Editing Kenesaw Mountain Landis (section)

=== Appointment ===

==== Black Sox scandal ====

{{main article|Black Sox scandal}}

By 1919, the influence of gamblers on baseball had been a problem for several years. Historian Paul Gardner wrote,

<blockquote>
Baseball had for some time been living uneasily in the knowledge that bribes were being offered by gamblers, and that some players were accepting them. The players knew it was going on, and the owners knew it was going on. But more important, the players knew that the owners knew — and they knew the owners were doing nothing about it for fear of a scandal that might damage organized baseball. Under such conditions it quite obviously did not pay to be honest.{{r|Gardner 1975}}
</blockquote>

[[File:Eight men banned.png|upright=1.4|thumb|The eight "Chicago Black Sox"]]

The [[1919 World Series]] between the [[Chicago White Sox]] and [[Cincinnati Reds]] was much anticipated as the nation attempted to return to normalcy in the postwar period. Baseball's popularity had surged during the 1919 season, and  several MLB attendance records were set. The powerful White Sox, with their superstar batter [[Shoeless Joe Jackson|"Shoeless Joe" Jackson]] and star pitchers [[Eddie Cicotte]] and [[Lefty Williams|Claude "Lefty" Williams]], were believed likely to defeat the less-well-regarded Reds. To the surprise of many, the Reds beat the White Sox five games to three (from 1919 to 1921, the World Series was a best-of-nine affair).{{sfn|Carney|pp=17–21}}

Rumors that the series was fixed began to circulate after gambling odds against the Reds winning dropped sharply before the series began and gained more credibility after the White Sox lost four of the first five games. Cincinnati lost the next two games, and speculation began that the Reds were losing on purpose to extend the series and increase gate revenues. However, Cincinnati won Game Eight 10–5 to end the series, as Williams lost his third game (Cicotte lost the other two).{{sfn|Carney|pp=19–21}} After the series, according to Gene Carney, who wrote a book about the scandal, "there was more than the usual complaining from those who had bet big on the Sox and lost".{{sfn|Carney|p=22}}

The issue of the 1919 Series came to the public eye again in September 1920 after allegations that a game between the [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]] on August 31 had been fixed, and a grand jury was empaneled in state court in Chicago to investigate baseball gambling. Additional news came from Philadelphia, where gambler [[Billy Maharg]] stated that he had worked with former boxer [[Abe Attell]] and New York gambler [[Arnold Rothstein]] to get the White Sox to throw the 1919 Series. Cicotte and Jackson were called before the grand jury where they gave statements incriminating themselves and six teammates: Williams, first baseman [[Chick Gandil]], shortstop [[Swede Risberg]], third baseman [[Buck Weaver]], center fielder [[Happy Felsch]] and reserve infielder [[Fred McMullin]]. Williams and Felsch were also called before the grand jury and incriminated themselves and their teammates.{{sfn|Pietrusza|p=160}} Through late September, the 1920 American League season had been one of the most exciting on record, with the White Sox, [[Cleveland Indians]] and [[New York Yankees]] dueling for the league lead. By September 28, the Yankees were close to elimination, but the White Sox and Indians were within percentage points of each other. On that day, however, the eight players, seven of whom were still on the White Sox, were indicted. They were immediately suspended by White Sox owner [[Charles Comiskey]].{{sfn|Cottrell|pp=221–223}} The Indians were able to pull ahead and win the pennant, taking the American League championship by two games over Chicago.{{sfn|Cottrell|p=227}}

==== Search for a commissioner ====

[[File:Landis is hired.jpg|thumb|Landis, surrounded by baseball owners and officials, signs an agreement to be Commissioner of Baseball, November 12, 1920.]]

Baseball had been governed by a three-man [[National Baseball Commission|National Commission]], consisting of American League President [[Ban Johnson]], National League President [[John Heydler]] and Cincinnati Reds owner [[Garry Herrmann]]. In January 1920, Herrmann left office at the request of other club owners, leaving the Commission effectively deadlocked between Johnson and Heydler. A number of club owners, disliking one or both league presidents, preferred a single commissioner to rule over the game, but were willing to see the National Commission continue if Herrmann was replaced by someone who would provide strong leadership. Landis's name was mentioned in the press for this role, and the influential baseball newspaper ''[[The Sporting News]]'' sought his appointment.{{sfn|Spink|pp=54–55}}

Another proposal, known as the "Lasker Plan" after [[Albert Lasker]], a shareholder in the Chicago Cubs who had proposed it, was for a three-man commission to govern the game, drawn from outside baseball. On September 30, 1920, with the Black Sox scandal exposed, National League President Heydler began to advocate for the Lasker Plan, and by the following day, four major league teams had supported him. Among the names discussed in the press for membership on the new commission were Landis, former [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|secretary of the treasury]] [[William Gibbs McAdoo]], former president [[William Howard Taft]], and General [[John J. Pershing]].{{sfn|Cottrell|pp=236–237}}

The start of the [[1920 World Series]] on October 5 distracted the public from baseball's woes for a time, but discussions continued behind the scenes. By mid-October, 11 of the 16 team owners (all eight from the National League and the owners of the American League Yankees, White Sox and [[Boston Red Sox]]) were demanding the end of the National Commission and the appointment of a three-man commission whose members would have no financial interest in baseball.{{sfn|Cottrell|pp=239}} Heydler stated his views on baseball's requirements:

<blockquote>
We want a man as chairman who will rule with an iron hand&nbsp;... Baseball has lacked a hand like that for years. It needs it now worse than ever. Therefore, it is our object to appoint a big man to lead the new commission.{{sfn|Cottrell|pp=239–240}}
</blockquote>

On November 8, the owners of the eight National League and three American League teams which supported the Lasker Plan met and unanimously selected Landis as head of the proposed commission. The American League clubs that supported the plan threatened to move to the National League, away from Johnson, who opposed it. Johnson had hoped that the [[minor leagues]] would support his position; when they did not, he and the "Loyal Five" teams agreed to the Lasker Plan.{{sfn|Cottrell|p=243}} In the discussions among the owners that followed, they decided that Landis would be the only commissioner–no associate members would be elected.{{sfn|Pietrusza|p=169}} On November 12, the team owners came to Landis's courtroom to approach him. Landis was trying a bribery case; when he heard noise in the back of the courtroom from the owners, he gaveled them to silence.{{sfn|Cottrell|p=244}} He made them wait 45&nbsp;minutes while he completed his [[docket (court)|docket]], then met with them in his chambers.<ref>{{cite news  |title=Landis The 'Big Umpire'  |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1920/11/13/page/1/article/landis-the-big-umpire |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]  |date=November 13, 1920 |page=1}}</ref>{{r|NYHT obit}}

The judge heard out the owners; after expressing initial reluctance, he took the job for seven years at a salary of $50,000, on condition he could remain on the federal bench. During Landis's time serving as both judge and commissioner, he allowed a $7,500 reduction in his commissioner salary, to reflect his pay as judge. The appointment of Landis was met with acclaim in the press.{{sfn|Cottrell|p=244}} A tentative agreement was signed by the parties a month later—an agreement which itemized Landis's powers over baseball, and which was drafted by the judge.{{sfn|Cottrell|p=247}} The owners were still reeling from the perception that baseball was crooked, and accepted the agreement virtually without dissent.<ref name="bllandis">{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/kenesaw-mountain-landis |title=Kenesaw Mountain Landis |publisher=Baseball Biography |access-date=December 26, 2007 }}</ref> Under the terms of the contract, Landis could not be dismissed by the team owners, have his pay reduced, or even be criticized by them in public.{{r|smith}} He also had nearly unlimited authority over every person employed in the major or minor leagues, from owners to [[batboy]]s, including the ability to ban people from the leagues for life. The owners waived any recourse to the courts to contest Landis's will. Humorist [[Will Rogers]] stated, "<nowiki>[D]</nowiki>on't kid yourself that that old judicial bird isn't going to make those baseball birds walk the chalkline".{{sfn|Spink|pp=74–75}} Player and manager [[Leo Durocher]] later stated, "The legend has been spread that the owners hired the Judge off the federal bench. Don't you believe it. They got him right out of [[Charles Dickens bibliography|Dickens]]."{{r|smith}}