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Show . - - - I " - ' - . - - I f "M We Story of Charles Albert Comiskey, ' Vl lyil I. Ji JL for Nineteen Years President and I . r-j-i. , . , ; Gior.er o Ins Chicago White Sox. j . The Grand Old Roman . By G. w. axelson ' If A ' 'TK i ! U III'l'l.; SuX A.'! 'A .vi: n..-i . a.i i.-s.tr.o WmH....M.i.-: f iii.-ii": ijii.-r for n-w r.val i n.!.. (-'-' inlrr. ( ' I: a nd n i 1 1 . ( . f - i.'l"..-i. ion li-'jln t;.; Nil'I'JtUil li-iiU'' i 1 1,1 1 ii I,- (if! a n:( k.mhi ff.i , j im.f I :,i ; .- i-aii.M': of lii'ak - - L-.t i l. !.-.- ! . mil ! . A X on atJir.ide : :. pw of ! Nut ion a I ! a- no nasi .-n.- , I c:.iry of rival t-ams in hl-i hl-i a inl other n.n jor k-anuo rill. II compelled Comi.-vl'.ry IhUt to dn Wire for open warfare ;r-'.;tn.-:t Aorne of liin beat friends. Me preferred to f pai id along more peace ful li nes. 'i'he J'lnan'-ial rlsk.i were Kceal. The ruins of the old a.ssoriation, Ihe f.'nion and lirolh-r-rhood leagues Mill blurred tho baseball horizon. Vet out of the. wreckage of hliifited hnp.-s nut! diasipateYJ fortunes Hmtc iill remained home thing to be sal-vm'(l--soiLLiineiit. Without fittrihuihicr ioo i;re:tt a mean-urn mean-urn of riltruHtlc motive t tne found. -fr. of the American l.-ami-', it was this ass.-t u'licli w.is L'anilahZ'Ml to tat; full by its nM;ani-T;'. Appeals to the fans to li'-lp f.,iMi hi: ij'ni.: WL'ie combined with business busi-ness s,tj-;;i'ii v, a n-rtani amount of bluff iind (Ma.-i!.' brink accnuiits. Also into the nr-w iciiif rami; iiii-n who w.-re In I he prime of life, quick on tin; mental tny-'r tny-'r and whirlwinds in action. These wtre luoru than a niaich for the older heads ;nd proved adepts in taking advantage of every fabe, move of the older urbanisation. urban-isation. Good Accomplished by League. No one haa presented ;i more effective brief for I he. American league than Oiik who whs iilllod with the, opposition A . li. Spaklintr, famed as a player, maimer, owner and merchant. 1 u explaining "Ureodmanhuu," which at this pariicti-lar pariicti-lar timo was ra mpa ttt in the Nat ion a 1 league, ho penned t lioso words in his bonk. "Ann-riea'y National Gam1": "Somo years befom the opening of the. t n ent let Ii cent ury, the Nat ion al league had b.e.yuii to lose prestice with the pub-l!c. pub-l!c. This loss of caste was not due to a failure on the pari of the league to correct cor-rect abuses. Jl had achieved wonders in thai respect. It had absolutely driven out Kiimhlin and gamblers. It had done iLway with the drinking evil. "The trouble now was not with gamblers gam-blers or with players, but with club of-1 fieial.s, generally termed "magnates,'' and ' It will he readily understood how diffi- cult a matter It was to deal with them, i specially wars it hard to reach cases j where there was no actual violation of and disregard for the future welfare of the g ime. "Soon after the American sport became established as a national pastime, and was showing for its promoters a balance on the right side of the ledger, a certain clique came Into t lie league for purposes of pelf. They at onun let it be known by their acts that they were in baseball for lint they could get out of it. They were absolutely devoid of sentiment, cared nothing for the integrity or perpetuity of tin; game beyond the limits of their individual in-dividual control thereof. With these men it was simply a mercenary question of dollars and cents. Kvery thing must yield to the one great consideration of inordinate inordi-nate greed." Number of Clubs Reduced. Comiskey never missed an opportunity of "kidding" the opposition magnates on ticlr slippery tactics when tite opportunity oppor-tunity oHered. After the first joint meeting meet-ing bet ween the two leagues August Herrmann of Cincinnati, who had only lately conic imo the organisation, ex-chtimed ex-chtimed with some show of perturbation while standing in the lobby of a New7 York hotel, that lie had lost his watch. "Well, tiarry. don't get excited about it." said i 'omiskey. "You will . get used . in it. Didn't you just come out of a , National league session?" In addition to internal feuds and dis- j trust among the members, the National j ieague had been burdened with a twelve- J club incubus. With the expiration of the i ten-yen r agreement in 190o plans had been set on foot to reduce the circuit to eight clubs. This move had been anticipated antici-pated by Comiskey, Johnson and their lti iiiers a in i u ifj pin u lieu IU iaKe au- antaue of the readjustment. In the ro-ur.uanikai ro-ur.uanikai ; ion. Cleveland, Baltimore, Uouis-!lio Uouis-!lio and Washington were atandoned by the National. The Western offered to buy the National' prop: rty in Cleveland it ii would be permitted to put a club in C fdcago. There was ready acquiescence in tiie former proposal, but violent oppo-s.lion oppo-s.lion developed to the placing a club in i "tn ca jo by Comiskey. J t was at this mi'.a are thai Can Johnson started h:s ca mpa i go X "education'' and Comiskey his of mi'vl fellowship, l'i c pie ni meetings in Chicago, which v.:,.- made the tea: headquarters of the r-'-.v American league, as it had been of oM Western, offered opportunities of .. t i i:g the ea.-- bi lore (he. public. Kx- -p- ctr. c:t was promised a win- ; a- 1 i ia u-I end w as subord i na.t ed '.ce scut'.i.i.'aiai and, to the everlasL-credit everlasL-credit oi' the Anierican league found-and found-and those w!;o t"o.ioW"d, this has been b ept , o the i'o-e from that day to tit is. .a .i i :y may d i : :Vr. but th.e piresen I his a r. : of t'io tport justifies the conclu- l. nprepiucd for Fight, V C'e firsL r iai'dings of invasion mag-- mag-- 'n i.i'j Nat.v-r.al pr epare i for l lie , . T '.ei' wife in i.o condition to fight. :' ' '.. 's'.ly rows among tiiem-s. tiiem-s. a: id i.'.cs ;t early sim.nered down . ' 1 1 i-lufi'. At t!s tw.j coiaI . ,.:.d aa.ciL; t.,e cilamnion pe;"'oni!e.s '. : ecu td ( he former Cincinnati . , : . j u ; ; U' '. ' Ii:!.e Cc.-nii.Vey first p;;Iticly b ! i m'eiKum of putting a cii: ; a ;o aim A. ilart was pres.deat : N a : o ...I ..; i.-v.k- cbiii tliere. ib-rt . .i.isivcy were well ao;uui!ttHl. Tne had btea St t : o.a: y of the old ! as-'i-aitiou team wiiiie Ctun-.v Ctun-.v was n:a n.tger of the I'rowus. lo - cpc cr t:-.e w hce'.iuuses of the Na-. Na-. a: aad k.tew the ichtics of the g.uue a A ;o li was also one of the tew m. nsvd ':: plans o" the new league. ".- i:e a:'terwards admitted, he failed ( -4e their actual effect on baseball in rai. '.I'oiviiis: tvn;sk?v ft--5 he did. Hart was s'i ve in has own mind, as lie expressed : o the v.:i'.--r. that once the American ..ii'ici i :i Chicago 1 1 would only be a ;.-a ' icr of time before the old league v -r di.I find rival teams in the majority of j ties. This was an incentive tu him i .i lr ing to :eep Comiskey out of Chi- i ao. hi arm.nient against adrmssion be- j based on wiiat was regarded as an I 'mm in the National that no cKy could J aj'port two bail clubs. Air. ila:t !etl io see two clubs jirosper n I'hicaso. with the receipts of e-aeii far I ' excess of those which obtained when a dngle club was the rule. Mr. Hart ve-'ired ve-'ired from the game before the exp--ri- I ,eMit had actually been put to a la.tin 1 -st. He died while this volume of rem- ! 'bseences of Ids greatest rival was. being1 riitt-n. lie passed away with no am-: eisue towards the "Mid "Poma n." whom1 f t'ii-ey Cijiktih iI was ( i.- vl tiie com- ; I'-iadjUt; figures i;i baseball. Conferences Fail of Purpose. TYe-plent coil fecenef-s dui-ing t-:e v. i!.;e; ' Iitii butwe- n Comiskey and Hart faib'd o 'fei t a working agreement. altliotiL::) i"o;m---r had. from the bee; i i m i : i a, a:t-joacf.d a:t-joacf.d "that he would put a ctab in ' jje-tio. Natura!!- i !n majority of Hart's 'i:...v ov. iters load.- h:M case taeir o'.vn i'.'i the li)!"c;U ;. c-.i - uuvcyed In C:e I ;- . ' , i.. '. ' - . . , . - j ' , - , v "- "1 l ' - - " , - ' -i ' C " V ' I 1 ' i '!,,, 'lit f f , T 4 i . - " - C . VJ' ' ' i-" , C ' ' - ' ! . t f ' , s . i C I ; Kit if - , ; " I ' . ' ' s k , . I' - JS -, . tj t ' J , f ' v a 'f-i 1 ' ' ' ' -1 ' ' V, ,v ' vkA " . - -i , ( ' J ,.. v (omiskey's first American league team in Chicago; pennant winners in 3 900. Upper row, left lo right: Fisher, Diliard, Isbeli, Denzer, Patterson. Middle row: Urain, Hartman, Padden, Comiskey, Shcaron, Sugdcn, Wood. Lower row: O'Leary, Shugart, Hoy, IL McFarland. American league that protection would be withdrawn were tiie organization to persist per-sist in invading 1 eserved territory. President Pres-ident .Johnson's intimation that his clubs were in no need of guardianship and that t hey stood ready to withdraw from the National agreement had its effect. The National "caved" and Comiskey was legally le-gally admitted. The tact that Comiskey had already leased a field and practically closed the contract for his stand showed how much t iations. At tiie last moment President Hart succedod in getting in an "amendment" "amend-ment" to the effect that the American league team should not use the name "Chicago." To Comiskey this was of small consequence as he well knew that , lit" worthy of the honor, the fans would soon do their own christening. Besides, lie had long before decided that bis team should be known as "White Stock! ngs." an appellation which was later contracted into "White Sox," a form better suited to the exlgenoi 2s of newspaper headline writing. Baseball historians have often been hard put to find a real motive for the ex-pa ex-pa nsion of the Western into tiie American Amer-ican league. In "The National Game." A. If Spink suggests that in reality the A merlean league was the outgrowth of an organ i za t ion which he and his fellow enthusiasts tried to form in 1S9S and LS!H) for the purpose of putting new life a nd eners y into the sport, which was sadly on the decline. Francis c. I'ichter in his "History and Records of Kasehall," contends that the lead it g ;"; ares in the Western league, foresee :irr ' he breakup of the NationnI league ; -ve! e-ehi circuit . simply took advantage of existing conditions. Opinions Not Contradictory. George XJ. Mot eland in his "Balldom," lays the formation of the second major j league to the keenness of the Western owners to get into more populous cities. I al t hough their vision did not go beyond Chicago. Cleveland and Detroit. The iater expn nsion, says Mr. Moreland, was dictated by the desire of the new organization or-ganization to help out the National by ciation. A. G. Spalding indirectly gives his explanation ex-planation in his essay on "Freed man ism' but is otherwise silent on the subject. The opinions entertained, although differing dif-fering somewhat, are not necessarily contradictory, con-tradictory, as each partially explains the reason for the organization of the American Amer-ican league. The real reason is not to be found in the paragraphs just quoted, j T was present in my newspaper capacity at the meetings held in Chicago during is:"? and ihltft. It is true that leading fig-I fig-I v.r 'S in the Western league were -present, j hut purely as spectators. There was at tio time a in- in tejitlon on t he part of I Omriiskcy. Johnson. I.o ft us n:id others to i a !ly themselves with those who deliber-ated deliber-ated over the formation of a rival to the National league, as their own plans had ! already been formulated. They were onlv j waitmr for the opportune moment, which thev knew would come with the revision of the National league circuit. Back of it all was a deeper motive for t he forma tion of the American league. When Comiskey, through force of circum- stances, was forced out of Chicago after the collapse of the Players' league in 1890, he made the mental determination that one dav trie old organization would have competition in Chicago. Consequently the inference tint the American league inva-i inva-i sinn . a.-- diet a -d by temporary expedi-i expedi-i etKs erm neons. The move hart been ; corn er i y Comiskev nine years before .its nr-u.il ei::;' : m mat ion. The fact that j t.ii' N'.i : iomi I grvsed the way has noth-j noth-j ing to do with the case. I Second Club in Chicago. I It :s a part cf the secret history of I baseball that Comiskey had a cluince to j locate in Chicago in With the break- j up of the 1l oi herhond, A. G. Spalding J scge.-ued to the then manager of the1 ! I'layer-i' league l--:im that he continue to I j Cay on the grounds where the players (went broke in iv.tn. Spalding seemed to i j have had only a hazy idea as to what or- j caniz iiion Comisk.-y should tie up to, al- j (though the A ni erica n association was ; Mtggest-M. With the suggestion went tae j proposal that A. C. Anson shomd lake pompU'to charge of the team on tiie Wet i Si. I "I told Mr. Sp. tiding that as I was nmk-! nmk-! ing my living in baseball it made no difference dif-ference to, me wiiere I played," said Com- iskey in re la ing the incident. "When, i however, he suggested that I had to rely I on my own finances I concluded that I would ra'her work for someot.e else." It is not necessary to look for justification justifi-cation for a second club in Chicato. f an v is iie-le i sentiment and business jtuUm-mt prnvt !e tiie answer. Clbc;i -o was Com'.skoy's home. To locate tliei e meant everything to the minor league magnate. Chicago was the pivot or the American lea ,rue ve:.ture. In vas'ori of ot her eit ies wou:d Ve a logical se p e-i'-e and e ansiou -.vps, in the minds of the original promoters, nov,-:- d'.ceir: e : . l on the whims of t :i..se w ,:o cci. tro'a-d the National. T,.e icoram wa ;';r a s.'.'-cul -iv.) jor c.iljth -vllho'!; a .. o-ifia-t, if t." rs.:" deta ii Mich as for i .sl a the i a-;ng of a few him y d thoi:.-.::J , i ;.iv. j o t'.H:itt.-r (be: up 'i-arh s v. ' Su.nei I', j ' v. ita a I..,,-,- -all 'g u.de a a I v' h i s ';': I.V'v.' 1 ,J ' addition to having his head crammed full of averages. Mr. Somers had a bank account ac-count which, at this juncture, was of great importance. Somers Commanding Figure. While 'Somers's partner in the Clove-land Clove-land club, John F. Kilfoyle looked after the home team during the season of j 900, Somers, Johnson and Comiskey mapped out a course of action. The bankroll was transferred to Boston and Somers became owner of the new" American league club there in 1001. Hi:s credit aided one or two otlK-rs, but as soon a s local capital could be obtained be pulled out of every city excent, his own. Somers remained as one of tho commanding com-manding figures of the game until financial fi-nancial reverses, not connected witli baseball, overtook him. He held tho office, of-fice, of vice president of the American league up to a few years imo, v hen the owuto- of ti.e While Sox, was elected to the posit. on. t.f ihoe who v.ere present a the birth of t iiQ America n league in 1 .ui. onlv i wu ill i' ru connected with il - -President Johnson and Charles A. Comiskey. Tsose who went In to bu k t ae National as presidents of their respect i e clubs in Kck.i were: Chicago, Comiskey; Clrvc'al'.b John K Kilfoyle; Ivtro:t. James p. Burns; Indianapolis. Y . M. Watkins; Milwaukee, Matt Ki'dHea; Buffalo, James 1-Yaiikhn : M inne.i polis. Clarence Sa ul-augn; ul-augn; Kansas City, James 11. Manning. In order to confer the distinction of an honorable "ancestry'' on the A merlean league historians have endeavored u link r be junior major organb'.ai ion w it h certain cer-tain predecessors of more or less renown. re-nown. Ago might give it a greater re-s-'eetability. but the fact remains that It watt the Western league, founded in iSfH which was expanded into the A merman league in T.'Oh. The original Northwestern Northwest-ern league, organized in 170, and the Western assoclat ion, founded in ISfcS, cannot claim relationship. Prepare to Invade East. As was to be expected, the American league did not take the country by storm during the first - season principally because be-cause U was still pretty much confined to the west. The well-matured plan to invade the east became public soon after the close of the fi rst year. Tiie matter was brought to a head by the American league purposely neglecting to renew its application for protection under the National Na-tional agreement. In answer to a t cb'-gram cb'-gram of Inquiry from President Young of the National league. President Johnson of the American, sent this answer, which precipitated the greatest war in the history his-tory of the game: "Tho plan of tho American league to occupy eastern territory lias been well defined and 1 think the limn of the National Na-tional league thoroughly understand our position in the matter. "Bo r two years we have been menaced by the possible formation of a league hostile hos-tile to our interests and detrimental in many ways to organized baseball. This annual agitation is hurtful and we proposed pro-posed to so shape our organization as to check it in the future. "In extending our circuit to tho far east, it is unreasonable to assume we could continue along the old lines prescribed pre-scribed by the National agreement. Npw conditions must alter, in part, our relations rela-tions with the National league. This is a matter I have discussed informally with some of our members." Recourse Sought in Courts. In this message from Johnson is found the basis for the claim that the American Amer-ican league expanded because It wo s threatened by a rival organization. This is refuted when it is called to mind that I " In real i I v t h "now" A merlean iishooU-tiou iishooU-tiou was foaterod by tho National in tho hopo tnat it would serve, to head ulf the ambitious rival. With t ho e:uint!el thrown down, Indianapolis, In-dianapolis, Kansas Mt' and iM i nnenpolin were icphiced by Philadelphia, Hiilthnore and Vv'ashinfiton. There waa no threat made to put a club inlo ell her Hston or New York, as tho eireuit onmndtteo, con-sistiiif,' con-sistiiif,' of OomlskeA, .lolmnon and Stunrra,' believed that tho parent orKuiuxation wot: Id accent the inevitable a r. make overt ni'ea lor reeonellia t ion. This hope not belnsr realized and the NationnI having hav-ing made 11 known that It was on a "war footing," Pul'I'alo waa eliminated and Uoston added The issue being: joined, the two nrgau-jzatlons nrgau-jzatlons went Into a death grapple wtth no quarter eiven or asked on either side. The first move of the American b'HKue. after locating in lb east, was to organize a raid on the playing talent of the older league. T Ii i a w a s b I oc k e d Jo r a time by the L-'layers' Protective association, whh-h held to the i-ule of "prior eonl raets." The ban was soon lifted and the shitting began. be-gan. The Na tioua soutrht recourse In the courts, a procedure which resulted In diametrical dia-metrical Iv opposite opinions from the bench. The only iepral hurdle of consequence conse-quence was ra;y d in Pennsylvania, where I.-ajole, Pernhard and Fraser, who had I sipned with Connie Mark's Athletics, were enjoined from playing1 with any other team than the Philadelphia National Nation-al league elub. The players being unable to come to terms, all three signed with the Cleveland club. Pajoie was paid the highest salary ever received by a , hall player up to that time $iM,U00 for three years. American League Roster. After the first raid the following players play-ers made up the different American league clubs with the exception of Chi- j cago: 1 Athletics Bernhard, Piatt, Plank, ! Wiltse. Kotchem, pitchers; Powers, Lea-hey, Lea-hey, Steelman, Miillgan, Smith, catchers; Lajoie, Davis,- Cross, Dolan, Kly, Geier, Murphy, infielders; Seybold, Fullz. Me-. Intyre, Heyden, outfielders; manager, Connio Mack. Washington Pat ton, Gear, Mercer, CarHek, Tee, Jordan, pitcherK: Clarke, 1 Grady, catchers; Dungan, Kverett. Quinn, : Coughlln, Clinma:), Infielders: Waldron, , Farrell, O'Brien, Poster, Luskey, out- , fielders. Cleveland Wood. Moore, Scott, Iloffer, llajt, Pracken, Cristall, Dowllng, Mo-Xeal, Mo-Xeal, pitchers: Yeager, Woods, Connor, McOuire, catchers; L-a Chance, Peek, Pradley, McQuade. Sheibeek, Shay, infielders; in-fielders; Genins, Harvey, McCarthy, Pickering, Pick-ering, Donovan, 0'Prien, catchers. Boston Lewis, Cuppy, Winters. Mitchell, Mitch-ell, Young, Kellum, Foreman, pitchers ; Criger, Schreckongost. Peville, McLean, catchers; Freeman, Ferris. J. Collins, Parent, infielders: Stahl, Dowel, Hemphill, Hemp-hill, Jones, outfielders. Detroit Miller. Yeager, Cronin, Peiver, Owens, Frisk, pitchers: Shaw, Euelow, McAllister, catchers; Dillon, Gleason, Casey, Ca-sey, Klberfeld, Crackctt. infielders; Barrett. Bar-rett. Nance, Tolmes. outfielders. Baltimore McG; unity, Nops, Foreman, Howell, Kearne. Dunn, Yerkes, Scirmldt. pitchers; Robinson, Bresnahan, cutohers; Donlon, Hart. Foutz, Williams, McGraw, Keister, infielders; Jackson, Brodie, Seymour, Sey-mour, Robe, outfielders. Milwaukee Dowding. Garvin, Reidy, Sparks, Husting, Hawley, pi tellers: Ma-loney, Ma-loney, Donohue, Connor. Leahey, ca tollers; toll-ers; Anderson. Friel, Conrov, Gilbert, Burke, infielders; Duffy, Geier, TIallman. Jones. Hogriever, EruyeLte,, Waldron, outfielders. |