The Alaska daily empire., 1919-07-19
He Was the Pioneer of the Game and Formerly Owned Chicago
 Nationals
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER
Was Considered One of the Best Informed Base ball Men in Entire
 Country

CHICAGO, July 19.-James A Hart, Pioneer of baseball and former own CT of the Chicago Nationals, died yesterday.
 James a Hart did much to elevate baseball to it's present standard. lie was regarded as one of the best in formed baseball men in the country Many rules now deemed indispens- ible, were championed by Hart. The foul strike rule, one of the most i'm portant, was his final effort in rule making. He was largely responsible for the abolition of foul bound, de lining the coacher's box, changing the pitchers box and substituting the slab, altering the shape of the nome plate, requiring the catcher to play close up to the plate all the time abolishing the foul tip and GOV ,ring the players bench.
 He was.~actively engaged in base. oall for twenty-five years, retiring as president of the Chicago Nationals n 1905 when Charles w. Murphy ook over the club. He was closely identified with the National League or 16 years, entering the league in 1889, just prior to the Brotherhood fight in 1890. From 1891 to the time le retired, almost 15 years, he was president of the Cubs, having sue ;eeded A. c. Spalding, who resigned. Hart was born in Girard Pa, July | 10, 1S55 and at the age of Is was secretary of his home club. After eaving school he devoted 13 years o mercantile pursuits, owning stores
 in Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and Kentucky.
 ] He was first connected with pro l The old Eclipse team, before the days 1 If the Association, attracted him | The team played Sunday ball with such clubs as it could find as oppon | ants-Comiskey's Browns of St Louis, the Philadelphia Athletics and | similar organizations. When the Am 1 erican Association was organized in | 1882, he became vice-president and
 l member of the board of directors | )f the Louisville club, which sue
 eeeded the Eclipse team. He prae
 'ically ran the club, the work requir
 ng so much of his time that he quit
 he mercantile business.
 In the winter of 1SS61SS7, he sold | 1is interests in the Louisville club | md purchased the controlling inter
 est in the Milwaukee club, then in I he old Western League. He was | president and manager through 1887 1888, and in the winter of 1SSS-lSS9 i became American manager of the
 "Chicagos" and the "All-Americans,' I he first baseball teams organized for
 l tour of the world He handled the | business affairs of the clubs on theil
 way from New York to San Francis 20. in the meantime disposing of his
 Milwaukee interests.
 He returned to Chicago, and while
 Spalding was on the world tour with
 he two teams, Hart received offers
 If managerial positioDs from severaI
 clubs, including Bostp1 and Washing
 ton of the National League. He ac | cepted the Boston offer and became 1 manager in 1SS9 The following | spring he wont to England and Scot l land to introduce baseball in those | countries. When he returned he de voted most of his time to pacifying | he factions in the Brotherhood war acting as "go-between" for the players
 and the National League. He was
 secretary of the Chicago club at thai time and at it's annual meeting in
 April, 1891, he was eelcted president