A 1913-14 world tour participant and 1917 World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, third baseman Buck Weaver found himself in the crossfire of baseball's biggest scandal in 1919. Though Weaver never accepted money from gamblers to help "fix" the 1919 World Series, he was certainly aware of the conspiracy but did not alert authorities. In the eyes of baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis this was justification enough to ban Weaver from the game for life. Tragically, Weaver would apply for reinstatement six times between 1922 and his death in 1956, with his attempts either rejected or ignored each time.

Offered is a wonderful, borderless 7" x 11" action photo depicting Buck Weaver batting during spring training in 1918. Outfielder Happy Felsch can be spotted striding by with spectators on horseback in the background. This is one of several images taken by NEA photographers of individual White Sox players at spring training in 1918, including the Happy Felsch photo sold in our Spring 2023 auction. Photo exhibits typical light wear to corners with a small chip missing at upper-right. Verso includes an NEA credit stamp dated April 25, 1918 with a handwritten identification of Weaver written in pencil above. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.