Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-11
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1Auu
The First Lady of Baseball

lady and possibly one of the most influential females in
the history of baseball During her IS 6 years boss
of the Chicago White she had penchant for getting
rid of of the games noisies and most coorfu char
acters. Jimmy Dykes Frank Lane another And
for club that financially strapped most of the time
the lady did all right The finished in the division
nine times, no less
The Comskey family has never been anything but in
teresting Charles A. Comiskey who called the Old
Roman the first of this diamond dynasty He and Ban
Johnson so than Clark Griffith founded the
American League Without Charles Comskey there might
have been no White Sox American League
He a strong, iron-wiled and lest the item
later be lost the Old Roman famed too,
tonzng play at first base. In the 1885, playing for the
ST. Louis Association prncey
salary of SIPS month, Comiskey found fault with the
common practice of first baSemen in keeping foot
chored the bag The Old Roman decided range
so radical at the time that it created sensation
Comiskey the father of Louis, who died in 1882
Grace ComiSkey Louis widow the mother of the
current Chuck Comkey who despite his youth has already
become controversial figure far the Chicago baseball
press is concerned.
WHEN j. LOUIS CoMIsKEY passed away he placed the
White Sox in trust for his whose monicker Charles
A. Comskey H. until such time as the grandson of the
founder of the dynasty age the trustee
the First National Bank of Chicago and Mrs Grace
Comiskey resentfu lot of people wanted to buy the
ball club and insStent that Mrs ComiSkey
moved to have the will broken that she might take
control of the club until Chuck grew up
She succeeded, too, in l94l remained the nominal
head of the organization until her death yesterday Chuck
had of but he only the vice president and
there were times when Momma had to chop him down.
Seven eight he got to be mite precocious
at times
AS recently as 1947 the young who had hoped
to be player for the Sox before he became the boss
took to occupying in the dugou and demonstrating
with umpres when decision went against his team In
time at all the arbers him the buns rush. ordering
the young man to proper seat in the stands.
DURING LANES REGIME as general manager of the
Sox and Jack Onslows brieer reign field pilot there
was good deal of friction The Chicago baseball writer's
convinced that would have to go. Il got a
tract" onslow vowed, that has year run. they
don't want me-and of the Comiskeys has told
they don't-they1l have to settle in full"
Lane had contract for five years. it's simple enough
TO figure who left the Sox first Onsow succeeded by
Paul Richards, Of Lanes choice and the have
been in the first division since 1884, though
Richards has gone and SO, too, Marty Marion.
For that matter Lane divorced himself from the Chicago
organization about year This time Frantic frankie
ran afoul OF young Chuck who coming up for air
second time He criticized Lane who had tery criticized
American League umpreS "a swtch) and they fell out
On public appearances they dined together the
elevators but there ample evidence they we're
not compatible.
THE sPRIGHTLY LADY, Mrs. Comiskey found herself
on the horns Of dilemma She admired Lane who gave
her some pretty good ball clubs and made money
the bank wasn't giving her much trouble the same
time there was the hesh-and- blood tie.
Lane neatly solved the problem Blood thicker than
water he pped patting contract in his breast pocket
become general manager Of the ST. Louis Cardinals Frantic
Frank bowed out gracefully took load of the mind
OF Mrs. Grace.
Chuck thus took over Lanes duties He'd arrived
finally He came no closer to pennant in IS than Lane
did but to repeat he got the job Now head man.
apparently But that was mighty stout and strong wied