| Swede Risberg | |
|---|---|
 Risberg c. 1919 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born:(1894-10-13)October 13, 1894 San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| Died: October 13, 1975(1975-10-13) (aged 81) Red Bluff, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1917, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1920, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .243 |
| Home runs | 6 |
| Runs batted in | 175 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Charles August "Swede"Risberg (October 13, 1894 – October 13, 1975) was an AmericanMajor League Baseballshortstop. He played for theChicago White Sox from 1917 to 1920 and is best known for his involvement in the 1919Black Sox scandal.
Charles Risberg was born and raised inSan Francisco, California. He had very little education growing up and withdrew from school in the third grade. However, he soon developed a reputation as a good semipropitcher and began his professional baseball career in 1912.
Risberg soon converted to shortstop. In 1914, he hit .366 in the Class D Union Association[1] and was acquired by theVenice Tigers of thePacific Coast League. He was the club'sutility infielder in 1915 and 1916, gaining acclaim for his defensive skills. He was then bought by theAmerican League'sChicago White Sox in early 1917.[2]
Risberg made his debut on April 11, 1917 for the White Sox. He was a below-average hitter, but because of his superb defensive abilities, he won the full-time job at shortstop. Late in the season, Risberg experienced a terrible slump, and he only had two plate appearances, both as a pinch hitter, when the White Sox beat theNew York Giants in the1917 World Series.[2]
The next season, Risberg briefly returned to California to work in ashipyard as part of the war effort. Although his job was termed essential and enabled him to avoid the draft, it consisted largely of playing baseball, as he batted .308 for the shipyard ballclub.[2]
Risberg returned to the White Sox for the pennant-winning 1919 season. In September, he received positive press in theAtlanta Constitution, which labeled him a "miracle man" who had "blossomed out as a wonder" after making four plays that were "phenomenal."[2] Chicago was heavy favorites in1919 World Series versus theCincinnati Reds. However, a group of White Sox players, including Risberg, agreed to intentionally lose the series in exchange for monetary payments from a network of gamblers. Risberg was one of the ringleaders, helping to convince some of his teammates to participate in the scheme. In the eight-game series, he was 2 for 25 at the plate and committed a World Series-record eight errors.
Risberg received $15,000 for his role in the fix,[2] an amount that was more than four times his regular-season salary. The scandal broke in late 1920, and although the eight players were acquitted in the trial that followed, they were all banned from organized baseball bycommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis.[3]
Risberg was reinstated by CommissionerRob Manfred on May 13, 2025 along with other deceased players who were on the ineligible list.
Risberg continued to play semipro baseball for a decade after his banishment. According to one source, "he came toMinnesota in 1922 with a traveling team called the Mesaba Range Black Sox, which featured two other members of the 1919 Black Sox team:Happy Felsch andLefty Williams."[4] He played throughout the midwestern United States and Canada.Columbus, North Dakota newspaper reports claimed that Risberg played part of the 1927 season with a traveling team called Dellage's Cubans based inLignite, North Dakota.
In 1926, Risberg was called to testify about a 1919 gambling scandal involvingTy Cobb andTris Speaker. Although he presented no evidence regarding the 1919 scandal, he claimed that in 1917 he had collected money from other White Sox players to give to theDetroit Tigers so that the Tigers would intentionally lose some games. However, his story was contradicted by more than 30 other men and it was disregarded.[2]
Risberg also worked on a dairy farm. After his baseball career ended, he eventually ran a tavern and lumber business in the Northwest. During his playing days, he had been spiked by an opposing player and the injury never properly healed, causing an eventual amputation.[2] At the end of his life, he lived with his son[4] and remained an avid baseball fan.
Risberg died inRed Bluff, California in 1975, on his 81st birthday. He was the last living Black Sox player.[2]
Risberg was portrayed by actorDon Harvey in the 1988 filmEight Men Out.
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