It’s a complicated legacy. Baseball had lost all its credibility, and its fans, after the 1919 “Black” Sox scandal. They needed someone to clean up the mess. Landis said he would, and he did, but the owners had to agree to give him complete and final authority to make any decision he determined to be in “the best interests of baseball.” He, and successor commissioners through Fay Vincent, retained this authority, and occasionally used it (Landis especially). Then the owners got fed up with having an executive they felt was in their employ (a dubious claim, IMHO) tell them they could not do something they wanted to do. They were able to force out Mr. Vincent and install Bud Selig, one of their own, as figurehead. Now there are pro teams in Las Vegas. We have already had the cheating Houston Astros win a WS. Who will be this century’s Black Sox?
Ditch the Landis name, he deserves the negative reputation. And he never played the game, so why have him on the MVP? Plenty of deserving pioneers could have the honor. Robinson of course comes to mind, but his name is everywhere already. Makes it seem like his great accomplishments were the only ones being made. Maybe the trophy doesn’t need a name.
Check out “8 Myths Out” for some interesting reading about the Black Sox Scandal that might change a few minds…..I confess I didn’t know the Judge’s name was on the trophy. It doesn’t make much sense, whereas things like the Lamar Hunt Trophy and the Vince Lombardi Trophy actually are perfectly logical. (Yeah, yeah, I’m from Kansas City!)
Not going to be a popular opinion but I don’t like the idea of removing people’s names because by current standards they were racists. A great example is Princeton’s removing Woodrow Wilson’s name from a building on grounds that certain aspects of the civil service were segregated during his presidency. But he also also prevented it from extending into other parts of the civil service, ensured standard pay by duties rather than colour, ordered investigations into a surge of race riots and lynchings in the Midwest and North. By the standards of his day he was not a racist.
To carry this forward, if 100 years from now Rights have been extended to animals and there are people trying to do that now, do we remove Obama and Clinton’s names from everything because they weren’t vegetarians?
what a whitewash of history this is. Sorry but Landis didn’t create or perpetuate a color line. He didn’t write laws to remove it but he didn’t write laws to keep it in place either. He rules the league following the rules of the game and allowed nobody to break them — outside of that, the owners could do as they wish. In fact, that was one of the reasons he was able to hold the hard line on the rules and punish those who broke them.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member over 4 years ago
It’s a complicated legacy. Baseball had lost all its credibility, and its fans, after the 1919 “Black” Sox scandal. They needed someone to clean up the mess. Landis said he would, and he did, but the owners had to agree to give him complete and final authority to make any decision he determined to be in “the best interests of baseball.” He, and successor commissioners through Fay Vincent, retained this authority, and occasionally used it (Landis especially). Then the owners got fed up with having an executive they felt was in their employ (a dubious claim, IMHO) tell them they could not do something they wanted to do. They were able to force out Mr. Vincent and install Bud Selig, one of their own, as figurehead. Now there are pro teams in Las Vegas. We have already had the cheating Houston Astros win a WS. Who will be this century’s Black Sox?
jagedlo over 4 years ago
A “cool name” that comes from a Civil War battle…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kennesaw_Mountain
Ellis97 over 4 years ago
Black folks have quite a history with the ancient art of baseball.
Jimmyk939 over 4 years ago
Name the award after Branch Rickey
CitizenKing over 4 years ago
Ditch the Landis name, he deserves the negative reputation. And he never played the game, so why have him on the MVP? Plenty of deserving pioneers could have the honor. Robinson of course comes to mind, but his name is everywhere already. Makes it seem like his great accomplishments were the only ones being made. Maybe the trophy doesn’t need a name.
Godfreydaniel over 4 years ago
Check out “8 Myths Out” for some interesting reading about the Black Sox Scandal that might change a few minds…..I confess I didn’t know the Judge’s name was on the trophy. It doesn’t make much sense, whereas things like the Lamar Hunt Trophy and the Vince Lombardi Trophy actually are perfectly logical. (Yeah, yeah, I’m from Kansas City!)
CrgBeauregard over 4 years ago
Not going to be a popular opinion but I don’t like the idea of removing people’s names because by current standards they were racists. A great example is Princeton’s removing Woodrow Wilson’s name from a building on grounds that certain aspects of the civil service were segregated during his presidency. But he also also prevented it from extending into other parts of the civil service, ensured standard pay by duties rather than colour, ordered investigations into a surge of race riots and lynchings in the Midwest and North. By the standards of his day he was not a racist.
To carry this forward, if 100 years from now Rights have been extended to animals and there are people trying to do that now, do we remove Obama and Clinton’s names from everything because they weren’t vegetarians?
RonBerg13 Premium Member over 4 years ago
Hello 1984.
Timothy Madigan Premium Member over 4 years ago
what a whitewash of history this is. Sorry but Landis didn’t create or perpetuate a color line. He didn’t write laws to remove it but he didn’t write laws to keep it in place either. He rules the league following the rules of the game and allowed nobody to break them — outside of that, the owners could do as they wish. In fact, that was one of the reasons he was able to hold the hard line on the rules and punish those who broke them.