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Today’s Guest: Baseball Historian David Pietrusza
David Pietrusza, one of the most accomplished historians in the United States, joins Paul to discuss his extensive research on “the fix” of the 1919 World Series by notorious mobster Arnold Rothstein. Mr. Pietrusza’s research calls into question the conclusions reached by Eliot Asinof in his bestselling book Eight Men Out which has been used as the basis for popular film versions related to the 1919 “Black Sox” scandal.
Mr. Pietrusza is the author of Rothstein: The Life, Times and Murder of the Criminal Genius who Fixed the 1919 World Series and Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. He collaborated with baseball legend Ted Williams on an autobiography called Ted Williams: My Life in Pictures.
Mr. Pietrusza is a noted presidential scholar and an internationally recognized expert on presidential elections. He has written award winning books on Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and a notable biography of Calvin Coolidge.
He has appeared on such media outlets as NPR, The Fox News Channel, C-SPAN, C-SPAN BookTV, C-SPAN American History TV, The History Channel, GBTV/The Blaze, Newsmax TV, ESPN, ESPN Classic, and the Fox Sports Channel.
C-SPAN: David Pietrusza on the 1919 World Series Fix
Paul visited the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, SC in October 2018. He was given a private tour by the husband of the curator. A few minutes into the tour Paul was told that Joe Jackson, on his death bed, insisted he never participated in the “fix” of the 1919 World’s Series. When he found $5,000 on his hotel bed after Game 1, he took it to Charles Comiskey, the owner of the White Sox, who refused to take it. Not knowing what to do, he was advised to put it in a savings account. He would later use the money to pay medical bills for his sick younger sister and gave the remainder to a hospital for children – what is today the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.
Chick-Fil-A Food Truck Triggers Oregon Students, Sparks Walkout
Around 100 students walked out of West Linn High School in Oregon last week in protest of the school’s decision to allow a Chick-fil-A food truck to sell chicken sandwiches during one of the school’s football games, among other microaggressions they said were making LGBT students feel “unsafe.”