The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-10-03
COMISKEY HAD
CHANCE TO BE
UNION PLUMBER
THE OLD ROMAN DIsAPPoINT-
ED HIS FATHER WHEN HE QUIT
HIS APPRENTICESHIP TO BE A
= BALL PLAYER.

| Chicago, Oct 2-Charles Albert
Comiskey, known as the "O1d Roman.
president of the pennant winning
White Sox is indeed the grand old
man of baseball."F Ever since he upset
his fathers hope some forty years ago
by taking up baseball instead Of be-
coming q plum her he has been con-
nected with baseball In various capaci-
ties. having travelled around the world
with the Chicago and New York teams
in 1854 and being instrumental in
| the progress of the game from the
early days of the sport
Although he celebrated his sixtieth
birthday in August, Comisley still is
as active as he ever was except that
Ihe does not play.
1t did not require much plumbing
to convince the Sox president that
this was another. field, so disregard
ing the apprenticeship under which
his father placed him he joined the
Milwaukee baseball club as a third
years old and his salary was $50
months. Before this time however
Coniskey played sand-lot ball with his
pals and became quite proficient in
the art of handling baseball
Comiskey is accustomed to seeing his
team win pennants. In fact, he started
the pennant winning business back in
1885 when as captain and manager
of the st. Louis Browns his team won
the American association pennant in
1SS5-6-7-8. The Browns participated
in the worlds series of those years
winning one serieJ losing two and ty-
ing one.
In 1892 he became captain and man
ager of the Cincinnati Reds and while
acting in that capacity. met Byron B.
Johnson, then engaged in newspaper
work in that city. Comiskey and John
son saw the financial possibilities OF
another major LEAGUE and were the
chief factors in the expansion of the
old Western league into the American
league.
Following three years as first base
man and manager of the ST. Paul club
IN the Western association Comisiley
became manager of the Chicago West
ern association club in 1898 and 1900
took the, club as president and owner
in its first year in the American league.
In 1900 and 1901 the team won the
American league pennants thus giving
Chicago its first championship teams
since the days of 1882 when Anson's
club captured the final National league
trophy.
Since 1900 Comiskey has headed the
White Sox.s He is owner of Co nisl1ey
park styled tthe baseball palace of the
world" and holds the distinction of be-
ing the only player who rose from
the ranks to the position as sole own
Her of a major league ball club.
This year as president and owner
of the teen Comiskey will have the
opportunity of witnessing contest for
the worlds honors in baseball between
Chicago and Cincinnati as he did when
a boy in 1870. In that year the in
vincible Cincinnati and the original
Chicago White Stockings played two
game series to determine the cham
pionship of the United States. Comis-
key, then. cbd in knee pants, saw
the Chicagos Ein one of the games hy
score of Is to 10 before a crowd of
$4,000 persons. He is one of the few
prominent baseball men living today
who witnessed that game
The White Sox president has never
said whether he received his base
ball inspiration at that time but it is
recorded that he began playing town
ball very soon after that memorable
series.
Under the leadership of Comiskey
the White Sox team always has been
popular with the fans. In 1910 when
he built his, mammouth concrete base
ball stadium he kept bleacher seats
at twenty five cents because he said
he owed loyalty to this class of fol-
lowers of the game who supported
him when he first came to Chicago
and he has continued to charge $1.00
for box seats while the price has been
raised in most of the larger cities.