Film critic Roger Ebert was underwhelmed, writing, ""Eight Men Out" is an oddly unfocused movie made of earth tones, sidelong glances and elipticconversations. It tells the story of how the stars of the 1919 Chicago White Sox team took payoffs from gamblers to throw the World Series, but if you are not already familiar with that story you're unlikely to understand it after seeing this film." Ebert's colleague Gene Siskel, on the other hand, said, ""Eight Men Out" is fascinating if you are a baseball nut ... the portrayal of the recruiting of the ball players and the tight fisted rule of Comiskey is fascinating ... thumbs up."