Billy Evans: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1973

Born: February 10, 1884

1902; Attended Cornell University

1904: Father died; Evans dropped out of Cornell

1904: Became sports reporter

c. 1904: Began umpping for extra cash

1906: Discovered by Charlie Morton, who recommended Evans to Ban Johnson

1906: Became youngest MLB ump in history (22 years old)

1906-27: MLB Umpire

1907: Umpired seven double-headers by himself

1907: Suffered skull fracture when a fan hit him with a bottle

1909: Umpired World Series

1912: Umpired World Series

1915: Umpired World Series

1917: Umpired World Series

1918-28: Sports Editor

1919: Umpired World Series

1921: Fistfight with Ty Cobb

1922: Third base umpire during Charlie Robertson's perfect game

1923: Umpired World Series

1927: Retired 

1927-35: GM Cleveland Indians

1936-40: Scout Boston Red Sox

1940: Resigned from Red Sox after they sold Pee Wee Reese over his objections

1941-2: GM Cleveland Rams

1942-6: President of the Southern Association

1946-51: GM Detroit Tigers

1946: Sold Hank Greenberg to Pirates

1947: Published Umpiring from the Inside

1950: Published Knotty Problems in Baseball

1952-6: Retirement

1956: Died 

1973: Elected to Hall of Fame

Accomplishments:

Six World Series

Pioneered running to base where a play took place in order to make the call

Advocated umpire training

Set High Standards of Professionalism

Will Harridge: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1972

Born: October 16, 1883

1911-1927: Personal Secretary to AL President Ban Johnson

1927-31: AL Secretary

1931-59: American League President

1951: Voided Eddie Gaedel’s contract for making a mockery of baseball

1954: Allowed A’s to move to Kansas City

1971: Died

The AL Championship trophy is named after him

Charles Comiskey: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1939

A timeline of his life and career.

Born: August 15, 1859

Debut: May 2, 1882 (St Louis Brown Stockings)

1883-1889: Managed the Browns (563-273 record and four championships)

1890: Player/Manager for the Chicago Pirates (75-62 record)

1891: Back to St. Louis

1892-84: Played for and Managed the Cincinnati Reds (202-206 record)

1900: Became owner of the White Sox

1901: White Sox win Pennant (No World Series until 1903)

1906: White Sox win World Series

1910: Built Comiskey Park

1917: White Sox win World Series

1917: Becomes bitter enemies with AL President and Founder Ban Johnson

1919: White Sox throw World Series because their owner is ridiculously cheap

1920: Grand Jury convened in Black Sox Scandal

1921: Key evidence in the trial disappeared.

1921: The Black Sox are acquited, but Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the eight men for life. The team collapsed and took a long time to recover. The White Sox do not win another pennant until 1959 and another World Series until 2005.

Died: October 26, 1931

1939: Elected to Hall of Fame on the Second Ballot

1958: Comiskey Family sell the White Sox

1974: The Godfather Part II mentions the fixed World Series.

1988: The movie Eight Men Out chronicles the 1919 World Series.

2010: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire covers the scandal.

Accomplishments:

Led league in At Bats in 1888 (576)

Managerial Record:

840-541 Record (.608) with four pennants

As an owner:

Four Pennants (1901, 1906, 1917, 1919)

Two World Championships (1906, 1917)

Built Comiskey Park

His frugal nature resulted in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal

Ban Johnson: Baseball Hall of Fame 1937

1864: Born in Ohio

1893: Sportswriter Johnson elected president of the faltering Western League

1899: Expanded the Western League following the National League’s contraction and moved other franchises to fill the void left behind. Grand Rapids moved to Cleveland and St. Paul moved to Chicago.

1900: Renamed the Western League, the American League. The AL remained a minor league.

1901: Moved the Buffalo franchise to Boston

1901: NL cut salaries, so Johnson raided their rosters. The AL became a major league.

1917: Harry Frazee bought the Red Sox leading to a clash with Johnson. Johnson did not handpick Frazee and tried to drive him out. The league split into factions. Some supported Johnson while others Frazee. The controversy led to a break with Charles Comiskey.

1919: The Black Sox throw the World Series. Johnson ignores Comiskey’s complaints about the series.

1920: The Black Sox scandal breaks. The owners agree to an independent commission to investigate undercutting Johnson’s authority. Kenesaw Mountain Landis is appointed commissioner with absolute power.

1924: Johnson demanded the World Series be cancelled after allegations surfaced that players accepted bribes. Landis refused and threatened to resign if Johnson did not shut up.

1927: The AL owners forced Johnson out rather than lose Landis.

1931: Died