Sunday, November 6, 2011

Kenesaw Mountain Landis: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1944

No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1943.

Born: November 20, 1866 (named after a Civil War battle where his father was wounded)

1887: Applied to bar

1888: Went to Law School

1893-1895: Secretary to Senator Walter Q. Gresham

1895-1905: Law practice

1905-1922: U.S. District Court Judge for Northern Illinois (Appointed by Theodore Roosevelt)

1907: Fined Standard Oil $29 million for violating federal rebate laws

1915: Presided over hearings regarding the Federal League and the Reserve Clause

1916: Baby Iraene Case

1917-1919: Issued stiff sentences to draft dodgers and those opposed to World War I

1919: White Sox conspire to throw World Series

1920-1944: Baseball Commissioner

1921: Banned 8 White Sox for life

1921: Forced John McGraw to sell his interest in a race track

1921: Banned Eugene Paulette for life for throwing games

1921: Banned Joe Gedeon for his involvement in the Black Sox affair (Landis banned 18 players total for involvement with gambling)

1933: Landis supported first All Star Game

1934: Ejected Ducky Medwick from Game 7 of the World Series for the player’s own protection

1941: Offered to shut the major leagues down for World War II.

1943: Banned Phillies owner William D. Cox for betting on his own team

Died: November 25, 1944

1944: Elected to the Hall of Fame

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