What makes the final three games interesting is a combination of three things: gambling promises broken, athletic competition, and gambling muscle. Let’s take them one at a time. One at a time. After Game 5, Sport Sullivan promised Chick Gandil another $20,000, but just like all the other gambling promises this one failed to come through. The players had enough. They were tired of losing and would certainly not lose without payment. They would not lose this time. With Dickie Kerr on the mound, the Reds put up a tough fight. However, when the final out was called, the White Sox prevailed. Ironically, Chick Gandil pushed the winning run over the plate with a single to center. A single to center.

Now we come to the athletic competition. Even though the Sox were down in the Series, they felt they could win. Even though they “fixed” a few games for money, they wanted to win. Cicotte took the mound for Game 7 and dominated the Reds. He was tired of losing. Tired of losing. They won in a little over an hour and a half, 4 to 1.  Now comes the gambling muscle. Gambling muscle. Remember Arnold Rothstein? Yes, he put a bet on the whole World Series so he wouldn’t have to worry about individual games. Now he was worried about the Series outcome. He contacted Sport Sullivan and told him to take care of it. Sullivan contacted some gambling muscle. That muscle contacted White Sox pitcher Lefty Williams and made it known that it would be best for him and his family if he lost early. I won’t go into details. Lefty did what he was told. He took the mound and threw nothing but fastballs. Fifteen pitches total. Four hits for the Reds. Three runs scored. Kid Gleason finally took him out of the game with only one out in the first inning. One out in the first.