Judge Landis

cooperstownexpert.com
Birthdate 11/20/1866
Death Date 11/25/1944
Debut Year 1921
Year of Induction 1944
Teams MLB
Position Commissioner

Kenesaw Mountain Landis was baseball’s first commissioner and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame shortly after he died in 1944.

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In the collection:

Landis became a baseball fan in the inaugural year of the National League in 1876

Landis became a baseball fan in the inaugural year of the National League in 1876

Kenny Landis was 10 years old during the National League’s inaugural season of 1876. It was then that he fell in love with baseball. Growing up on a farm, Landis’ work day at home began before the sun came up. On the farm he developed a tireless work ethic. At 19 years old, Landis suppor
Judge Landis writes about Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Mordecai Brown

Judge Landis writes about Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Mordecai Brown

Hired as Baseball’s first commissioner on November 12, 1920 Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote this letter less than three months into his 23-year tenure as the game’s chief. Landis mentions two of the first five men inducted into Cooperstown and Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Mordecai “
Two weeks after his passing in 1944 a special committee elected him to the Hall of Fame

Two weeks after his passing in 1944 a special committee elected him to the Hall of Fame

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

4 responses to “Judge Landis”

  1. Howard Warren says:

    Though Judge Landis is credited with cleaning up professional baseball after the “Black Sox” scandal, he was responsible for keeping baseball a segregated game. His denials for this are legendary, however, his decisions and deeds on the matter speak more loudly than his proclamations. Besides being a horrible Federal Judge (read about his decisions being overturned by appellate courts) he was a malevolent first Commisioner of Major League Baseball. If ever there were a case to remove a man from the Baseball HOF, it should be reserved for this man. I realize that it would be easier to move Kennesaw Mountain than it would be to remove Judge Landis from the Hall.

  2. Kevin J Marquez says:

    I agree. When you are in a position that can make a difference, such as clarifying right from wrong, you have to take a stand. You will receive negative feedback but that’s to be expected because the people of close-minded ignorance will want to be heard. They don’t know any other way but to be confrontational. (Similar to Ernest T. Bass. He chose the rock with a note through the window method. No matter how many times he was asked not to break windows, Ernest T. got results when he did.)
    Maybe Landis didn’t want to be bothered with the confrontation. But with change comes the need for clarification. You have to persist.
    He chose not to do anything. Integration was not necessary. The African Americans had their own league.
    Integration was someone else headache.

  3. Judge Landis didn’t see any reason to integrate. The African Americans had their own league.
    He just did what he could to keep them in their league.

  4. Ed Maloney says:

    So typical of 21st century virtue signalers to trash a dead white man. Landis was hired and worked for 16 owners of baseball teams who had agreed not to employ black players — more than two decades before he became commissioner.

    There isn’t a single incident where an owner complained that Landis prevented them from signing a black player. And, there has never been a claim from a Negro League player that they were offered a contract from an MLB owner only to be blocked by Landis. Not one offer, even from perennial-basement dwellers like Boston, Brooklyn, and Chicago, despite endorsements of many white players who played with and against black players in winter leagues and barnstorming tours.

    Without a shred of evidence this man’s reputation has been unjustly tarnished. “Everyone” knew Landis was a racist, yet no one has produced a shred of evidence.

    Meanwhile, Franklin Roosevelt was POTUS from 1933-45. Unlike Landis, Roosevelt could hire anyone he chose to the Executive Branch of government. How many blacks were senior members of the White House staff? How many cabinet secretaries did FDR appoint? How many Federal Judges? None! About the same number of historians consider FDR a racist. Hmm.

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