Sports stars are public figures. Their fame can inspire us to join charitable works and promote change in the world we live in. The star power of a professional sport can even unite a divided nation. President Nelson Mandela managed to reunite a divided nation through a national sport in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. As in South Africa, the game of American baseball is a sport that is part of our culture. From the Civil War to the War in Afghanistan, from games played on sandlots to fantasy baseball played on the computer, the tradition of baseball is directly linked to American history. The Black Sox scandal was probably the most famous scandal in baseball history. Even though betting on baseball and having “fixed” games in the regular season was “normal” in the early 20th century, this was something no one had ever seen. The scandal occurred in 1919 when 8 players of the Chicago White Sox lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude "Lefty" Williams, Buck Weaver, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Fred Mcmullin, Charles "Swede" Risberg and Oscar "Happy" Felsch received money for completely missing the World Series in 1919 to the Cincinnati Reds. They received the money from William Burns who had previous ties to White Sox players while pitching for Chicago in his short 5 year career. Billy Maharg was another gambler who had connections to underground gambling rings. Arnold Rothstein was the most famous and successful gambler in America. Rothstein agreed to give Billy Maharg $100,000 to finance the conspiracy. With the rumor that the scandal had broken, there was a big increase in betting on the Cinniati Reds winning the series. T... half of the card... players would also be banned for life if caught. In 1924 Jackson, Felsch and Risberg sued the White Sox for back wages that had not been paid when the players were banned. Each of the players had asked for $100,000 in damages to their reputation and ruined their livelihood. Felsch and Risberg both settled out of court. Jackson's case was tried in Milwaukee, WI, where the franchise was formed. The jury ruled in Jackson's favor to pay the superstar the money he believed he was owed. Works CitedAsinof, Eliot. Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series. New York: H. Holt, 1987. Print. “Black Sox Scandal.” - BR Bullpen. Np, nd Web. May 26, 2014. “History Files – Chicago Black Sox.” History File – Chicago Black Sox. Np, nd Web. May 26, 2014. “The Trial of the Chicago Black Sox.” The Chicago Black Sox Trial. Np, nd Web. May 27 2014.