 1903, the American and National Leagues had agreed to meet in an end-of-the-year playoff, or a “World Series”. In 1906, the White Sox won this national championship by defeating the Chicago Cubs four games to two . The next eight years brought a dry spell for the Sox. In many of tho years they lost more often than they won.
In 1910, Comiskey built a new ballpark on Chicago’s South Side and dedicated himlf to building a strong ball club. In 1915, he purchad three star players: outfielder Joe Jackson, cond baman Eddie Collins, and center fielder Happy Felsch . In 1917, the Sox won the World Series and, managed by William “Kid” Gleason, the 1919 Chicago White Sox had the best record in the American League. Comiskey had succeeded in building one of the most powerful teams in baball.
Despite their many wins on the field, the White Sox were an unhappy team. No club play
鸡婆头ed better in 1919, but few were paid so poorly. Many knowledgeable obrvers believe that it was Comiskey’s stinginess that is largely to blame for the Black Sox scandal: if Comiskey had not grossly underpaid his players and treated them so unfairly, they would never have agreed to throw the Series. 伊甸园的故事
Comiskey frequently made promis to his players that he had no intention of keeping. He once promid his team a big bonus if they won the pennant . When they did win, the bonus turned out to be a ca of cheap champagne. Comiskey even charged his players for laundering their uniforms. In protest, for veral weeks the players wore the same increasingly dirty uniforms. Comiskey removed the uniforms from their lockers and fined the players.
白袜队是美联的职业球队，成立于1900年，其所有权由查尔斯?科米斯基所有。白袜队最初的名称是“白色袜子队”，1902年简化为“白袜队”。球队成立的第一年便赢得了美联赛冠军。1903年，美联和国联决定在年底举办一场决赛，即“世界大赛”。1906年，白袜队以4比2击败芝加哥小熊队，夺得了全国冠军。但在接下来的八年中，球队一直状态不佳，负多胜少。
1910年，科米斯基在芝加哥南部建了一个新球场，并致力于建立一个强大的棒球俱乐部。1915年，他买入了三位明星球员：外野手乔7寸?杰克逊、二垒手艾迪?科林斯和中外野手“乐天派”费尔许。1917年，白袜队赢得了世界大赛；在教练“野小子”威廉诗经周南桃夭?格利森的带领下，球队于1919年创造了在美联赛中的历史最好成绩。科米斯基的确铸造了最强大的棒球队。
虽然白袜队在球场上屡创佳绩，但他们却并不快乐。他们是1919年排名第一的球队，而收入却少得可怜。许多有见地的观察家都指出，科米斯基的吝啬在很大程度上导致了黑袜丑闻：如果不是科米斯基极力压低球员的薪水、对他们这么不公平，也许他们就不会同意在世界大赛中作弊输掉比赛。
科米斯基经常向球员们做出空头承诺。他曾经向球队许诺，如果他们能赢得比赛，就会给他们发一大笔奖金。而当球队确实赢得了比赛之后，却发现奖金只是一箱廉价的香槟而已。科米斯基甚至还对球员征收球衣清洗费。球员们为了表示抗议，连续几周都穿着越来越脏的衣服。科米斯基于是将球衣从队员的衣柜中扔了出去，还罚了他们的钱。
Gamblers
西周时期>技术报告赌徒
Gamblers were often visibly prent at ballparks and the fixing of games had been suspected since the mid-1850s. Rumors circulated that players supplemented their incomes by throwing single games. Several ballplayers had the reputation of working cloly with gamblers. A small-time gambler, Joph Sullivan, allegedly made money on inside tips from Chicago’s Chick Gandil. Sullivan24岁生日’s bets were safer when he knew a pitcher or hitter was sick, hurt, or having an off week.
Although gambling was intertwined with baball long before the eight White Sox were accud of fixing the Series, the number of gamblers at ballparks had dramatically incread by 1919. Ironically, Comiskey posted signs throughout the park declaring, “No Betting Allowed In This Park.” Unfortunately for Comiskey, the signs were not enough. Player rentment was high and gamblers’ offers, which were sometimes veral times a ballplayer’s salary, were too tempting to refu.
