Rare video footage of 1919 World Series surfaces

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sj-roc
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Yes, this would be the same 1919 World Series that spawned the infamous Black Sox Scandal.

In a somewhat bizarre turn, the original film reels of the footage languished, buried underground, preserved for decades in the Yukon permafrost! Perhaps even more oddly, this footage was originally excavated in 1978, along with a plethora of other vintage film reels of interest in their own right, and sent to a preservation centre in Gatineau, QC, where it sat untouched for another 35+ years. Only recently was it finally examined — by an American filmmaker who happened to be visiting the centre to research an unrelated project, and who also happened to be a White Sox fan. The footage, complied long before news of the Black Sox Scandal broke the following year, makes no direct reference to this controversy, although a noted baseball authority has pointed to a sequence where a White Sox pitcher is seen to botch an easy double play.

An article from the National Post has the story:

Baseball history unearthed: Rare footage of infamous 1919 ‘Black Sox’ World Series found in Yukon permafrost

The footage was digitised and then uploaded a week and a half ago to youtube by Library and Archives Canada:

[video][/video]
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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WestCoastJoe
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Thanks for that, sj.

Very cool.

Underpaid players. Bad owners. Big time gamblers. Formula for throwing a series.

Cicotte gave up five runs in one inning. Hmmmm

Shame for Shoeless Joe. He could not bring himself to play poorly, to give it up. Banned nevertheless.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

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Sir Purrcival
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Great viewing and a very interesting story of how these films came to survive.
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Robbie
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Interesting video.

One point I've stated before is that the Cincinnati Reds actually had a better regular season record at 96–44 compared to the 88–52 Chicago White Sox and there was no certainty that the White Sox would have won without the fix.

I'm reminded of a scene from the 1988 movie Eight Men Out. Charles Comiskey promised a huge bonus if the White Sox won the AL pennant. And when they did, the bonus was just some cheap, flat champagne.
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