Kenesaw Mountain Landis

Kenesaw Mountain Landis (20 November, 1866 – 25 November, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922, and subsequently as the first commissioner of Major League Baseball. He was born in Millville, Ohio and died in Chicago, Illinois. His name comes from a variant spelling of Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia, the site of a battle during the American Civil War.

After being appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to the bench of the Northern District of Illinois in 1905, Landis dealt with several cases of historical significance during his career as a US federal judge. In 1907, he presided over a Standard Oil antitrust trial fining them $29 million for accepting rail freight rebates, although the verdict was later set aside. In 1918, he held the trial of a number of union leaders of the Industrial Workers of the World for violating the Espionage Act.

While serving as a federal judge, Landis was selected in 1920 to become the first Commissioner of Major League Baseball, serving from 1920 until his death in 1944. He is credited with restoring public confidence in the integrity of baseball following the 1919 Black Sox scandal by permanently banishing eight players from the sport for their involvement.

Also while commissioner, Landis suspended Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, prohibited baseball in Montreal, created the 40-man major league roster, fined teams and made free agents out of players for being "hidden" in farm systems, and oversaw the regular roster expanding from 23 to 25.

His detractors claim he perpetuated the color line and prolonged the segregation of organized baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1944, in a special election held one month after his death.

External link

• Landis' page at the Baseball Hall of Fame website (http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers%5Fand%5Fhonorees/hofer%5Fbios/landis%5Fkenesaw.htm)