The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-12-23
fight bEl| ! /
L|.,.l|!I|lN!|D|l|S'', La | ( B 4 J ].
Han johnson First to Pick
Up Arms Against Baseball n
Commissioner; He Lost
BE- HENRY L. FARRELL

BE- HENRY L. FARRELL ~-
.(uniteds Press Sports Editor. -.
New York, Dec. % United Press
Not 50 long ago when Judge Landi.
named commissioner and put ir
charge of organized baseball, the
major league club owners thumped
him verbally on the back and shout
ed-'Long live the commissioner
: Several old timers within hearing
distance remarked that they were all
strong then for: Lands, but they eau
toned:
swat till baseball gets back on
its feet. They'll be after him as strong
and as heavy as they are for him now.
He's bound to step on someone's
toes" - ..'I15..l a. !.
The record of Lands on the bench
and in public life was held up, how
ever, as indicating that he liked to
fight and if the magnates chose to
battle him, that he would fight.
It didn't take long for the prophesy
of the skeptics to be fulfilled; Ban
Johnson, president Of the league, was
the first to pick up arms against the
commissioner and he lost.
Who loses next will be interesting
to watch. It's cinch Lands won't
because he's too much Of fighter to
quit and ne's too Big and capable
for any one living off baseball to
make quit. ~
Johnson went about his campaign
against the commissioner in petty
little attempt at annoyance.
He wanted to make the commits
sioner look cheap and Lands made
him look cheaper by simply ignoring
him even to: the point of refusing to
mention his name. =
johnson has been fighter in base
ball for good many years and he
was the czar until Harry Frazee came
into the possession Of the Boston Red
Sox. Johnson then lost the: friend
ship Of the man who made him in
baseball, Carries Comisky, and finally
he secured the hostility of two Of the
biggest men in baseball-Co CoIonels
Rupert and Huston, the owners of
the New York Yankees. ''
The American league was then di-
vided into factions, with Detroit,
Washington, Philadelphia, Cleveland
and St. Louis against Boston, Chisa-
60 and New York. - .*' -
This five to three split pulled
Johnson through the crisis he faced
in the Mays case, but it weakened his
prestige, 50 that his five faithful
clubs were unable to present enough
opposition to forestan the movement
started and pushed by the, national
league, to secure Judge Lands as
the commissioner of baseball.
Naturally johnson, relieved of his
regal robes, has never felt kindly to-
ward lands and he started after him
this winter.
During the worlds series," Com
missioner Lands told group of base
BAH writer's in Louisville, "the major
leagues had 2 joint meeting in New
York When I took office had in
tended that the joint meetings should
be alternated between New York and
Chicago and I had planned to call the
Hsce-Hoef nleSt.4ls Aot- Ons-.eo. -
ever, when the president OF the Amer
lcan league volunteered the ln1orma-
ton triar ne would cali ms cluo own
ers to meeting in New YORK, Il
CnQnpQ1 ri .
tlces that the meeting should be held
IN New York.
:. This arrangement called for the
National league meeting on Dec. II,
the American league meeting ON Dec.
IL, and the JOINT meeting on Dec. Ia
All IN New YORK. s',sii - - ~
johnson then notified his club own
ers that they would meet in Chicago
on Dec. IL and that they would mold
no JOINT meeting with the National
league, although; it was ordered Ly
the commissioner ~f~' =
Lands was asked about it and in
his characteristic fashion he saId:
~ have called ''that meeuingt for
New York and it Will be held there
whether any, one comes or not.".
Johnson's faithful five went back
on. him. Detroit, Philadelphia and
Clevelands told him he was wrong and
ne! had to reverse himself, again and
:a1l the meeting in New York. -
: Next to Landis Johnson boasted of
being the biggest man in baseball and
when he failed TO- "get" the esquire"
t looks like the Squire will stay
ong time. ~>:"-1;- -. : .-:-.-,4
BERNARD KIRK: MICHIGAN