Following a highly publicized trial, the Chicago Black Sox, eight players from the Chicago White Sox, were acquitted of conspiring to fix the 1919 World Series. The trial attracted immense media attention, fueled by allegations that the players had colluded with gamblers to ensure that the Cincinnati Reds emerged victorious. Despite their acquittal in court, Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis took a firm stance against the players, believing that their involvement in such activities compromised the integrity of the game. Therefore, he imposed a lifetime ban on all eight players, which included prominent figures such as Shoeless Joe Jackson. Landis argued that even though a court of law had found them not guilty, their actions did irreparable damage to the reputation of baseball and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. This decisive move by Landis was groundbreaking; it established a precedent wherein the commissioner's authority to govern player conduct would take precedence over legal outcomes. As a result, the ban led to reforms in how Major League Baseball managed player behavior and maintained the sport's integrity.