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Charles Comiskey was known for being a tough owner and a cheapskate when he ran the White Sox, and this earned him a lot of resentment from his players. Things were so bad that several members of the team were rumored to be consulting with gamblers in an effort to throw the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, an overmatched opponent, for money Comiskey wouldn't pay them.

Pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who lost out on a substantial bonus because Comiskey ordered him benched, was to give a signal to the gamblers by hitting the first batter in Game 1. The gamblers watched and waited - no hit; instead, Cicotte set down Morrie Rath on a groundout to second, and the Sox told the gamblers they were out. The Sox went on to win the Series in six games.

It turns out there was a reason - these players were approached by a union organizer who had a different way of cutting into Comiskey's stinginess - organizing players. So after the season, the White Sox formed a union, and Comiskey realized that, if he wanted to keep a winning ball club, he had to negotiate. And after failing at hardball negotiations, Comiskey caved and paid his players.

One has to wonder how different baseball, and indeed all team sports, would be if there was no union organizer there to lure those players away from gamblers. If these players were exposed, imagine the stain left on the sport - could it even survive? Sports might be just another sideshow, with players participating in choreographed events organized by seedy thugs.
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