The Story of Major League Baseball

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NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE FOLDS FOLLOWING
NORTH-EASTERN/ATLANTIC DISPUTES

Thursday 17 July 1871

Story by Michael Jamison for the Chicago Tribune

The turbulent one-and-a-half year existence of the National Baseball League came to an end yesterday, with the competition folding mid-season after a series of ongoing disputes between the ballclubs could not be resolved. The brainchild of prominent businessman and Cincinnati Reds owner/founder Joseph Harrison, the NBL appears to have failed in its goal of bringing together, in one single competitive league, the best clubs of the Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation and the North-Eastern Baseball League.

Taking certain prevailing attitudes into account, hindsight shows that the league really never had a chance of succeeding. When Harrison first put his proposition on the table during the winter of '67, the leading clubs of the ACBF (in particular the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox) turned their noses up at the idea. It's no secret that they've been less than enthusiastic in regards to the steady western growth of baseball during the past twenty years, a growth that has challenged their domination and self-proclaimed "ownership" of the sport. It's a growth that Harrison himself famously instigated after attending an ACBF game between the Yankees and the New Jersey Titans at Elysian Fields back in 1849 and then bringing a passion for the sport home to Ohio with him. Despite their resistance, Harrison was able to convince the Atlantic big wigs of the merits of a national league. A large part of this was due to investing considerable time into the art of ego stroking along with the dangling of a number of appealing financial carrots as bait.

The National Baseball League played out its debut season in 1870, the league consisting of six teams from the ACBF (New York Yankees, New Jersey Titans, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators) and six from the NEBL (Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers). Starting in April, they contested a massive 132-game season, unheard of in the sport before that point, with the ballclubs playing each other twelve times in a six at home, six on the road format.

Even before the end of that first season, it was becoming clear that the wealthier Atlantic teams were determined to exert their influence. Thanks to some underhanded methods, they voted in one of their own as League President and also raided the rosters of the North-Eastern teams, signing some of their most talented players to rich contracts. Only Harrison's affluence allowed the Reds to resist these attacks. He retained and protected his top players and, unsurprisingly, the Reds were the only North-Eastern team ranked amongst the top four in the league standings at the season's conclusion. They finished 3rd behind the champion Yankees and the 2nd placed Red Sox.

The situation did not improve as the league's second year progressed. Besides the problems that had already surfaced, it became blatantly clear that particular game officials were showing an Atlantic coast bias when North-Eastern teams would visit them. This led to a number of wild brawls and heated altercations between managers and umpires. A recent study of the records revealed that North-Eastern teams had accumulated a .273 winning percentage at Atlantic grounds since the league's inception.

Looking to Harrison as their representative, the NEBL team owners put up a pair of propositions back on the 1st of July. They demanded fair and unbiased officiating and also requested that a limit or "cap" be put on the amount of money teams could spend on their players, referencing the fact that the combined payrolls of Atlantic teams was more than twice that of the North-Eastern ones. A meeting of the league's board considered the proposals, concluding that there had been some "anomalies" in certain games played at the grounds of Atlantic teams and that the officials involved would be instructed accordingly. As to the matter of team payrolls, the proposal was disregarded as the argument was made that teams should be allowed to spend as much as they are prepared to on player personnel and that they should not have such impositions placed on them.

Faced with the prospect of being unable to compete, the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Blues declared that they would remove themselves from the league once the current season had ended. They were soon joined in their protest by the Pirates and Brewers, leaving only the Reds and White Sox committed long term to the competition. Harrison had gone back to the board last week and asked them to reconsider the matter of team payrolls, but the events of this past Monday, July 14, made the argument moot.

(to be continued)

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(to be continued)

On that day the New York Yankees were hosting Harrison's Reds at the Polo Grounds. The Yankees held a 6-2 lead in the sixth inning but it had been a game of controversy, with what appeared to be a foul ball by Yankees slugger Howard Baines being scored a homerun in the fourth ... a grand slam homerun, at that. This was followed in the very next inning by a clear umpiring error when, with bases loaded and one out, Reds batter Charlie Mathis was called out after appearing to comfortably beat a double play throw to 1st. The decision ended the inning and robbed the Reds of two runs, leading to the team's manager Laurence Klein confronting the umpire and, after some thirty seconds of arguing, punching him in the face. All hell broke loose, with both squads of players and even some of the spectators engaging in an all-in brawl. Once calm had been restored, Klein led his players from the field, thereby forfeiting the game.

Harrison made a public announcement yesterday from his office in Cincinnati, one that officially spelt the end of the National Baseball League.

"I do not condone the actions of my ballclub's manager, Laurence Klein," said Harrison. "But at the same time, I must say that I understand the frustration that led to them. When I presented the model for this National Baseball League, I had visions of a sporting competition the likes of which America has never seen. The twelve best teams in our nation contesting the ultimate prize, that of National Champion. But from the beginning, this vision has been hijacked by individuals who are more concerned with lining their own pockets, maintaining control of this sport and winning at any cost. The clubs of the North-Eastern Baseball League have been conspired and discriminated against, to the point where any realistic chance they have of competing has been all but extinguished. It breaks my heart knowing that my ambitions for the sport are more or less responsible for this situation."

Harrison paused briefly, regarding the gathered media and steeling himself for what he was about to say before cotinuing.

"The behaviour of certain team owners during the past year-and-a-half has been disgraceful, especially when the concessions that they were granted are taken into account. Yes, this is something that the public was not aware of. One of the reasons why the Atlantic teams agreed to take part in the NBL was that they would be paid a percentage of the gate receipts from the games they played at North-Eastern grounds. These funds covered their travel expenses but also made their acts of piliging the North-Eastern ballclub's rosters easier to achieve. I take full responsibility for this but at the time, I felt it was a worthy sacrifice to make in order to achieve the goal of a national competition. I admit that I did not foresee the treachery of certain Atlantic team owners. What happened at the Polo Grounds on Monday was simply the last straw. I've spoken to my fellow North-Eastern team owners during the past couple of days and we have come to a unanimous agreement: we have all decided to withdraw from the National Baseball League. Our decision effectively means that the NBL has now ceased to exist."

With these last words the score of reporters and journalists present all started talking at once, throwing overlapping questions at Harrison. The Reds owner lifted his hands, demanding silence.

"We did not come to this decision lightly," he said. "This sport of ours has penetrated into the hearts and souls of our nation. It is, as they say, our national pastime. But anyone who has observed events will realise that there are some in positions of influence who do not have the best interests of baseball at heart. They are not interested in seeing the sport expand and grow. They see it as something for them to own, possess and profit from. I cannot abide such attitudes and I will not allow my ballclub to compete in a league against teams who subscribe to them."

Harrison was asked the most obvious question: What happens now?

"All ties with teams from the Atlantic will be severed," said Harrison. "This means that we will no longer compete against them and it also means that we will not pursue any of the players from these teams, as far as signings are concerned. Our rosters have taken quite a hit in regards to playing talent during this traumatic period. It's an unfortunate fact, but we will move forward. The North-Eastern Baseball League will be reformed and during the coming months and years, we will resume the task of bringing this wonderful sport to the rest of our nation. At present, Milwaukee represents the furtherest extent of our western reach, so the potential for what we can achieve has barely been tapped. I am quite certain that baseball can flourish in Missouri and even down south in Oklahoma and Texas. Those are definitely locations that we will pursue."

The 45 year-old Cincinnati Reds owner excused himself soon after, refusing to answer any further questions, disappearing back into his office to plot the future course of baseball in America...

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REDS CLAIM THIRD CONSECUTIVE
DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday 7 August 1892

Story by James Henderson for the Cincinnati Herald

With three weeks still remaining in the regular season our Cincinnati Reds have booked a place in their third consecutive NEBL Championship Series, clinching the Southern Division title with a dominant 7-1 victory over the Pirates today at League Park.

The Reds benefitted from a fantastic performance by 23 year-old gunslinger Robert Harrison, who allowed just three hits and struck out twelve batters while pitching a complete game. For good measure, he also contributed with the bat, hitting a 2-RBI single to right field in the 6th inning. Harrison is the grandson of Reds owner and founder James Harrison and is one of just three pitchers to have recorded twenty wins in the NEBL this season. In 28 appearances, his record is 20-3 with 202 strikeouts.

This season's divisional title is the seventh for the Cincinnati ballclub since the NEBL's expansion led to it being split into two divisions of eight in 1879. They have been far and away the most successful club in the league since it's post-National Baseball League reformation in '72, winning six Championships.

As always, Joseph Harrison was present at today's game and I spoke to him after its conclusion.

HENDERSON: First of all I'd like to congratulate you on another division title. Your team has simply run away from the rest of the field this year.

HARRISON: Well, thank you, James. Yes, it has been one of the most satisfying seasons for us, I would have to say. But of course, the job is not done yet and I'll be making sure that our entire team stays on their toes right through until the end of the season. There's still a lot of baseball to be played before we can claim to have achieved anything.

HENDERSON: It must make you tremendously proud, watching the great player your grandson Robert has developed into.

HARRISON: (nodding and smiling) This is all he's wanted since he was about five or six. He would come out to the games and watch his father and it's just in his blood. It's quite humbling to think of the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon our family, that he has given us the skill to be able to play this wonderful sport of ours and the passion that makes us feel so strongly about it. I'm so proud that three generations of Harrisons have suited up for our ballclub.

HENDERSON: It is amazing to think that all of what we have seen in the NEBL started from a trip you took to New York forty years ago.

HARRISON: It's something that I don't try to focus on too much, because so many other people have done so much to lead to the league's success and the success of the sport in the whole region. I simply think of myself as, well, an enabler, I guess.

HENDERSON: There have been rumours coming from New York recently that some of the Atlantic teams are interested in forming a new national baseball league. Has anyone discussed this with you and, if so, what are your feelings on it, considering the debacle that took place back in '71?

HARRISON: (nodding) Yes, I have heard those rumours but no one from the east coast has spoken to me directly about it. It's been two decades now since we severed our ties with the Atlantic and while this sport of ours continues to grow in popularity, I don't really think that the attitudes of the men who control that league have changed much. They still believe that they have exclusive rights to the ownership of baseball. I'm sure it must really tear at them that the NEBL is a larger league than the ACBF. Of course, we have more real estate to work with but the fact that we have built a stronger league must be killing them. We have expanded west into Minnesota and Missouri and have helped to introduce the sport to our friends down south in Texas. We have done more to bring this sport to as many Americans as possible than the Atlantic could have ever dreamed of. I'm 66 years old now and I feel that if I can help to expand this sport even further west, that will be a great way to spend these later years of my life. Who knows, maybe some day they'll be playing the game out in California?

HENDERSON: That would be something, Joseph.

HARRISON: And there's no reason why it couldn't happen, either.

HENDERSON: Well, Joseph, it's been a pleasure talking to you today. Once again, congratulations on the team's success and I wish you all the best for the remainder of the season. I'll be cheering them on with everyone else.

HARRISON: Thank you, James.

While the Reds have clearly outpaced their opposition in the Southern division, it's been a much more competitive race in the North. The Chicago White Sox currently sit in 1st place but the Blues and Cubs are both within striking distance. It will certainly be an interesting final three weeks...

NEBL Divisional Standings
as at Sunday 7 August 1892

NORTHERN DIVISION

1st: CHICAGO WHITE SOX 66-48
2nd: Cleveland Blues 64-50
3rd: Chicago Cubs 63-51
4th: Minnesota Twins 57-57
5th: Detroit Tigers 54-60
6th: Milwaukee Brewers 52-62
7th: Toledo Mudhens 48-66
8th: Buffalo Bisons 46-68

SOUTHERN DIVISION

1st: CINCINNATI REDS 78-36
2nd: Louisville Sluggers 59-55
3rd: St. Louis Cardinals 58-56
4th: Pittsburgh Pirates 57-57
5th: Kansas City Royals 56-58
6th: Springfield Lions 54-60
7th: Columbus Greys 53-61
8th: Indianapolis Kings 47-67

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A DYNASTY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

Friday 9 September 1904

Story by Albert Haynes for the New York Age

Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation history was made today as the New York Yankees became the first team to win five consecutive Championships, their dramatic 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds sealing a 3-1 Championship Series victory. Even before 1887, when the federation followed the North-Eastern Baseball League's lead in splitting its teams into two divisions, there had never been a ballclub to finish in 1st place for five consecutive seasons. The fact that, without fail, the Yankees have been able to win the best-of-five game Championship series to claim the title in each of these past five seasons makes the feat even more impressive.

The nucleus of this Yankees team must be considered the finest group of players any team has fielded at one time in the history of baseball. The "Bronx Bombers" have been Champions of the Cartwright Division eight times in the last twelve seasons and players such as 2nd baseman Raymond Lincoln, hard-hitting leftfielder Michael Jones and pitcher Braylon George have played a big part in that success.

They may be a formidable team, but many look upon the Yankees' domination of the ACBF during the past decade as a clear indicator that the sport is in dire need of change.

"Yes, it's amazing what they have achieved," said the Boston Globe's resident baseball writer David Lewisham. "But everyone knows they couldn't have done it if Goldstein hadn't been pumping all those funds into the team. All those Championships have been, for all intents and purposes, 'bought'. You tell me one other club in the ACBF who can compete with Goldstein in the player market and I'll call you a liar. There's no reason to believe things will change, either. Goldstein can pretty much get any player he wants and some of the guys he's discarded have gone on to be really successful on other teams."

Lewisham went on to say that he feels the time has come to consider the idea of a national league once again.

"I remember when Harrison put together the NBL," he said. "It really seems a lifetime ago now, sadly. I was just into my teens and I thought it was such a great thing that he had done. But greed and corruption meant it never had a chance. It's the owners of our teams here in the Atlantic that prevented it from thriving and I find it inexplicable that, over thirty years later, those attitudes still exist. I can only sit here and daydream of the prospect of watching the Yankees and the Reds going at each other, but right now, it's nothing more than a fantasy. A fairy tale. For our sport to really live once more, for the competitiveness to return, things need to change. I just hope it happens during my lifetime."

Some would call Lewisham's attitude a simple case of sour grapes. The Red Sox finished Chadwick Division Champions and eventual league runners-up to the New Yorkers in '01 and '02, also. Nevertheless, he may have a point. The sport of baseball is at a stage where, even before each season begins, the eventual victors can be predicted with close to 100% accuracy. It does appear that some kind of change is a necessity, and sooner rather than later...

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REDS FOUNDER HARRISON PASSES AWAY

Tuesday 15 March 1910

Story by Clarence Shillington for the Ohio Express

After a series of recent health problems, Cincinnati Reds owner and founder Joseph Harrison passed away in his sleep yesterday. He was 83. The man called "Baseball's Champion" by many had been suffering from a severe bout of bronchitis since late February and was found deceased in his bedroom yesterday morning.

Harrison was a successful and prominent businessman but will always be recognised above anything else for his efforts in expanding baseball beyond the boundaries of its Atlantic coast origins. The story of how Harrison started in this endeavour is near-legendary: during a stay in New York as a 23 year-old, he happened to catch a game between the Yankees and Titans at baseball's birthplace, Elysian Fields in New Jersey. It was a case of love at first sight and when Harrison returned home to Cincinnati, he quickly set about exposing the sport to his home town, home state and eventually the entire north-eastern region.

"He was a pioneer for the sport," his grandson Robert said today. "He had a passion and love for baseball that pushed him to incredible achievements. He passed that passion down to each suqsequent generation of his family. If not for Joseph Harrison, the North-Eastern Baseball League might very well not exist because, being perfectly blunt, those east coasters had no desire to share 'their' sport with the rest of the nation. If my grandfather had not brought it back to Ohio with him, things might be very different now."

Of course, not all of Joseph Harrison's actions have been lauded. He was the driving force behind the short-lived disaster known as the National Baseball League. Founded in 1870, it featured six teams from the Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation and six from the NEBL but folded within two years due to a number of disputes between teams from the two leagues. In the time since, many have criticised Harrison for what they considered to be naivety in his dealings with the power-hungry owners of the ACBF. Still others have praised him, believing that he was only trying to give the sport what it deserved, that being a national competition.

In the forty years since the NBL folded, Harrison has built his Cincinnati Reds ballclub into one of the strongest in the nation. He has also spearheaded baseball's penetration into Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and, most recently, California.

"People tried to talk him out of that one," laughed Robert. "They tried to convince him that baseball would never work out on the west coast: said the climate was too hot or some other such nonsense. Well, grandpa proved them all wrong and it's just a shame that he won't see his vision for baseball on the pacific coast come to fruition."

Indeed, some eight years after Harrison fired the first salvos in his quest for what he called "California Baseball", the region will see the commencement of its own league, known as the Pacific Coast Baseball Association, next year. It will feature six teams with the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Carson City and Phoenix to field teams.

"That was a dream of his and it will be great to see it come to life next year," said Robert.

I admit, the expansion of the sport into California is something that this particular writer never believed we'd see. But it's about to happen and we have Joseph Harrison's vision and determination to thank for it. It will be a fitting tribute to his memory when the PCBA begins play next April...

[kenyan_cheena]

A PORTRAIT OF THE LATE CINCINNATI REDS
OWNER AND FOUNDER JOSEPH HARRISON,
COMPOSED IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS

JOSEPH HARRISON 1826 - 1910

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TATTAGLIA FAMILY PURCHASES NEW JERSEY TITANS

Friday 19 October 1917

Story by Harvey Rothwell for the Jersey City Chronicle

In a move that will surprise many, it was confirmed today that New Jersey Titans owner Lawrence Jacobs has sold his ballclub to Tattaglia Groceries or, as they are more commonly known, the Tattaglia Family. The Titans have been a Jacobs family icon for the last fifty years but a succession of unwise business decisions in recent times has led to the family having to unload the club. Unable to retain some of their most talented players, the team has struggled to compete in the Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation, finishing no better than fourth in the Chadwick Division during the past five seasons, including a woeful last place performance this year.

Rumoured to have considerable links to organised crime, the Tattaglias are one of the most affluent families in New Jersey and will surely inject some healthy funds into the ailing club.

"I was born and raised in East Rutherford," said family head Robert Tattaglia. "I grew up watching and supporting this ballclub and it's an honor to now say that I own it. We'll be doing everything we can to bring the excitement back to Elysian Fields and return the Titans to their rightful place as one of the premier teams in the ACBF."

Indeed, as one of baseball's two founding clubs (along with the New York Yankees) it has been sad to see the New Jersey team's fall from grace in recent years. However, Hoboken local James Gerard thinks the whole situation is appalling.

"I can't believe this has happened," said Gerard, incredulously. "Jacobs has pretty much made an agreement with the Devil. He's sold out all the fans who have turned up every year, paying our hard-earned to watch the team play and represent us. The stink of the mafia is all over these guys and I don't care how successful this team becomes because of them. I won't be able to bring myself to support a club that is owned and funded by a bunch of criminals. I don't know, maybe I'll have to start following the Dodgers, I guess."

There will surely be others who feel the same way, although Lawrence Jacobs clearly doesn't seem to care. He is planning to relocate to sunny California, leaving behind failed business interests and bringing to an abrupt halt a legacy that his family had created in the state.

"Every family has those bad apples, I guess," said Gerard. "The Jacobs were great for New Jersey but with this one action Lawrence Jacobs will have destroyed most of the goodwill people felt for them. I hope he realises that while he's sunning himself on a beach in Los Angeles."

It will be interesting to see what sort of moves the Tattaglias make in the immediate future in their quest to restore the New Jersey Titans to their former glory...

Final Divisional Standings
in the recently completed 1917 ACBF Season

CARTWRIGHT DIVISION

1ST: NEW YORK YANKEES 75-39
2ND: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 60-54
3RD: WASHINGTON SENATORS 59-55
4TH: HARTFORD LIONS 55-59
5TH: RICHMOND ANGELS 52-62
5TH: AUGUSTA LAKERS 52-62
7TH: BOSTON BRAVES 48-66

CHADWICK DIVISION

1ST: BOSTON RED SOX 67-47
2ND: BROOKLYN DODGERS 66-48
3RD: BALTIMORE ORIOLES 58-56
4TH: PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS 57-57
5TH: NEW YORK GIANTS 56-58
6TH: PROVIDENCE ISLANDERS 50-64
7TH: NEW JERSEY TITANS 43-71

The Yankees defeated Boston 3-2 in the ACBF Championship Series, claiming their 21st ACBF Championship since 1872...

ROBERT TATTAGLIA, NEW JERSEY TITANS OWNER

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BUILDING A COLOSSUS

Friday 31 August 1928

Story by Harold Lotts for the Los Angeles Times

Thanks largely to a 3-for-4, 4-RBI outing from veteran leftfielder Alton Finks, the Los Angeles Dragons clinched their second consecutive Pacific Coast Baseball Association Championship this afternoon, the 6-4 victory over the Phoenix Scorpions giving them an unassailable lead in the title race with just over a week remaining in the season.

It's a fact that has gone largely ignored by the rest of the country but has become abundantly clear during these last two PCBA seasons: the sport now has a new national power and it makes its home in southern California.

Not even numbered amongst the league's six original foundation ballclubs, the Dragons have been built into a baseballing colossus since their creation just twelve years ago and much of the praise for that achievement must be given to the ballclub's owner, founder and former field manager Kelvin Molk. A native of Sweetwater, Tennessee, Molk made his way to California fifteen years ago when the PCBA was still young and struggling to get a foothold in the west. A keen student of the game, Molk settled in the coastal Los Angeles town of Oxnard and it wasn't long before he had drummed up support for a second team in the region.

47 years old, Molk has a background in jazz music and brought with him fresh ideas on how to make a day at the ballgame an exciting experience for the fans, introducing musical acts and athletics events as "pre-game entertainment". Before long, his Los Angeles Dragons were outperforming and outselling their city rivals, the Barons. The peak of the ballclub's success has come during these last two years and Molk intends to see it continue on into the future.

"We have a solid roster of talent," said the Dragons owner. "Most of them are signed to long-term contracts so I can't see any reason why we shouldn't be able to maintain this standard in the coming seasons."

Molk has been very vocal in recent months about the need for an American national baseball league and was glad to speak on the matter today.

"Really, I don't know what is holding us back," he said, incredulously. "With the exception of some of the nation's south-eastern regions, this sport of ours has penetrated into every corner of the country. We've got the ACBF, the NEBL, the Texas league and the PCBA. What is stopping us from taking the best teams from each of them and forming a national competition?"

The Dragons owner was reminded of the ill-fated National Baseball League of 1870 and also the supremacist-type attitudes amongst a handful of clubs on the east coast that continue to exist today.

"That league folded more than half a century ago and yet in all the time since, baseball hasn't been able to get its act together," Molk retorted. "As for those Atlantic teams, I don't think they would be as resistant to the idea as they have been in the past. They need to be made to see that it would be in baseball's best interests for them to be involved. There's been a number of times when it's been discussed but nothing ever comes of it. I plan to change that."

Exactly what he plans to do, Molk did not divulge. Suffice to say, it will be interesting to see what the Los Angeles Dragons owner reveals in the weeks to come...

Standings in the Pacific Coast Baseball Association
as at Friday 31 August 1928

1st: Los Angeles Dragons 65-35
2nd: Portland Panthers 56-44
3rd: Sacramento Capitals 52-48
4th: Seattle Chiefs 51-49
5th: Carson City Rattlesnakes 50-50
6th: Phoenix Scorpions 48-52
7th: Fresno Wanderers 46-54
7th: San Diego Padres 46-54
9th: San Francisco Warriors 45-55
10th: Los Angeles Barons 41-59

LOS ANGELES DRAGONS
FOUNDER AND OWNER KELVIN MOLK

[ifspuds]

Love your writeups as always, kc. This is good stuff!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Love your writeups as always, kc. This is good stuff!

Thanks, spuds. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Three or four more posts and we should be at the stage where MLB has started up. Once I'm that far I'll be making a signup thread for board members to have a fictional player in the league.

[Lee]

Great stuff as usual KC, can't wait to have a player in the League!

[kenyan_cheena]

GOLDSTEIN APPOINTED NEW RED SOX GM

Saturday 15 September 1928

Story by Michael Franklin for the Boston Globe

A saga that had its beginnings three years ago reached the end of its latest chapter today, as the Boston Red Sox confirmed the appointment of 48 year-old Talon "Lonnie" Goldstein to the post of general manager.

"Lonnie" is the son of notorious Yankees owner Harvey Goldstein and the story of how he came to be the GM of New York's most hated rival is quite an extraordinary one. Back in '25 the younger Goldstein was the Yankees' #1 scout, having spent some twelve years on the organisation's staff. His keen eye for talent had led directly to the signing of most of the ballclub's premier players during that period. His father was not only the Yankees' owner but also the GM. However, he was six months away from stepping down from that role and it was assumed that Lonnie would succeed him. But in a move that shocked many, he instead gave the position to the team's field manager of seven years, Leon Tucci. To Lonnie's displeasure, Tucci had actively expressed his interest in the position and it appeared that his efforts had paid off big time. Outraged by what he considered a personal slight from his father, Lonnie resigned immediately.

"So this is how he treats loyalty and service, huh?" said Lonnie, shaking his head. "I turned down countless offers from other teams because I wanted to stay here and help keep the Yankees as the greatest baseball team in the nation. I wanted to help my father continue the proud tradition of success this club has established and I think I accomplished that task spectacularly. I expected that I'd eventually receive recognition, reward and acknowledgment for that, but I guess I was wrong. So I'll just say one thing and leave it at that. I will make that old bastard pay for this."

A couple of weeks later, Lonnie had signed on with the Red Sox as head of scouting, making no secret of the fact that his desire was to obliterate the team he had spent the previous twelve years more or less creating. His in-depth knowledge of the Yankee roster proved invaluable to the Red Sox and, in the opinion of many, they would not have been able to defeat the New Yorkers in the 1926 ACBF Championship Series without him.

Goldstein's role in the Red Sox organisation has been refined and expanded during these past two seasons and with the previously announced departure of incumbent GM James Franks, his elevation to the role was a logical one.

"I'm excited about the future of our organisation," said Goldstein today. "We've achieved great things in the past few seasons and I'll be trying my hardest to ensure that these successes continue into the future."

The Atlantic Coast Baseball Federation can now look forward to a matchup three years in the making: Lonnie Goldstein vs Leon Tucci...

NEWLY APPOINTED RED SOX GM
TALON "LONNIE" GOLDSTEIN

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Monday 1 April 1929

Redland Field, Cincinnati, Ohio...

There was nothing else quite like opening day.

The smell of freshly cut grass, the clear white of the base lines, renewed optimism for the season to come and the enthusiasm of the capacity crowd. These were the things that Robert Harrison looked forward to with the dawning of April each year and as he sat there amongst the crowd, ten rows back along the third base line as always, the Cincinnati Reds owner and general manager was reveling in the start of the new North-Eastern Baseball League season.

The blood of this proud ballclub ran strongly through his veins: his grandfather Joseph, mightily impressed having watched the Titans and Yankees at Elysian Fields, now some eighty years past, had brought the sport back home with him. It flourished in the Queen City and two years later, the Cincinnati Reds were born. Robert came into the world twenty years down the track, his own association with the team now more than double that period of time.

They were his Reds. True, it was his grandfather that brought them to life, but Robert felt he had earned the right to call them his. A twelve year pitching career had been followed five years after hanging up his cleats by a wildly successful fifteen year stint as manager that had brought the team eight NEBL Championship Series appearances and five titles. The role of general manager came to him soon after as did, with the passing of his dear father three years ago, ownership of the club.

Yes, opening day was always special but when your own grandson was having a career day, it tended to be even moreso. Robert cheered with the rest of the crowd as 21 year-old James Harrison, having already gone 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, hit his first homerun of the game, a solo blast with two out in the bottom of the 7th that made the score 8-2. Representing the fifth generation of Harrisons to have doned the Reds uniform, James was a strapping young man at 6'2", 190 pounds. He batted clean-up and played 1st base and as he finished rounding the bases, he tipped his cap to the crowd before disappearing into the dugout to receive the congratulations of his teammates. Robert felt a tinge of longing remembering the times all those decades ago when he had walked off the field at the end of one of his many complete game masterpieces and acknowledged the crowd's adulation in the same way.

A long-standing tradition, this particular Colombus-Cincinnati season opener looked to be in the bag for the defending NEBL Champions. Robert gazed out at the diamond, contemplating the place the Cincinnati Reds ballclub occupied in the history of this great sport, knowing that his family could not have been prouder.

Jogging him from his reverie, Robert's secretary Julia Simmons sat down next to him. She smiled, said "A man who claims to be the Los Angeles Dragons owner Kelvin Molk has come to see you, Robert. He just walked into the office five minutes ago."

(to be continued)

REDLAND FIELD, CINCINNATI, OHIO
OPENING DAY 1929

[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

"Kelvin Molk?" Robert's countenance showed surprise, puzzlement. Although having never met him or even spoken to him, Robert had followed closely the progress that the Dragons owner had made in California and admired the fashion in which he had built his ballclub from nothing into a powerhouse so quickly. As for why Molk would be calling on him, Robert was unsure. He remembered the story back in August or September when Molk had said he was keen to get a new national league off the ground but had heard nothing of it since and, to be truthful, had not thought on the issue since, either. Something to do with that, perhaps?

"Did he say what his visit related to?" Robert asked.

Julia shook her head. "No, he didn't. But he's a sharp dressed man, I will say that. Classy, too."

Robert regarded the happenings on the field for a moment, the crowd cheering as the Reds made the second out in the top of the 8th. "I'm sure he'll enjoy taking in the end of the game," he said, before rising from his seat and making his way to the office, Julia following behind.

What she had said about Molk was true. Carrying a brief case and dressed in a charcoal black suit, matching tie and fedora, Kelvin Molk presented himself as a stylish individual. He looked perhaps a decade younger than his 47 years, his visage showing a serious, business-minded manner.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Molk," said Robert, smiling and offering a handshake, which Molk accepted.

"Good afternoon to you, Mr. Harrison," Molk replied. "I've been meaning to visit Cincinnati for a while and it's nice to finally get here."

"Well, if you'd like we can have a look at the 9th inning," said Robert, motioning back towards the field. "Our boys have been on fire today. Would you follow me?"

"Sure," said Molk, nodding. "It was a dream of mine as a child to see a game here at Redland. The Reds were my team when I was young and your grandfather, he really inspired me. Might sound silly, but I don't think I'd be the man I am today without knowing about Joseph Harrison."

"That's pretty humbling that he had that affect on you. I have to tell you that I've enjoyed seeing what you've done out there in California. It's no mean feat to start from zero and create something so fantastic in such a short time. I'd like to congratulate you on your team's victories in the PCBA these last couple of seasons."

"Thank you, Mr. Harrison."

"You can call me Robert, just as long as I can call you Kelvin."

"No problem," said Molk, laughing.

They took in the rest of the game, the Reds giving the crowd a little something extra with an extended 8th inning that put four more runs on the scoreboard. They then retired the Greys in order in the top of the 9th, capping off a 12-2 victory. A number of those in their section of the crowd spoke briefly to Harrison before departing the stadium, expressing their happiness and saying how much they were looking forward to the rest of the season.

"So, Kelvin," said Robert, once most of the spectators had gone. "I know that you didn't come all the way from Los Angeles to catch the end of our season opener. So what can I do for you?"

"Your grandfather was a visionary," started Molk. "He was the first person to look at the potential of our sport and try to take it to the entire nation."

Robert nodded, knowing his suspicions about Molk's visit would soon be confirmed but remaining silent.

"Of course, we know what became of that," continued Molk. "But it's always frustrated me that no one else has gone down that path since then. It's been almost sixty years now since the NBL and in that whole time, no one has taken up the torch your grandfather lit. I know that Joseph himself expressed no desire to revisit that experience but a lot of water's passed under the bridge since then, you know? I think the time has come for America to embrace the idea of a national competition."

(to be continued)

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(continuation)

Robert nodded. "And if you asked me my opinion on that, I would say that I agree with you entirely. But there are others who wouldn't. Yes, a lot of water has passed under the bridge but just the same, a lot of people in our organisations have long memories. Some of them weren't even alive back then but the stories have been passed down and those stories have fostered a distrust in regards to the Atlantic. It's a definite "once bitten" case, is what I'm trying to say."

"I've been studying the issue for some time," said Molk, almost as if Robert hadn't spoken. He opened his briefcase and took some papers out of it. "I've looked at the popularity of our sport in the different regions of America and I believe that the idea I've come up with will revolutionise baseball and make people wonder why it didn't happen thirty years ago. If you just give me a half hour to explain my proposal, I guarantee that you'll be convinced enough to approach your fellow owners here in the North-East with it."

Molk handed the papers to Robert and he glanced at the top page briefly, certain words and phrases jumping off it and catching his eye such as "162 game season", "24 teams", "National League", "American League".

"I'm listening," he said...

...

"You've sold me," said Robert, cutting Kelvin off in mid-sentence 23 minutes later. "I have to say that this is the most concise, thought out document I've ever read on the future of baseball. You've given me another reason to admire you, Kelvin. However, you do know that in order to make this work, you'll need Goldstein's support."

Molk nodded yes. "I was planning to be in New York on Friday," he said. "I would appreciate it if you were to join me because I think it will improve the chances of this thing getting off the ground if we take the proposal to him together."

"I'd be glad to," replied Robert. They sat in silence for a time.

Robert smiled, chuckled. "It would really be something if, in fifty years from now, the historians can look back to this moment and say "That was when it all changed." I just have a feeling about this ... that it will be one of the greatest things to ever happen to baseball, Kelvin."

"That's all I've ever wanted for it," replied Molk.

The stadium was empty now, save for a couple of groundsmen. A slight wind was blowing as Robert Harrison and Kelvin Molk gazed out at the Redland Field diamond, contemplating what was to come...

[kenyan_cheena]

Sorry for my lack of activity during the last couple of weeks. I'll be making another post in the thread over the weekend.