Hotel Considered 'Birthplace' of Black Sox Scandal Closing Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to cancellations of events and shutdowns of businesses across the world, but perhaps none of this historical magnitude.

Hotel Buckminster in Boston opened in the late 1800s and is said to be the place where the Black Sox scandal was born. The hotel has permanently closed its doors in wake of the economic struggles so many are facing at the moment.

Eight Chicago White Sox players ended up being banned from baseball after allegedly agreeing to throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The plot was believed to have been discussed initially in the Boston hotel when White Sox first baseman Arnold "Chick" Gandil met up with Joseph "Sport" Sullivan, a bookmaker, late in the 1919 regular season.

Gandil and other White Sox players were upset with what they viewed as low salaries from owner Charles Comiskey. Sullivan approached Gandil in Boston after a White Sox-Red Sox game and convinced him he could pay him tens of thousands more than what he earned in salary. This chance encounter in a hotel right near Fenway Park launched one of the biggest scandals in sports history.

Hotel Buckminster was more than just a place to stay when visiting Boston. It was a piece of our national history and is akin to The Watergate Hotel. Its permanent closing is a sad historical loss during these tough times.