Eight Men Out

Factual error: The movie takes place during the year 1919. Yet before one of the World Series games the stadium announcer requests that everyone stand up to sing "the national anthem". The US did not have a national anthem until the 1930's when Frankin D. Rosevelt signed into law the Star Spangled Banner as the nation anthem.

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Suggested correction: According to Ken Burn's "Baseball", Burns and Ward verify that "The Star Spangled Banner" was sung at a baseball game in 1918 to support the efforts of American Troops in WWI- in which players like Ty Cobb, George Sistler, and Christy Mathewson all fought.

The mistake is saying the announcer called it the national anthem, not that they sung "The Star Spangled Banner."

Bishop73

Factual error: At the beginning of the film, in the shots of the players in action being voiced over by Comiskey, Cicotte is marking the ball with his fingernail. You can see the modern logo of the sporting goods company "Rawlings" on the ball. It can be seen even more later in the film when Comiskey's assistant is turning a team-autographed ball over in his hands. Rawlings did not start making official major league baseballs until 1976, and even if they had made them in 1919, they very likely did not have the exact same logo. (00:04:30 - 01:28:55)

Factual error: At the beginning of the film, in the shots of the players in action being voiced over by Comiskey, Cicotte is marking the ball with his fingernail. You can see the modern logo of the sporting goods company "Rawlings" on the ball. It can be seen even more later in the film when Comiskey's assistant is turning a team-autographed ball over in his hands. Rawlings did not start making official major league baseballs until 1976, and even if they had made them in 1919, they very likely did not have the exact same logo. (00:04:30 - 01:28:55)

More mistakes in Eight Men Out

Kid Gleason: People are human.

More quotes from Eight Men Out

Trivia: The film is based on the real-life events of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, in which members of the Chicago White Sox were charged with "throwing" the World Series (i.e. losing on purpose). Even though many people believe he wasn't involved, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was banned from baseball and hasn't been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of that.

More trivia for Eight Men Out

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