Sort:  

Ex-Major League Baseball Players in Films

Several of the mentioned films feature ex-major league baseball players, including:

  • Field of Dreams:
    • Ray Liotta's character, Shoeless Joe Jackson, was played by an actor, but the film also features appearances by ex-players like Don Hoak and Gene Conley.
  • Bull Durham:
    • No ex-major league players had major roles, but some minor league players and coaches appeared in the film.
  • Eight Men Out:
    • Several ex-players appeared in the film, including:
      • Don Harvey (played by actor Jace Alexander, but the real Don Harvey was an advisor on the film)
      • Jimmy Bannon (played by actor Bill Irwin)
      • However, the film did feature appearances by ex-players like Hugh Nicol and others in smaller roles.
  • Major League:
    • Several ex-players appeared in the film, including:
      • Bob Uecker (played the role of Harry Doyle, the Indians' announcer)
      • Steve Yeager (played the role of a coach)
      • Pete Vuckovich (played the role of a coach)
      • Other ex-players like Lynn Jones and Dennis Haysbert also appeared in smaller roles.
  • Rookie of the Year:
    • Gary Busey's character, Chet Steadman, was a former major league pitcher, but the film did not feature any real ex-major league players in major roles.
    • However, the film did feature appearances by ex-players like Nolan Ryan and others in smaller roles.

These films often feature ex-players in smaller roles or as advisors to add authenticity to the story.

What was the plot of 8 Men out?

Eight Men Out Plot

The 1988 film Eight Men Out tells the story of the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, in which several members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money.

The film focuses on the eight players involved in the scandal, including:

  • Shoeless Joe Jackson (played by D.B. Sweeney)
  • Eddie Cicotte (played by David Strathairn)
  • Buck Weaver (played by John Cusack)
  • Happy Felsch (played by Charlie Sheen)
  • Chick Gandil (played by Michael Rooker)
  • Swede Risberg (played by Don Harvey)
  • Fred McMullin (played by Bill Irwin)
  • Lefty Williams (played by James Read)

The movie explores the events leading up to the scandal, including the players' dissatisfaction with their low salaries and the influence of gamblers and gangsters.

The film also depicts the aftermath of the scandal, including the trial and the eventual banishment of the eight players from professional baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

The movie is based on the book of the same name by Eliot Asinof and is known for its historical accuracy and its portrayal of the complexities and nuances of the scandal.

What was the Black Sox Scandal of 1919? Give me the history on it.

The Black Sox Scandal of 1919

The Black Sox Scandal was a infamous event in baseball history that occurred during the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds.

The scandal involved several members of the White Sox team, who were accused of throwing the series in exchange for money from gamblers. The players involved were:

  • Shoeless Joe Jackson
  • Eddie Cicotte
  • Buck Weaver
  • Happy Felsch
  • Chick Gandil
  • Swede Risberg
  • Fred McMullin
  • Lefty Williams

The scandal began when several gamblers, including Arnold Rothstein and Sport Sullivan, approached the players with offers of money to throw the series. The players, who were dissatisfied with their low salaries and felt underappreciated by the team's owner, Charles Comiskey, agreed to the scheme.

During the series, the players made deliberate errors and poor plays, leading to the White Sox's defeat. The Reds won the series 5 games to 3, and the gamblers paid the players a total of $100,000.

However, the scandal was soon discovered, and an investigation was launched. The players were eventually tried and found not guilty, but they were still banned from professional baseball for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

The scandal led to a major overhaul of baseball's governance and rules, including the establishment of the office of the Commissioner and the introduction of new rules to prevent similar scandals in the future.

The Black Sox Scandal remains one of the most infamous events in baseball history, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

Give me a biography for Arnold Rothstein .

Arnold Rothstein Biography

Arnold Rothstein was a notorious American businessman, gangster, and gambler, born on January 17, 1882, in New York City.

He grew up in a Jewish family on the Lower East Side and became involved in organized crime at a young age. Rothstein's early career included working as a gambler, a bookmaker, and a loan shark.

In the 1910s, Rothstein became a prominent figure in New York City's underworld, earning the nickname "The Brain" for his intelligence and business acumen. He invested in various ventures, including real estate, narcotics, and bootlegging, and became one of the wealthiest and most influential gangsters of his time.

Rothstein's most infamous exploit was his alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, in which he was accused of bribing several members of the Chicago White Sox to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Rothstein's life was marked by violence and controversy, and he was eventually murdered on November 6, 1928, at the age of 46, in a Manhattan hotel room. His death was reportedly related to a dispute over a large debt he had accumulated from a poker game.

Despite his notorious reputation, Rothstein's legacy has endured, and he remains a fascinating figure in American crime history.

Rothstein's story has been immortalized in literature and film, including in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," in which the character of Meyer Wolfsheim is believed to be based on Rothstein.