The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-01
AMERICAN NOW
THE DICTATOR
Ban Johnson the Leading Figure
in Baseball World.
HIS ORGANIZATIONS GROWTH
FROM A MINOR LEAGUE TO THE
FOREMOST RANKS.

uOIueudl Is the one WORD InaL describes
its success. The final act in the course
of events that have marked its growth
and popularity took place in Cincinnati
on Jan. 10, when representatives of the
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 response
bic. Under. the domination of the Ma
tional league baseball was monopoly,
with the public receiving what the or
ganization chose to give 1t. As long
as the National was able to keep the
field to itself and successfully prevent
two major organizations the sport and
its patrons suffered.
The American league projectors. be-
lieYing that this country was sufficient
ly large. populous and prosperous to
support two major organizations, en-
tered the field in a legitimate manner.
While the organization did not invite a
fight, its action in expanding into a
national association. invasion of terri
tory formerly occupied by the Nation
al and the locating O. clubs in cities
where the National was supposed to
hold the baseball right in fee simple,
led TO an immediate declaration of war
by the old organization. II waged for
two years with all the "reminiscences
that contract jumping. club wrecking,
league YituperatiOn, competitive bid
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-
can has sprung into the most powerful,
popular and premier baseball organiza-
ton of the decade.
Ban johnson at It's Head.
The principal figure in its rapid
growth has been Byron Bancroft john
son. who as its president welded as
much power in his field as ever the
lamented Reed did over the national
house of representatives. Johnson saw
what the situation demanded and pos
sessed the necessary executive quail
ties to proceed in a straight manner,
without allowing one and a hundred
obstacles to divert him from his ulti-
mate object.
He has been accused of being DOM
ineering and czar-like in his course, but
no other method would ever have
awaited. He had as trusted and tried
lfeutenants Charles Comiskey, Charles
w. Somers, j. T. Kilfoyle, NJ. T. Kill
lilea and one or two others, who are
young men with brains, and could in
measure feel the public pulse. To
these men, with an efficient corps Of
managers and the very best playing
talent in the country, is due the posi-
ton of the American league today.
1t was in the fall of 1893 that Ban
Johnson first became interested in base
ball. At the annual meeting of the
Western league of that year he was
named and elected as it's 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
turn, and the latter has not been slow
in retaliating. After keeping up the
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
ment between the American and Ma
tional leagues.
Western League Grew Powerful.
Under the guiding hand of Johnson,
the Western league grew in power and
Importance until the season of 1899,
when it was reckOned one Of the
strongest minor leagues in the cOun-
try. During the winter of 5000, John
son conceived the idea Of putting a club
in Chicago, which heretofore had been
considered sacred ground by the Ma
tiOnal league.
Johnson asked the consent of the
mother organization, and as the ruling
body was slow in giving the same,
Johnson cut loose entirely from the Ma
tfonaI league and ran his own organ
ization to suit himself. Consequently.
a meeting was held that winter and
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
lumbus was dropped in favor of Cleve-
land.
American Leagues Career Begun.
The American league started upon its
career of success in the spring of 1900
with the following circuit: Minneap-
oils Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, Indian
apolis. Kansas City, Cleveland and Mil
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-
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 10 a crisis in
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-
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
able price for the franchise and i'm
provements to be made in those cities.
and also agreeing to pay for the sur
plus players at the rate of $500 a man
AS John /. Rogers of the Philadel-
phia National league club has always
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 mr.
could not see it in any light
National League Starts War.
Then as a war measure the National
League sprung another American as
ISOLATION scheme which was intended
to place clubs in Philadelphia, Wash
ingtOn and Baltimore in the east, and
Detroit, Indianapolis. Louisville and
Cleveland in the west. Without delay
they sent ont their agents 10 sign