Baseball Movie Review: Eight Men Out (1988)

[Tyomoth]

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Today's baseball fan is no stranger to controversies. Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens have been kept out of the Baseball Hall of Fame because of PEDs. The Astros were whacking a garbage can to tip pitches in the playoffs. Angel Hernandez was professionally employed as an MLB umpire! We've seen some sketchy stuff, to be sure.

But none of it comes remotely close to members of a team purposely trying to throw World Series games as the 1919 White Sox, dubbed "The Black Sox," did in their World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. It's scandalous and completely unforgivable. 

Or is it? The 1988 film "Eight Men Out" portrays the Black Sox and tries to show you all the angles so you can decide who's to blame. It's a baseball movie with plenty of on-the-field action and drama both inside and outside of the lines.

First Pitch: I don't know how they could have done better with the opening 25 minutes of this film. Right off the bat, you get a wonderful sense of time. You hear the music of the era. The clothing is on point, and even the language just feels right. 

Sports writer Ring Lardner, "If Cicotte's arm holds up, it'll be murder!"

But what I really like about this opening is the four distinct points of view. You get to know some of the players. Like most teams, the Sox have some grizzled vets and some younger, more enthusiastic players. But they're good. Really good. Then you meet the owner, Charles Comiskey (played by Clifton James). He's loud. He brags about his team, but he's cheap. He sends some bottles of bubbly down to the clubhouse after they win the pennant. When Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn) asks about a promised bonus if they "took the flag," Comiskey's lackey says, "This is your bonus." What's more, the bubbly is flat. (I couldn't help but think of Clark Griswold's "Jelly of the Month" Club!)

The third point of view is that of the fans, in particular, a pair of young boys who absolutely idolize their White Sox players. They've got these guys on a pedestal so high, they're infallible. 

The fourth point of view is that of the sports writers. They're watching it all unfold and trying to make sense of what they're seeing in real time.

When the idea of tossing the series comes up, some players are interested, and some aren't. Cicotte is the essential piece, and there's another great moment when Comiskey tells him he won't get his 30-win bonus because he only won 29 games. Comiskey had the manager sit him for two weeks to "rest up for the series." That's a clear tipping point that makes you think, "Okay, I may have said to heck with it, too, at that point."

Middle Innings: This part slows down a bit as the gamblers are figuring out the money portion of it all, as Chick Gandil and Swede Risberg try to get as many players in on the fix as possible. As the series starts, you can see a divide between the players who are trying to toss the game and others, like 3rd baseman Buck Weaver (John Cusack), 2nd baseman Eddie Collins (Bill Irwin), and catcher Ray Schalk (Gordon Clapp), who are trying their best to win it. And then there's "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (D.B. Sweeney). He kind of gets suckered into it all, but doesn't really want to do it. He plays great, but still gets paid. Meanwhile, manager, Kid Gleason (John Mahoney), is going nuts trying to hold it all together.

All the while, the sports writers are starting to get a whiff of something stinky and are trying to figure out who's on the level and who isn't. It's almost comical to watch the grumpy, hard-nosed Schalk getting frustrated as things develop. There's a great little scene where Buck Weaver talks to some kids, and when some kids say the Sox are "laying down," some others stand up for them. They still believe.

As they're about to start Game 7, some of the players who were in are now ready to win it because they haven't been getting paid what they were promised. It's all up to Cicotte. (Fun fact: The 1919 World Series was one of just four [1903, 1919, 1920, and 1921] to use a best-of-nine format, meaning the winning team needed to collect five wins.)

Last Inning: The game goes on. The gamblers are tense. Eddie Cicotte's pitching is great. The Sox win. Now, it's up to Lefty Williams, who wasn't enthusiastic about the venture from the start. Before the game starts, you see everyone there. You see wives, gamblers, the kids, and Comiskey. And, from first pitch, Lefty's tossing batting practice.

After the Sox lose the series, it shifts to the writers as they try to nail down just who was in on the fix. Meanwhile, those kids are trying to get people to sign petitions to "stop the lies!" They still believe. 

The movie shifts to the examination and eventual trial of the players involved. It also shows that the creation of the first commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, brought in a pillar of morality to clean it all up. From there, it all unravels quickly. Of course, we get that essential moment when the kids look at Shoeless Joe and ask, "Say it ain't so, Joe!"

All in all, "Eight Men Out" is an exceptional baseball movie. The casting and acting are terrific. The story is there, and it's compelling with no real subplots to speak of. There are players who are villains, players who are victims, and a few who are stuck somewhere in between. The owner, Comiskey, who is the clear villain in the beginning of the movie, is torn down, but in a way that makes you almost sympathize with him. 

Run Time: 1 hr 59 min
IMDB Score: 7.2/10
Scorecard: Majestic homerun to the second deck. 
Player of the Game: This is tough. Cusack and D.B. Sweeney shine. Mahoney is fantastic as Kid Gleason. But my vote goes to David Strathairn as Eddie Cicotte. He's conflicted, frustrated, and it shows throughout the film. 
Benchwarmer: The gamblers overall. I think we spent just a tad too much time with them, trying to understand their world.

Best line: "Joe! Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so." When the kids finally have to face reality, it's heart-wrenching.

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[Michael Trzinski]

Now I 'll have to watch it again. Nice write-up!