The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-03


 portant constructive move, to my mi naming of commissioner of baseb
 Not only did baseball make a big constructive move in deciding or the commissioner. rather than 8 commission composed of three men but the bullseye was rung in the selection of Judge Kenesaw M. Lan- dis to fill the job.
 From the very beginning we had more or less annoyance over the na- tional commission because of it's members being a part of the game Even the chairman, August Herr man, was president of the Cincin- nati club. The other members were presidents of the American and Ma tional leagues.
 I don't know of fairer or more conscientious man than Garry Herr mann and I do not believe he was ever influenced by his connection with the Cincinnati club. At the same time, the mere fact of the con nection often gave rise to innuen- do in the newspapers.
 Obviously the only thing to do was to have man of recognized ability who had no connection what ever with any club or any league The chance of getting Judge Landis federal judge of national reputa = ton, made this change possible. Judge Showed Strength.
 The judge showed his strength the moment we invited him to accept the position. He refused unless he was given absolute authority to in flict punishment as well as to de- eide on it. He would not consent 10 clause which read and recon mend" punishment. To make this de- cision stand up he must have the authority to enforce them. But for that commissioner of baseball would have been of no great value
 Realizing that he lacked a little of the personal knowledge and ia miliarity necessary. the judge i'm mediately set about to make him. self part of the game. He attend ed every big function whether ir
 the majors or the minors. He want. ed to know what 1t was all about Before he made step you may res assured that he did know, too One of the first big moves made by the commissioner was to enforce the law against transforming with. out permission. It so happened that his first hard decision hit one oi the most spectacular figures in the game-Babe Ruth.
 While that was blow to finance: as well as to other things I think it was a good thing that the frs punishment hit player of great prominence. It. showed that tn. judge intended to have things ru: to the letter of the law regardles! of personality. I do not mean tha 1t was a good thing for Babe Ruth personally. to be hit first l woul, feel the same about any great play CT a man like Mathewson. O. Hornsby, or Sisler. for instance. Tn, ! players can never say that the judg | started out by pcking on the smal | fry.
 Game Is Strongest.
 It is always a good thing in base ball to bring out the, fact that n l player is greater than the gam | There was never great star wh, would slow up the progress of tn sport in the least by his absence | His absence might affect the for | tunes of one club, but it can neve | hurt the sport. It is a good thin, | for players to know this-good fo everybody.
 1 That particular angle of baseball ] always has interested me. When 1 ever a great star arises it Is ire quently said that a team could neve get along without him. How oftel | have you heard that said about
 Mathewson in the old days; abou Wagner, Lajoie, even the famou | Mike Kelly? | All of those great ones went ou l and the game went right on. | The greatness of Judge Landis 7, though. lies in his wonderful fore sight, his vision. Always he look ] to the future and sees the possibil | ities of baseball. He seems to un | ierstand the mind of the public to | ward the game. So few of our base '' --e,,-tA .~iva a thought to that il