Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-01
COMISKEY, THE
"GRAND OLD MAN
OF BASEBALL


Comiskey. known as the "Old Roman"
president of the pennant winning White
Sox is indeed the grand old man Of
baseball" Ever since he upset his
fathers hope some 40 years ago by TAX
ing up baseball instead of becoming a
plumber he has been connected witt
baseball in various capacities, having
travelled around the world with tha
Chicago and New York teams in 1913-1i
and being instrumental in the progress
of the game from the carly days of the
sport
Although he celebrated his Goth birth
cay in August. Comiskey still is as &C
tive as he ever was except that he does
not play.
1t did not require much plumbing to
convince the Sox president that this
was another field, so disregarding the
apprenticeship under which his father
placed him he joined the milwaukee
baseball club as third basenan in 1876.
He was II years old and his talary was
$50 a month. Before this tina. however,
Gem skey 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 1885,
rs The Browns participated in the
! .~wviv, spNeY
one series. losing two and tying one.
In 1892 he became captain and man.
ager of the Cincinnati Reds and while
&C. ing in tho capacity met Byron B.
johnson, then engaged in newspaper
work in that city. Comiskey and john
son saw the financial possibilities of an
other major league and were the chief
factors. in the expansion of the old
Western league into the American
league. az
Following three years as first base
man and manager of the st. Paul club
| in the Western association Codniskey
lecame manager Of the Chicago West
ern association club in 1898 and 100 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 He is owner of Comiskey
Park styled 1.-THE Baseball palace Of the
! world" and holds the distinction OF be-
ing the only player who rose from the
ranks to the position of sole owrer. OF
a major league ball club.
This "ear as president and owner of
F; the team.C omiskey will have the opppr-
tunity of witnessing a contest for the
! worlds honor5 in baseball between Chi.
cago and Cincinnati as he did whenra
bov in 1870. In that year the invincoie
Cincinnati and the original Chicagd
White Stockings played tvo.ga9e
series to determine the championship Of
the United States. Comskey. then clad
in knee pants. saw the Chicagos win one
of the games by a score of 16 to 13 be-
fore a crowd of 5000 persons. He ID
one Of the few prominent baseball men
living today who witnessed that game
The White Sox president has never.
said whether he received his baseoaIli
inspiration at that time but 1t is re-
/ corded that he began playing town bal
very soon after that memorable series
Under the leadership Of Comiskey tile
! White Cox team always has been popu'
/ lar with the fans. In 1910 wnen he built
his mammoth concrete baseball stadium
he kept bleacher seats at Is cents be-
cause he said he owed loyalty to this
! class of followers Of the game who sup
! ported him when he first came to Chica-
20 and he has continued to charge $40
| for box seats while the price has been
raised in most Of the larger cities.