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Why Baseball Hall Of Famer Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis Once Sentenced A Man To Jail For 1 Hour
The notoriously tough judge occasionally showed a softer side
The very first commissioner of Major League Baseball was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a judge known for his severity and unblinking devotion to administering law and order. Prior to becoming the ultimate authoritarian for the National Pastime, he oversaw legal cases from the bench for years. Although he had the same reputation, he proved to not always be a hanging judge, as he once sentenced a man who had pleaded guilty to theft to one hour in jail so he could attend to his sick wife.
Landis, a United States District Court judge appointed by President Teddy Roosevelt, served on the bench in that capacity for nearly 15 years out of Chicago. He cemented his reputation as a no-nonsense jurist by fining Standard Oil $29 million. Such fearlessness in facing down big business brought him notoriety, even if his landmark decision was overturned later on appeal. He carried over to imposing harsh punishments on those brought before him in cases where they were accused of subverting American war efforts during World War I.
In 1920, Major League Baseball was just a year removed from the Black Sox scandal, where eight players from the Chicago White Sox were complicit in a plot to throw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. With the sport rocked by the clear influence of gamblers, and league presidents not wielding enough power, team owners decided to up the ante and created the position of commissioner to oversee the entire game.
Landis, as self-assured a man who ever walked the earth, negotiated his way into the position with a life-time term and ultimate power, essentially designating him the emperor of baseball. Serving as commissioner from 1920 until his death in 1944, Landis made quite a mark on the game, for better or for worse. He permanently banned the eight accused White Sox players, although they were found innocent in a jury trial. He cracked down on other activities like player barnstorming and bad behavior off the field, handing out bans and suspensions over the years like they were mints. Given his position, he was also integral to maintaining the game’s segregation. It’s little…
