If you love the “other” hardball (besides politics), you’ll love “Eight Men Out.” The 1988 film recalls the post-pandemic Black Sox Scandal of 1919.
Eight members of the (Chicago) White Sox were accused of intentionally manipulating the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a golden parachute of wealth. The movie portrays how the disgruntled White Sox players were approached by the (other back-room financial) “players“ who hide in the shadows and never put on a visible uniform. The shadow players tempted the players on the field to throw the game. The movie shows the subsequent investigation, a news conference or two, and fallout.
John Cusack is Buck Weaver, Charlie Sheen is Oscar “Hap” Felsch, D.B. Sweeney is “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and Christopher Lloyd as Bill Burns (one of the shadow financiers).
The film was directed by John Sayles, based on Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book of the same name.
In any US president’s inner circle, there are somewhere between 4 (if trust is limited) to 26 men and women, counting chief of staff, spouse, family members, 15 official cabinet members, and a few more.
How many? “Twenty-six Men and Women Out” when things go south — for any elected official or CEO?
Two different geometric shapes, same post-pandemic problem. Box office. Oval office.
The world is a painful complicated place, in any language, in any nation, any race or religion, when we ignore the Compass (or make up our own) and make decisions without a True North.
