Charles Comiskey
Encyclopedia
Charles Albert "The Old Roman" Comiskey (August 15, 1859 – October 26, 1931) was a Major League Baseball
player, manager
and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League
and later owned the Chicago White Sox
. Comiskey Park
, Chicago's storied baseball stadium, was built under his guidance and named for him.
Comiskey's reputation was permanently tarnished by his team's involvement in the Black Sox Scandal
, a conspiracy to "throw" the 1919 World Series
. Despite popular allegations that his poor treatment of White Sox players fueled the conspiracy, Comiskey was inducted as an executive into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939
.
from 1859 to 1863, and again from 1867 to 1870. While his father would have liked him to become a businessman or a plumber, Comiskey preferred playing baseball. Over the objections of his father, he joined a local semi-pro team.
One story suggests that Comiskey's interest in the game was sparked by an event that occurred when he was 17 years old. According to this account, Comiskey was driving a brick wagon through Chicago when he spotted a game in progress. The pitcher was performing so poorly that Comiskey felt compelled to take his place. To discourage his son's obsession, Comiskey's father eventually sent him to St. Mary's College, Kansas
, where it seemed less likely he would have a chance to play baseball. Instead, he met the club- and league-organizer Ted Sullivan
, who already owned a team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. Comiskey played in Milwaukee and with the Dubuque
Rabbits, a club that Sullivan established.
in 1882 as a player with the St. Louis Brown Stockings
. He managed the team during parts of its first seasons and took over full-time in 1885, leading the Browns to four consecutive American Association
championships and a close second in 1889. He also played and managed for the Chicago Pirates
in the Players' League (1890), the Browns
again (1891), and the Cincinnati Reds
in the National League
(1892–94).
and move it to Saint Paul, Minnesota
. He had compiled a .264 batting average
with 29 home run
s, 883 RBI
and 419 stolen base
s. As a manager, he posted an 839-542 record.
After five seasons of sharing the Twin Cities with another Western League club in Minneapolis
, Comiskey and his colleagues arranged to share Chicago with the National League
, whose club (the Chicago Cubs
today) played on the North Side. The St. Paul Saints moved to the South Side as the White Stockings of the renamed American League
for the 1900 season. The American then declared itself a major league starting in 1901.
As owner of the White Sox from 1900 until his death in 1931, Comiskey oversaw building Comiskey Park
in 1910 and winning five American League championships. He lost popularity with his players, whose views of him became hateful, and that is seen as a factor in the Black Sox scandal
, when eight players on the AL champions conspired to "throw" the 1919 World Series
to the NL champion Cincinnati Reds
. Comiskey was notoriously stingy (his defenders called him "frugal"), even forcing his players to pay to launder their own uniforms. Traci Peterson notes that, in an era when professional athletes lacked free agency, the White Sox's formidable players had little choice but to accept Comiskey's substandard wages. She writes: "Charles Risberg
and Claude Williams
made less than $3,000 a year. Joe Jackson
and George Weaver
made only $6,000 a year. Eddie Cicotte
had been promised a $10,000 bonus if he could win 30 games in a season. When Cicotte closed in on the 30-game goal, Comiskey had him benched to keep him from reaching the mark". In one incident, he promised his players a bonus for winning the 1919 pennant - the "bonus" turned out to be a case of flat champagne.
Comiskey initially defended the accused players and, in an unusual display of largesse, provided them with expensive legal representation. While he ultimately supported baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
' decision to ban the implicated White Sox players from further participation in professional baseball, Comiskey must have realized that this ruling deprived his team of its top players. Indeed, the White Sox promptly tumbled into seventh place and would not be a factor in a pennant race again until , five years after Comiskey's death.
position behind first base or inside the foul line, a practice which has since become common. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Comiskey died in Eagle River, Wisconsin
at age of 72. The White Sox would remain in his family until 1958.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and team owner. He was a key person in the formation of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and later owned the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, Chicago's storied baseball stadium, was built under his guidance and named for him.
Comiskey's reputation was permanently tarnished by his team's involvement in the Black Sox Scandal
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
, a conspiracy to "throw" the 1919 World Series
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
. Despite popular allegations that his poor treatment of White Sox players fueled the conspiracy, Comiskey was inducted as an executive into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939
The 1939 elections to select inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame were the last ones conducted prior to the Hall's opening that year. Needing just one addition to complete the initial goal of 10 inductees from the 20th century, members of the Baseball Writers Association of America were once...
.
Early years
Charles Comiskey was the third of the eight children born to John and Annie Comiskey. He was of Irish descent. His father, popularly known as "Honest John," was the political boss of his Chicago ward, serving as an aldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
from 1859 to 1863, and again from 1867 to 1870. While his father would have liked him to become a businessman or a plumber, Comiskey preferred playing baseball. Over the objections of his father, he joined a local semi-pro team.
One story suggests that Comiskey's interest in the game was sparked by an event that occurred when he was 17 years old. According to this account, Comiskey was driving a brick wagon through Chicago when he spotted a game in progress. The pitcher was performing so poorly that Comiskey felt compelled to take his place. To discourage his son's obsession, Comiskey's father eventually sent him to St. Mary's College, Kansas
St. Mary's College, Kansas
Saint Mary's Academy and College is a religious school of the Society of St. Pius X located in St. Marys, Kansas, 25 miles west of Topeka.- St. Mary's College :...
, where it seemed less likely he would have a chance to play baseball. Instead, he met the club- and league-organizer Ted Sullivan
Ted Sullivan (baseball)
Timothy Paul "Ted" Sullivan was an Irish-American manager and player in Major League Baseball who was born in County Clare, Ireland.-Career:...
, who already owned a team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Comiskey played in Milwaukee and with the Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
Rabbits, a club that Sullivan established.
Baseball career
Comiskey entered the American AssociationAmerican Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
in 1882 as a player with the St. Louis Brown Stockings
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He managed the team during parts of its first seasons and took over full-time in 1885, leading the Browns to four consecutive American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
championships and a close second in 1889. He also played and managed for the Chicago Pirates
Chicago Pirates
The Chicago Pirates were a baseball team in the Players' League for a single season in 1890. The team played their home games at South Side Park . Their powerful National League rivals were the Chicago White Stockings. The Pirates recruited most of the White Stocking's players, and for this reason...
in the Players' League (1890), the Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
again (1891), and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(1892–94).
Managing career
Comiskey left Cincinnati and the majors in fall 1894 to purchase the Western League club in Sioux City, IowaSioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
and move it to Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. He had compiled a .264 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 29 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 883 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 419 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. As a manager, he posted an 839-542 record.
After five seasons of sharing the Twin Cities with another Western League club in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Comiskey and his colleagues arranged to share Chicago with the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, whose club (the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
today) played on the North Side. The St. Paul Saints moved to the South Side as the White Stockings of the renamed American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
for the 1900 season. The American then declared itself a major league starting in 1901.
As owner of the White Sox from 1900 until his death in 1931, Comiskey oversaw building Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in 1910 and winning five American League championships. He lost popularity with his players, whose views of him became hateful, and that is seen as a factor in the Black Sox scandal
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
, when eight players on the AL champions conspired to "throw" the 1919 World Series
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the best-of-seven format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series...
to the NL champion Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Comiskey was notoriously stingy (his defenders called him "frugal"), even forcing his players to pay to launder their own uniforms. Traci Peterson notes that, in an era when professional athletes lacked free agency, the White Sox's formidable players had little choice but to accept Comiskey's substandard wages. She writes: "Charles Risberg
Swede Risberg
Charles August "Swede" Risberg was an Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1917 to 1920. He is best known for his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.-Background:...
and Claude Williams
Lefty Williams
Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 World Series fix, known as the Black Sox scandal.-Career:...
made less than $3,000 a year. Joe Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson , nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early part of the 20th century...
and George Weaver
Buck Weaver
George Daniel "Buck" Weaver was an American shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago White Sox...
made only $6,000 a year. Eddie Cicotte
Eddie Cicotte
Edward Victor Cicotte , nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox...
had been promised a $10,000 bonus if he could win 30 games in a season. When Cicotte closed in on the 30-game goal, Comiskey had him benched to keep him from reaching the mark". In one incident, he promised his players a bonus for winning the 1919 pennant - the "bonus" turned out to be a case of flat champagne.
Comiskey initially defended the accused players and, in an unusual display of largesse, provided them with expensive legal representation. While he ultimately supported baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
' decision to ban the implicated White Sox players from further participation in professional baseball, Comiskey must have realized that this ruling deprived his team of its top players. Indeed, the White Sox promptly tumbled into seventh place and would not be a factor in a pennant race again until , five years after Comiskey's death.
Legacy
Comiskey is sometimes credited with the innovation of playing the first baseFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
position behind first base or inside the foul line, a practice which has since become common. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Comiskey died in Eagle River, Wisconsin
Eagle River, Wisconsin
Eagle River is a city in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vilas County. The city is known for being a popular "Northwoods" vacation town...
at age of 72. The White Sox would remain in his family until 1958.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of professional sports team owners
Further reading
- Riehle, Dave, Say it Ain't So, Charlie:The 1897 Dispute Between Charles Comiskey and the St. Paul Labor Trades , Ramsey County History Quarterly V39 #2, Ramsey County Historical Society, St Paul, MN, 2004..
External links
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