1926 – The Chicago Tribune breaks a story that the Detroit Tigers have thrown a four-game series to the Chicago White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant. Responding to the publicity, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis convenes a hearing on the matter, but dismisses all charges. Landis can find no witnesses to confirm any part of Swede Risberg’s claim.
Given the outpouring of public support for the popular players and the failure of the accuser to publicly defend his claim at a hearing last month, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis announces Ty Cobb’s former Tiger teammate Dutch Leonard had accused the Georgia Peach and Indian outfielder Tris Speaker of betting on a fixed baseball game played six years ago. The commissioner will declare the matter closed, giving both future Hall of Famers a clean bill of health.
1926 – Judge Landis is given a new seven-year term as commissioner with a raise to $65,000.
On November 29, 1926, Tris Speaker resigns as manager of the Cleveland Indians. Speaker led the Indians to a respectable second-place finish in 1926. Stories of a thrown game and betting on games by Ty Cobb and Speaker gain momentum when Judge Landis holds a secret hearing with the two stars and former P-OF Joe Wood. The story and testimony…
Before Game 1 of the World Series at Forbes Field, Commissioner Landis orders the Pirates and the Senators to wear black armbands in memory of former Giants legend Christy Matthewson, who died this morning at Saranac Lake, NY, of tuberculosis. Although the practice will become a common occurrence, this is believed to be the first time in major league history that teams have altered their uniform to acknowledged the passing of a fellow ballplayer.
Five days after making a start in a 4 – 3 loss to the Browns, White Sox pitcher Dickie Kerr loses his only decision this year, 11 – 6, to Washington. It’s the last decision of his brilliant but short career. Kerr (21-17 in 1920; 19-17 in 1921) turned down a Sox offer of $4,500 in 1922 and signed with a Texas semi-pro team for $5,000. Commissioner Landis suspended Kerr, and he didn’t return to the major leagues till this month. Kerr was the winner of two games in the 1919 World Series.
In the first postseason game ever played at Yankee Stadium, veteran Giants outfielder Casey Stengel becomes the first player to hit a World Series homer in the Bronx ballpark, breaking a 4-4 deadlock in the top of the ninth inning with an inside-the-park round-tripper off Joe Bush. The Game 1 matchup is the first Fall Classic contest to be broadcast nationally.
Expelled players Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg file suit against the White Sox for back salary and $400,000 in damages. Both players, acquitted for allegedly fixing the 1919 World Series, were still banned from baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, even though they were found not guilty of the wrongdoing in a much-publicized court case.
1923 – Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis allows former New York Giants pitcher Rube Benton to return to the National League. Benton had admitted prior knowledge of the 1919 World Series fix, but remained active, winning 22 games for St. Paul (American Association). NL President John Heydler disagrees with Landis, calling Benton undesirable, but does not stop the Cincinnati Reds from signing him. Benton, at age 35, will be 14-10 for the second-place Reds.
New York Giants pitcher Phil Douglas is suspended and fined $100 by John McGraw. He writes a letter to St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Les Mann which says in part “I want to leave here, but I want some inducement. I don’t want this guy (McGraw) to win the pennant and I feel if I stay here I win it for him”. Mann gives the letter to manager Branch Rickey who notifies Kenesaw Landis. In Pittsburgh on August 16th‚ Douglas will admit he wrote the letter‚ and Landis will bar him from baseball for life.
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