One side of the story has been told and retold, in books, on television and in movies. Now the other side wants their chance.
While everyone knows the tale of the infamous "Black Sox" scandal that rocked the 1919 World Series from the White Sox perspective, few have ever paid attention to the 1919 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds, the opponents of the Sox.
Until now.
Inspired by Susan Dellinger's new book, "Red Legs and Black Sox," the Reds Hall of Fame is telling their side of the story. A new third-floor exhibit, Edd Roush and the 1919 World Series, will be on display until Oct. 1.
The historical notion has always been that the White Sox were the much stronger club, a team that would have won the 1919 Series had it not thrown it. The American League had been dominant in that decade, and the Sox returned many players from their 1917 World Series champion roster.
But the Reds had eight more wins on the year (96 to 88), had a better pitching staff (in both depth and stats), and compared favorably at nearly every position on the diamond. The exhibit hopes to dispel the myth of the Chicago White Sox's invulnerability, and in the process, give the 1919 Reds their due.
"We hope that when people visit the exhibit, they'll come away with a deeper appreciation for how good the 1919 Reds actually were," said Chris Eckes, visitor services manager for the Reds Hall of Fame, and the man who put together the exhibit. "History has relegated them to the role of the opponent that the White Sox threw the World Series to, and we contend that they were much more than that."
The exhibit is told through the eyes of the Reds and their star center fielder, Hall of Famer Edd Roush. Dellinger, the book's author and Roush's granddaughter, supplied much of the memorabilia and equipment that is on display.
The showcase contains more than 50 items, most of them donated from local private collections. It includes standard baseball items such as bats, balls, uniforms and hats.
In addition, visitors can sit in seats from old White Sox Park that date from the period, watch rare video footage of the 1919 World Series while listening to authentic sheet music, and hear a 1966 interview with Roush.
"We have a number of things going on that, we hope, will help put people back in that time period," said Greg Rhodes, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.
The crown jewel of the exhibit is the "final out" ball from Game 8 of the World Series. Believed to be valued at more than $100,000, this is the first time the ball has been on public display.
Though the ball is the feature attraction, it wasn't initially expected to be a part of the exhibit. Originally, the museum wasn't even aware of its existence. Then, when the Reds learned of it, they did not think they would be able to obtain it.
The ball itself is worn, and spent years kept in a shoebox in a closet at Reds ace Hod Eller's house. It has a dark scuff mark around the laces, thanks to the "shine ball" that Eller used to throw. An inscription on the ball reads, "Last Ball in Play: by Hod Eller World Series 1919- Chicago, Game 8." Eller was the winning pitcher in the deciding Game 8, a game that the Reds won to take the best-of-nine series, 5-3.
When the idea of a 1919 World Series exhibit first arose, even Rhodes was skeptical of public reaction. How would fans respond to the Hall of Fame showcasing an 87-year old event?
"We have been pleasantly surprised at how many people have come in and been asking about [the 1919 exhibit]," said Rhodes. "That series, just because of all the [media] attention that's been paid to it over the years, has a lot of interest in it, even more than we envisioned."
"Taking something that starts out as just an idea on paper, and actually seeing it come to life is a real thrill," said Eckes. "The exhibit itself turned out better than even my mind's eye had envisioned it. So, we're very pleased with the end result."
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