Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03

~ My two are left in the Amer
lean League of its original
founders. They are Charles
A. Comiskey of Chicago and
Connie Mack of Philadelphia.
Henry Killilea. owner of the Mil
waukee Base Ball Club, who died re-
Gently, was not a first president of an
American League club. 1t was his
brother, Matt who was president OF
the Milwaukee Club in 1900 and 1901,
when it was a member of the Amer
lean League.
Henry was president of Boston in
1908 succeeding Charles w. Somers of
Cleveland, who kept the American
League alive by his financial assistance
and then became so involved person.
ally, when the money market frightened,
that he lost nearly all that he had.
Somers Out of Game.
Sorers lives in Cleveland. He is
completely out of base ball. Indian
apolis was a member in the first OF the
American League and w. H. Watkins
was president Kansas City was
member, with Jimmy Manning, an old
time ball player, as president Kansas
City is no longer in the circuit and
Manning has passed on.
James Franklin, long connected with
base ball, was one OF the original
American League club presidents in
Buffalo. Had Buffalo shown interest In
the league. Washington might not have
got In. Minneapolis was member in
1900, with Clarence Saulbaugh as pres
ident but it was foregone conclusion
that Saulbaugh and Minneapolis were
to far away for circuit that might be
extended East.
4xyou ,,aov,hor IN JQ00
with Jack Kilfoyle at the head of the
club. He was q personal friend of
Somers. Detroit also was in, with Jim
Burns as president. None of the East
ern clubs were members until 1901. The
American League was then strictly a
Western institution.
Mack Is Veteran.
Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland are
charter members. but Connie Mack
earns his title along with ComiSkey as
veteran through his association with
Killilea in Milwaukee.
When the league determined to ex-
pand and carry the fight to the Ma
tional League, Mack was called upon to
90 TO Philadelphia as reward for what
he had done. Ban johnson said Phila-
delphia folks would like him.
JohnSon'S Judgment was sound. Mack
found favor with the Philadelphians
from the start. He gave them good
base ball.
He won the championship in 1902.
His team was second the next year. In
1905 he won again and in the Fall of
: that season the Athletics played in the
first World Series worth while. They
were defeated by the Giants.
This was the hardest blow that Mack
had in the early seasons of his career.
AL Philadelphia was sure that the Ath-
leticS would win. Some pockethooks
were not only cleaned out, but thrown
away. Mack brought his team back in
1907 and the fans torgave him.
Comiskey Of Old School.
Comiskey is the real pioneer of the
American League and in more ways
than one its most substantial hacker
and leader. He is strictly of the old
fashioned school and he cannot be con-
yerted to the idea that a bali player
should think of anything other in the
world than base ball. Nothing makes
him more bitter than to see young
player lag In practice or loaf in a game
Joseph w. Gordon, who was the first
president of the New York Club, enter
ing in 1908, died recently in New York.
Eight first presidents Of individual
clubs of the league have passed on.
Comiskey is still as great a power as
ever, although he does no care to exer-
else his power very much.
Col. Rupert in New York has made
himself power because of the i'm
portance of his club and his insistence.
The league never has been divided into
factions as the National League has
been. That was originally due to its
FIRST president Ban johnson.