HJ0092

LRB093 22503 HSS 52032 r






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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, Nearly 85 years have elapsed since the scandal of 
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the 1919 World Series; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Although the story has frequently seen print, fact 
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and fancy have been so confused that today it still is not 
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known what actually took place; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The star Chicago White Sox third baseman, Buck 
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Weaver, was acquitted in August of 1921 of all charges of 
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conspiracy by a jury of "12 good men and true"; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The fact that his fielding average for the Series 
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of 1919 was perfect, and the fact that in that Series he batted 
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.324 offers strong evidence that he was no party to a 
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conspiracy to "throw" the Series, and that he "played to win"; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, He suffered lifelong ignominy as a result of the 
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scandal of 1919 and his subsequent banishment from organized 
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baseball; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Eighty-five years is far too long for any man or 
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the memory of him to be tainted for an act as to which strong 
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evidence exists that it was never committed by him; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Buck Weaver was active in civic matters in 
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Chicago, where he spent his days after the 1919 World Series 
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until his death in 1956; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver was particularly active in programs for 
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the benefit of young boys and girls in youth baseball and 
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softball after his return to private life; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The General Assembly of the State of Illinois 
 


 






HJ0092
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LRB093 22503 HSS 52032 r




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recognizes the desire of the family, friends, and baseball fans 
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who have loyally supported "Buck" Weaver that he be exonerated; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, The General Assembly of the State of Illinois 
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believes him to have been innocent of any conspiracy to "throw" 
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the World Series of 1919; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Although he is now deceased, the General Assembly 
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of the State of Illinois feels that Buck Weaver should be 
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exonerated by baseball as he was exonerated in criminal court; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Clearbuck.com movement started in July of 2003 
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to reinstate Buck Weaver to Major League Baseball has gained 
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national recognition as an opportunity for Major League 
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Baseball to redress an historical wrong to an innocent man; and

 
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    WHEREAS, A story by Mike Bauman on MLB.com's own website in 
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January of 2004 posed the question, "Why Not Reinstate Buck 
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Weaver?"; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize that George "Buck" 
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Weaver, who adopted Illinois as his home for the last 44 years 
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of his life, was exonerated of any wrong doing in the 1919 
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World Series in criminal court and maintained his innocence for 
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the remainder of his life, therefore, we urge the Commissioner 
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of Baseball to reinstate George "Buck" Weaver as a member in 
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good standing of organized baseball; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
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forwarded to the Commissioner of Baseball, the President of the 
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American Baseball League, the President of the National 
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Baseball League, and the family of Buck Weaver.