One group resented the more straitlaced players (later called the "Clean Sox"), a group that included players like second baseman Eddie Collins, a graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University catcher Ray Schalk, and pitchers Red Faber and Dickey Kerr. The White Sox clubhouse was divided into two factions. In the era of the reserve clause, gamblers could find players on many teams looking for extra cash-and they did. In fact, Chicago had the largest team payroll in 1919. Comiskey was probably no worse than most owners. Comiskey, who as a player had taken part in the Players' League labor rebellion in 1890, long had a reputation for underpaying his players, even though they were one of the top teams in the league and had already won the 1917 World Series.īecause of baseball's reserve clause, any player who refused to accept a contract was prohibited from playing baseball on any other professional team under the auspices of "Organized Baseball." Players could not change teams without permission from their current team, and without a union the players had no bargaining power. White Sox club owner Charles Comiskey, himself a prominent MLB player from 1882 to 1894, was widely disliked by the players and was resented for his miserliness.
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