1931 – Ban Johnson dies in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of 67. Johnson served as the first president of the American League, guiding the “junior circuit” until 1927. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1937.
On February 28, 1931,Ban Johnson dies in St. Louis, at age 57. Johnson had served as the founder and first president of the American League from 1901 to 1927. He was a dynamic and dictatorial leader until subdued by the advent of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who took office as the first Baseball commissioner in January 1921. Johnson will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1937.
E.S. Barnard, recently reappointed American League president, dies at 57. He had succeeded Ban Johnson in 1927.
On January 31, 1931, Hall of Famer Ernie Banks is born in Dallas, Texas. Banks will make his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1953 and hit 512 home runs during a 19-year career.
On January 20, 1931, the New York Yankees sign future Hall of Famer Joe Sewell. The former star shortstop batted .289 for the Indians in 1930 before drawing his release. He will end his career with the Yankees, hitting .282 during his three-year tenure with New York. The 33 year-old third baseman will be inducted…
1931 – Acting under a new draft agreement with the Pacific Coast League, the Brooklyn Robins purchase the contract of catcher Ernie Lombardi from the Oakland Oaks.
On January 5, 1931, Lucille Thomas becomes the first woman to purchase a professional baseball team when she buys the Class-A Topeka Senators team of the Western League. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@ Play by Play, Box Scores, News Paper Reports and other links Other Resources & Links Baseball-Reference Box Score
History of the World Series – 1930 Seemingly. It wasn’t until 1925, in fact, that the Athletics reappeared in the American League’s first division. Rube Walberg had arrived in 1923, and Al Simmons came along in 1924 to bolster the Athletics. Mickey Cochrane, Lefty Grove and Jimmie Foxx (as a 17-year-old) joined the A’s in…
On December 18, 1930 1B Bill “Moose” Skowron is born Chicago, Illinois, and was of Polish descent. His father was a city garbage collector. One day his grandfather gave the seven-year-old Skowron a haircut that resembled a known Italian dictator’s, which resulted in his friends jokingly calling him “Mussolini”, and caused his family…
On December 9, 1930, Andrew “Rube” Foster, the founder of the Negro National League, dies at the age of 52. The founder of the Negro National League, he excelled as a player, manager, and executive and will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1981…
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