Happy Chandler

Happy Chandler autograph
Birthdate 7/14/1898
Death Date 6/15/1991
Debut Year 1945
Year of Induction 1982
Teams MLB
Position Commissioner

Happy Chandler presided over MLB’s integration, suspended Leo Durocher and fought players who jumped to the Mexican League.

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In the collection:

Dodger hurler Don Newcombe praised Chandler for his role in breaking the color barrier

Dodger hurler Don Newcombe praised Chandler for his role in breaking the color barrier

Baseball’s first commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was instrumental in keeping the game segregated. His successor Happy Chandler was born and raised in Kentucky. Many figured he would follow Landis’ lead. That was not the case. Instead, Chandler supported Branch Rickey and t
Happy Chandler goes into detail about the suspension and career of Leo Durocher

Happy Chandler goes into detail about the suspension and career of Leo Durocher

As commissioner of baseball, the signature of Happy Chandler is readily available to autograph collectors. In the collection is a letter with remarkable content. Here Chandler rails against Leo Durocher who he suspended for the 1947 season in a letter to Hall of Fame columnist Jim Murray of the Los
Page two of the Chandler letter about Durocher to Hall of Fame LA Times columnist Jim Murray

Page two of the Chandler letter about Durocher to Hall of Fame LA Times columnist Jim Murray

On page two of the letter, Chandler signs his name boldly and ads a post script. In it he lets Murray know that former governor of Michigan and Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy was against Leo Durocher managing the Dodgers in 1947, the year of Jackie Robinson’s debut.
Envelope addressed to Ford Frick Award winner Jim Murray

Envelope addressed to Ford Frick Award winner Jim Murray

Jim Murray wrote columns for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years. He was the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Sportswriter of the Year award 12 consecutive seasons and 14 overall. In 1987 he was awarded the J,G, Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Pulitzer Priz
Chandler letter to Dodger owner Walter O'Malley about the Mexican League jumper Danny Gardella

Chandler letter to Dodger owner Walter O'Malley about the Mexican League jumper Danny Gardella

In 1946, Major League players Danny Gardella, Sal Maglie, Alex Carrasquel, Max Lanier, and Mickey Owen accepted $10,000 each to play in the Mexican League. In response Commissioner Chandler banned them for five years on grounds that they violated baseball’s reserve
Mexican League jumper Danny Gardella writes about Chandler

Mexican League jumper Danny Gardella writes about Chandler

After going to Mexico to earn more money in the off-season, Danny Gardella came under attack from commissioner Happy Chandler. In this letter Gardella writes in part, “Cheap and monopolistic Happy Chandler banished all players (who) went to Mexico and I asked Fred Johnson to represent me in court and the
Page two of Gardella's letter about the Mexican League

Page two of Gardella's letter about the Mexican League

A reflective Danny Gardella continues, “I hope I have been good for baseball…” One of the earliest players to train with weights, Gardella was also known for his ability to walk on his hands and perform acrobatic stunts. In three Major League seasons, Gardella played 169 games and hit .267 with 24 homers and 85 runs
Commissioner Chandler congratulates Casey Stengel on first championship

Commissioner Chandler congratulates Casey Stengel on first championship

No manager in the history of the game won more World Series championships than Casey Stengel. In the collection is a congratulatory letter from Baseball Commissioner Albert B. “Happy” Chandler dated less than three weeks after Stengel’s Yankees vanquished the Brooklyn Dodgers. It w
Chandler writes to Robin Roberts to congratulate him on the 1950 All Star game

Chandler writes to Robin Roberts to congratulate him on the 1950 All Star game

When it came time to select the starting pitcher for the 1950 National League All Star team, the choice was clear: Robin Roberts. That was the year that the Hall of Fame pitcher came into his own during his age-23 season. Pitching in his first All Star game — as a starter
One commissioner to another: Chandler writes to Peter Ueberroth about pensions for the

One commissioner to another: Chandler writes to Peter Ueberroth about pensions for the "major leaguers of yesterday"

In this letter, dated 1986, Happy Chandler thanks commissioner Peter Ueberroth for helping former player Paul Derringer who pitched in the 1930s and 40s. The cause of helping the, “major league players of yesterday”, as Chandler put it, was near
Happy Chandler says Bobby Veach is worthy of induction

Happy Chandler says Bobby Veach is worthy of induction

In this letter dated September 8, 1987 former commissioner Happy Chandler gives his opinion of the Hall of Fame candidacy of Detroit star Bobby Veach. How does Chandler feel about the man who, along with Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford formed what many consider the greatest outfield ever?
Hall of Famer Joe Sewell agrees with Chandler about Veach

Hall of Famer Joe Sewell agrees with Chandler about Veach

Joe Sewell, himself a member of the Hall of Fame agrees with Happy Chandler’s assessment of Bobby Veach’s Cooperstown candidacy. In this handwritten correspondence Sewell writes, “Yes, Bob Veach was a great player…He could do everything in baseball and was a credit to the gam
Albert

Albert "Happy" Chandler was inducted into the Hall of Fame on August 1, 1982

Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler received baseball’s highest honor when the Veterans Committee selected him for the Baseball Hall of Fame. That same year the committee also chose longtime New York Giants shortstop Travis Jackson. On the writers’ side, there were two first-ballot indu
Though he never lived to see it, Chandler supported the induction of Bowie Kuhn

Though he never lived to see it, Chandler supported the induction of Bowie Kuhn

The Baseball Hall of Fame recognizes men who left an everlasting impression on the game. In addition to players, umpires, and general managers, four commissioners have earned induction. Baseball’s first commissioner was Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Brought in to fortify the integrity of the

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"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball…"

~Jacques Barzun, 1954