Baseball's Bad Guys Series Begins

Not all of these guys are bad, but they all did at least one thing that was bad enough to get suspended, and even banned for life. They are the game's most infamous men.

This month, I am gonna try something new. A series of articles about baseball's biggest scandalmakers. Baseball's bad guys. Well, they're not all bad guys. Most of them had many redeeming personality traits and virtually all of them were superb ballplayers or coaches. But they all sinned against the game, more than the game would tolerate. As a result of their transgressions, some were suspended for years on ended, some were banned for life, and a few even ended up in the big house.

This week's article examines the career of Hal Chase. Prince Hal, as he was known to fans in the early 20th century, was a great defensive first baseman. Some folks, like Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson, thought he was the best who ever played the position. He was also a fine hitter who once won a batting crown and also captured a home run title. But Hal Chase had a dark side.

He was a gambler, and a fixer of his own team's games. On many occasions, he threw games by striking out in a crucial spot, or booting an easy grounder on a key play. His story is pretty good.

Upcoming articles in this series will include pieces on Denny McLain, Pete Rose, the Pittsburgh Cocaine Trials, Charlie Comiskey, Tom Yawkey, and Ty Cobb.

Check 'em out.