1903 American League - 1903 American League History
1903 American League HistoryTHE PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Dreyfuss' sales talk convinced the league, and Harry Pulliam was unanimously elected the fifth president of the league. The Kentuckian was only thirty-two years old. He didn't favor Dreyfuss but promptly made him chairman of the schedule committee, a post which Barney held tenaciously to the day of his death.
The election of Pulliam to the National League presidency, bringing order and stability to the senior loop, was soon followed with peace for all baseball. At the National League's annual meeting, Frank DeHaas Robison, of St. Louis, who was fighting a losing battle against the new American League Browns, indicated- he had enough and suggested that the league appoint a committee to call on Ban Johnson and several of his club owners, who then also were in New York, and ascertain exactly what the American League wanted. Robison's suggestion was warmly supported by Dreyfuss, Herrmann, the new man from Cincinnati, Hart of Chicago, and Rogers of Philadelphia.
The National League committee, of which Dreyfuss was a member, held a preliminary meeting in New York with Johnson, Charley Somers, and John Kilfohl. Johnson quickly vetoed *a suggestion by the National Leaguers that the two leagues merge and again form a twelve-club National League, but out of the preliminary New York talks grew the Cincinnati peace meeting of January 5, 1903. The National League agreed to accept the American League as a full-fledged major, with all the rights and prerogatives of the National. Dreyfuss won the National League's most important concession. The old league agreed to the American League placing a club in New York in 1903, provided Ban Johnson gave his pledge to stay out of Pittsburgh.
A joint committee was appointed to take up the question of disputed players, most of whom had signed two contracts. Here Dreyfuss also fared better than most of his fellow club owners, as the American League grabbed off most of the big names.
Jack O'Connor and. Jesse Tannehill, who were released by Pittsburgh, and the great Chesbro did not appear on the disputed list, but the committee ordered Tommy Leach, who jumped after the 1902 season, and Catcher Harry Smith returned to the Pirates, while it approved of Wid Conroy's contract with the new New York Americans.
An indication that Dreyfuss didn't get the worst of it may be gleaned from the fact that Nap Lajoie, Ed Delahanty, Willie Keeler, Sam Crawford, Bill Donovan, Norman Elberfeld, George Davis, and Dave Fultz were all awarded to American League clubs. In addition to Leach and Smith, ordered back to the Pirates, the National League salvaged the great Mathewson, Vic Willis, Rudy Hulswitt, Sam Mertes, and Frank Bowerman.
At first, Brush of New York and Ebbets of Brooklyn, who had lost the great Keeler and Bill Donovan, refused to ratify the peace settlement and filed a minority report. Brush even went into court to try to block the settlement. Only recently he had bought the Giants with the idea of having New York to himself, and resented the terms of the pact. "That Dreyfuss is a smart fellow," he wailed. "It's all right for me to have to buck an American League club on Manhattan Island, so long as he is saved any opposition in Pittsburgh."
Yet, Barney had a greater sense of well being after the peace than any time since he came into baseball. He had the game's greatest team, his own friend as president of the league, and he had done his share in writing the peace. And though he had succeeded in keeping the American League out of Pittsburgh, he did not share the hatred for the new league felt by many of his National associates. He started his baseball with Louisville in the old major American Association, and sensed what the rivalry of two strong, well-conducted leagues could do for baseball.
2Even though the peace treaty between the National and American Leagues was signed in January, 1903, and baseball was under a national commission form of government, headed by August Herrmann, president of the Reds, there remained a lot of rancor and ill feeling between the two circuits, a holdover from the bitter strife of 1901 and 1902. Brush, who had tried to stop the peace agreement in the courts, and McGraw, his manager, were the leading dissenters. Ban Johnson was scathing in his denunciation of McGraw after John J. left the Baltimore Americans in 1902 to take up the management of the Giants, and Ban's hatred for McGraw was only exceeded by John J. 's hatred of Johnson. Brush and McGraw almost started the war all over again, when they tried to play Shortstop George Davis, awarded to Comiskey's White Sox, after the Tigers traded Norman "Kid" Elberfeld to Griffith's New York Americans. The Tabasco Kid had jumped to the Giants the previous winter but was returned to Detroit by the peace commissioners. It took men with cooler heads, such as Pulliam, Dreyfuss, and Charley Somers, to hold the peace.
When it became evident that the Pirates and Boston Pilgrims would win the pennants in their respective leagues, the writers and many of the fans called for a World Series between the two pennant winners, similar to those played between the champions of the National League and American Association in the eighties, before the Temple Cup series. Some of the die-hards of the National League were opposed to such a series so soon after the war, but Dreyfuss visualized the national interest such a series would engender, and early declared himself in favor of it.
"Sure, we'll play them [the Bostons], if they want to meet us," Dreyfuss told reporters, "and I think we can beat them." In fact, after talking to Fred Clarke, Barney felt sure his team would win and that a victory over the champions of the new loop would add to the prestige of his league and club.
Only reference from Ancestry.com is "The Pittsburgh Pirates" - no author or date visible - new information. Original online source is not longer valid.
Dreyfuss' sales talk convinced the league, and Harry Pulliam was unanimously elected the fifth president of the league. The Kentuckian was only thirty-two years old. He didn't favor Dreyfuss but promptly made him chairman of the schedule committee, a post which Barney held tenaciously to the day of his death.
The election of Pulliam to the National League presidency, bringing order and stability to the senior loop, was soon followed with peace for all baseball. At the National League's annual meeting, Frank DeHaas Robison, of St. Louis, who was fighting a losing battle against the new American League Browns, indicated- he had enough and suggested that the league appoint a committee to call on Ban Johnson and several of his club owners, who then also were in New York, and ascertain exactly what the American League wanted. Robison's suggestion was warmly supported by Dreyfuss, Herrmann, the new man from Cincinnati, Hart of Chicago, and Rogers of Philadelphia.
The National League committee, of which Dreyfuss was a member, held a preliminary meeting in New York with Johnson, Charley Somers, and John Kilfohl. Johnson quickly vetoed *a suggestion by the National Leaguers that the two leagues merge and again form a twelve-club National League, but out of the preliminary New York talks grew the Cincinnati peace meeting of January 5, 1903. The National League agreed to accept the American League as a full-fledged major, with all the rights and prerogatives of the National. Dreyfuss won the National League's most important concession. The old league agreed to the American League placing a club in New York in 1903, provided Ban Johnson gave his pledge to stay out of Pittsburgh.
A joint committee was appointed to take up the question of disputed players, most of whom had signed two contracts. Here Dreyfuss also fared better than most of his fellow club owners, as the American League grabbed off most of the big names.
Jack O'Connor and. Jesse Tannehill, who were released by Pittsburgh, and the great Chesbro did not appear on the disputed list, but the committee ordered Tommy Leach, who jumped after the 1902 season, and Catcher Harry Smith returned to the Pirates, while it approved of Wid Conroy's contract with the new New York Americans.
An indication that Dreyfuss didn't get the worst of it may be gleaned from the fact that Nap Lajoie, Ed Delahanty, Willie Keeler, Sam Crawford, Bill Donovan, Norman Elberfeld, George Davis, and Dave Fultz were all awarded to American League clubs. In addition to Leach and Smith, ordered back to the Pirates, the National League salvaged the great Mathewson, Vic Willis, Rudy Hulswitt, Sam Mertes, and Frank Bowerman.
At first, Brush of New York and Ebbets of Brooklyn, who had lost the great Keeler and Bill Donovan, refused to ratify the peace settlement and filed a minority report. Brush even went into court to try to block the settlement. Only recently he had bought the Giants with the idea of having New York to himself, and resented the terms of the pact. "That Dreyfuss is a smart fellow," he wailed. "It's all right for me to have to buck an American League club on Manhattan Island, so long as he is saved any opposition in Pittsburgh."
Yet, Barney had a greater sense of well being after the peace than any time since he came into baseball. He had the game's greatest team, his own friend as president of the league, and he had done his share in writing the peace. And though he had succeeded in keeping the American League out of Pittsburgh, he did not share the hatred for the new league felt by many of his National associates. He started his baseball with Louisville in the old major American Association, and sensed what the rivalry of two strong, well-conducted leagues could do for baseball.
2Even though the peace treaty between the National and American Leagues was signed in January, 1903, and baseball was under a national commission form of government, headed by August Herrmann, president of the Reds, there remained a lot of rancor and ill feeling between the two circuits, a holdover from the bitter strife of 1901 and 1902. Brush, who had tried to stop the peace agreement in the courts, and McGraw, his manager, were the leading dissenters. Ban Johnson was scathing in his denunciation of McGraw after John J. left the Baltimore Americans in 1902 to take up the management of the Giants, and Ban's hatred for McGraw was only exceeded by John J. 's hatred of Johnson. Brush and McGraw almost started the war all over again, when they tried to play Shortstop George Davis, awarded to Comiskey's White Sox, after the Tigers traded Norman "Kid" Elberfeld to Griffith's New York Americans. The Tabasco Kid had jumped to the Giants the previous winter but was returned to Detroit by the peace commissioners. It took men with cooler heads, such as Pulliam, Dreyfuss, and Charley Somers, to hold the peace.
When it became evident that the Pirates and Boston Pilgrims would win the pennants in their respective leagues, the writers and many of the fans called for a World Series between the two pennant winners, similar to those played between the champions of the National League and American Association in the eighties, before the Temple Cup series. Some of the die-hards of the National League were opposed to such a series so soon after the war, but Dreyfuss visualized the national interest such a series would engender, and early declared himself in favor of it.
"Sure, we'll play them [the Bostons], if they want to meet us," Dreyfuss told reporters, "and I think we can beat them." In fact, after talking to Fred Clarke, Barney felt sure his team would win and that a victory over the champions of the new loop would add to the prestige of his league and club.
Only reference from Ancestry.com is "The Pittsburgh Pirates" - no author or date visible - new information. Original online source is not longer valid.
