Paul Sullivan: 100 years after the Black Sox, teams aren't throwing games, but many aren't trying very hard to win them

The 100th anniversary of the Black Sox reminds us of the fundamental rule of sports fandom: If I am going to invest my money and emotions rooting for your team, I trust you will reward my loyalty by trying to win.

It's been a century now since any team has failed to live up to that. No team has been alleged to have thrown games, much less a World Series, since the 1919 Sox. Former Reds manager Pete Rose was banned for life for betting on baseball, but no one accused him of intentionally trying to lose games.

But even if no one actually is throwing games, we can't really say they're all trying to win. This is the era of tanking-for-the future, after all, and this year the Marlins, Orioles, Blue Jays, Mariners, Tigers, Royals, Pirates and