Show 1 AMERICAN NOW f THE DICTATOR I Ban Johnson Johns n the Leading Figure Fig re rein in Baseball l World t 4 HIS ORGANIZATIONS GROWTH t 7 A MINOR LEAGUE LE GUE TO THE BANKS S l 4 I The rise se development and expansion of American League Le gue of Baseball clubs offers 01 ts no parallel In the whole range of ot sport in this country Phe Phenomenal Phenomenal Phenomenal Is the one word that describes Its success The final act act in the course course of events that have marked m its growth and popularity took place in Cincinnati th thon on Jan 10 when representatives of fh 1 American and National leagues signed a peace agreement that marked a new era In organized baseball For the changed condition of affairs the American league is solely responsible ble Under the domination of the t e Na National National National league baseball was a monopoly with the public receiving what the or organization organization chose to give it As long longas as the National was able to keep the field to itself and successfully prevent two major l organizations the sport and its patrons suffered The American league projectors be ba Heving that this country was as sufficient sufficiently ly large populous and prosperous to support two to major organizations en enten ten d the field in a legitimate manner man er While the organization did not Invite a 3 fights fight its action in expanding into a national association a invasion of terri terrt territory terrItory tory formerly occupied by the Nation National al arid and the locating p gf clubs in cities where the National was supposed to hold the baseball right In lee fee fe simple led to an Immediate of or war warby warby warby by the old organization It waged for two years with all aU the relentlessness that contract jumping club wrecking league vituperation competitive bid bidding bidding ding of players lawsuits conflict of playing schedules etc could make it With what result the Cincinnati peace conference is the explanation From the sectional minor league the Ameri Amen American American can has sprung Into the most powerful i popular and premier baseball organization tion of the decade Ban an Johnson at Its Head The principal figure in Ia Its rapid growth has been Byron Bancroft John Johnson Johnson Johnson son who ho as its president wielded as much power In his field nela as ever the lamented Reed did over the national house of ot representatives Johnson saw what the situation demanded and pos possessed possessed the necessary executive quail qualities ties to proceed in a straight manner without allowing one and a hundred obstacles to divert him from his ulti ultimate ultimate ultimate mate object He has been bee accused of being dom domineering domineering and in his course but no other method would ever have availed He had as trusted and tried lieutenants Charles Comiskey Charles CharlesW W Somers J T Kilfoyle M 11 T KU Kil Killilea lilea mea and one or two others who are I young men with brains and could in a 3 I measure feel leel the public pulse To ToI I these men with an efficient corps of managers and the very best playing I talent In the country Is due lue the position posItion I tion of the American league today It was in the fall faU of f 1893 that Ban Johnson first became interested In base baseball baseball baseball ball At the annual meeting m eting of ot the Western Vestern league of that year he was named and elected as its president At this meeting Johnson had his first tilt with John T Brush and although the breach that sprang between these two men at that time has been smoothed over on various occasions they have always been sworn enemies in baseball matters Brush has fought Johnson at every I turn and the latter has not been slow in retaliating After keeping up the fight for tor several years Johnson at last triumphed when Brush was defeated by being turned down by his own friends and business associates at the meeting of the National league held the past month to ratify the peace agree agreement agreement ment meat between the American and Na National National National leagues Western League Grew Powerful Under the guiding hand of Johnson the Western Vestern league gr grew r w in power and Importance until the season of 1899 when it was reckoned one of ot the strongest minor leagues in the coun country countr country try tr During the winter of John Johnson Johnson Johnson son conceived the idea of or putting a club in Chicago which heretofore had been considered sacred ground by the Na National National National league Johnson asked the consent of the mother organization and as the Ute ruling body was slow in giving the same Johnson cut loose entirely from the th Na National National National league and ran his own organ orga organization 1 to suit himself Consequently a meeting was held that winter and J the name of the organization was changed from the Western to the American league The St Paul club was then placed in Chicago and Co Columbus Columbus lumbus Iambus was dropped In favor of Cleve Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland land American leagues Career Begun The American league started upon its 11 career of success In the spring of 1900 with the following circuit Minneapolis olis oils Chicago Buffalo Detroit Indian Indianapolis apolis Kansas City Cleveland and Mil Mi Milwaukee Milwaukee waukee The National league meanwhile had reduced its circuit from twelve to eight clubs leaving Baltimore and Washing ton open territory and as the Ameri Amen American American can associations movement at that time was very strong the American league men petitioned the National league for permission to enter not only Baltimore and Washington but also Philadelphia thereby shutting out the association clubs from those cities The matter was brought brough t to a crisis In Inthe Inthe inthe the fall of 1900 when James A Hart left Chicago to attend the National league meeting In New York City Hart brought with him a proposition from Johnson to the effect that the Ameri Amen American AmerIcan can league would occupy Baltimore and Washington taking the lease of the grounds in those cities off the hands of the National league paying a reason reasonable reasOnable reasonable able price for the franchise and Ini Im Improvement provement to be made lii hi those cities and also agreeing to pay for tor the sur aur surplus surplus plus players at the rate of a man manAs manAs manAs As John I Rogers of ot the Philadel Philadelphia phia National league club has always ahUS been credited with asserting that two clubs could live In this city the American league also evinced a desire to enter Philadelphia Hart placed these propositions before the National league with the additional information that President Johnson would remain at the Lafayette hotel Philadelphia ready to come over to New York to complete the deal but the National league in nise r could not see ee it in any an light National League Starts War WarThen WarThen WarThen Then as a war measure the National Na fonal League sprung sprang another American as association association sedation scheme me which was intended to place clubs in Philadelphia Wash Washington ington and Baltimore In the east and Detroit Th ana Louisville and Cleveland 1 in th the west Without delay they seat 8 t out their th Jr agents ag to sign 0 |