1939 American League Agreement Signed by Kenesaw Landis and Every Team Owner and Secretary (8 Hall of Famers!)

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014

Baseball developed in the mid-nineteenth century from the British game of rounders. According to legend, Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright developed the game, and the first professional team was formed in 1869. During baseball's Centennial season in 1939, the "Lords of Baseball", the American League, including the Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis, The American League President William Harridge, and all Eight American League Team Owners, came to the sudden conclusion and realization that Western Union had been reporting and disseminating baseball details and scores free of charge over their wire for almost 50 years. The league decided that it was "time" to "pay proper tribute" to the "Baseball Lords" and a New Era in sports was forever born - one that involved the payment of monetary compensation which eventually led to the lucrative future network deals. Born out of this realization was a bound, extensive and thorough 16 page agreement between all eight American League Baseball Clubs and Western Union formalizing the wire service's exclusive rights to report the scores for all baseball and football games held in American League parks in return for a $24,000/year payment. An interesting part of the agreement asks that the wire service ensure that their relay is not used "directly or indirectly for gambling purposes"; how Western Union was supposed to do so is not explained. The agreement is signed on page 11 and 12 by 22 of the most senior executive baseball luminaries ever assembled: team owners Connie Mack ( a rare full Cornelius McGillicudy) (Athletics), J Louis Comiskey ( White Sox) , Ed Barrow (Yankees), Tom Yawkey (Red Sox), Walter Briggs (Tigers), Donald Barnes ((Browns), Alva Bradley (Indians), and Clark Griffith (Senators). Of course, baseball's Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis has signed, along with American League President, William Harridge. Each team's secretary has signed below their team owner or president including Hall of Famers Eddie Collins (Red Sox) and George Weiss (Yankees). Connie Mack's son Roy (signed Roy T McGillicudy) Preserved within this booklet for over seven decades, the blue and black fountain pen signatures are pristine, grading 10/10. That's a staggering 8 Mint Hall of Fame executive, manager and player autographs (and a total of 22 baseball executive luminaries) all together on one remarkable, truly unique piece of baseball history. Letter of Authentication from PSA/DNA.