- Posts: 274
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:00 pm
Mon Nov 25, 2013 12:38 am
the federal league was several hundred players being Curt Flood 50 years early
of course it got stomped out of existence and often led to blacklisting
Benny Kauff was called the “Ty Cobb of the Feds.” TO THIS DAY HE HAS THE 36TH ALL-TIME HIGHEST CAREER OPS+ (149), a great stat for comparing players from different leagues and eras. His line in 1914 for the Indianapolis Hoosiers is so ATG-worthy it's unforgivable he doesn't have a card:
.370 .447 .534 .981 in 667 PAs
He had a great arm as an OF, too: ranks 72nd in DP as a CF, in a shortened career
But although "allowed" to return to the non-federal-league majors, he was bounced from baseball the minute it was possible . . . by that unlovable old curmudgeoun, K.M. Landis:
"In December of that year, however, Kauff and his brother were implicated in a car theft. According to the criminal complaint, Kauff and two of his employees, James Shields and James Whalen, sold a car to Ignatz Engel after stealing it and giving it a new paint job.[14] Kauff adamantly denied the charges, claiming he didn't know the car was stolen.[12] Specifically, he claimed that Shields and Whalen had given him what turned out to be a false bill of sale, thus leading him to believe the car had been acquired legally.[14] After only 55 games in 1920, the Giants traded him to Toronto of the International League. As it turned out, he would never play another major league game.[7]
Acquittal and banishment
"Kauff was slated to return to the Giants in 1921, but Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Kauff until his auto theft case was resolved. The case finally went to trial on May 10, 1921. Kauff argued that he had not only been deceived by crooked employees, but also presented evidence that showed he had been eating dinner with his wife when he was alleged to have stolen the car. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before acquitting Kauff on May 13, 1921.[15]
"Nonetheless, Landis refused to reinstate him. In a letter to Kauff, Landis said that even though he was acquitted, the trial revealed serious questions about his character and reputation that would raise questions about baseball's integrity if he were ever allowed to play again. He also told baseball writer Fred Lieb that he personally believed Kauff was guilty, and claimed his acquittal "smelled to high heaven" and was "one of the worst miscarriages of justice that ever came under my observation." [12] According to Kauff's attorney, Emil Fuchs (who would go on to own the Boston Braves), another factor in Landis' refusal to reinstate Kauff was that Kauff tried to compensate Engel for the purchase price of the car after finding out it was stolen--something which Kauff had done on Fuchs' advice.[15] Kauff appealed his banishment in court on the basis of his acquittal, but to no avail.[7] On January 17, 1922, he lost his appeal to a higher court.[16]"
of course it got stomped out of existence and often led to blacklisting
Benny Kauff was called the “Ty Cobb of the Feds.” TO THIS DAY HE HAS THE 36TH ALL-TIME HIGHEST CAREER OPS+ (149), a great stat for comparing players from different leagues and eras. His line in 1914 for the Indianapolis Hoosiers is so ATG-worthy it's unforgivable he doesn't have a card:
.370 .447 .534 .981 in 667 PAs
He had a great arm as an OF, too: ranks 72nd in DP as a CF, in a shortened career
But although "allowed" to return to the non-federal-league majors, he was bounced from baseball the minute it was possible . . . by that unlovable old curmudgeoun, K.M. Landis:
"In December of that year, however, Kauff and his brother were implicated in a car theft. According to the criminal complaint, Kauff and two of his employees, James Shields and James Whalen, sold a car to Ignatz Engel after stealing it and giving it a new paint job.[14] Kauff adamantly denied the charges, claiming he didn't know the car was stolen.[12] Specifically, he claimed that Shields and Whalen had given him what turned out to be a false bill of sale, thus leading him to believe the car had been acquired legally.[14] After only 55 games in 1920, the Giants traded him to Toronto of the International League. As it turned out, he would never play another major league game.[7]
Acquittal and banishment
"Kauff was slated to return to the Giants in 1921, but Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Kauff until his auto theft case was resolved. The case finally went to trial on May 10, 1921. Kauff argued that he had not only been deceived by crooked employees, but also presented evidence that showed he had been eating dinner with his wife when he was alleged to have stolen the car. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before acquitting Kauff on May 13, 1921.[15]
"Nonetheless, Landis refused to reinstate him. In a letter to Kauff, Landis said that even though he was acquitted, the trial revealed serious questions about his character and reputation that would raise questions about baseball's integrity if he were ever allowed to play again. He also told baseball writer Fred Lieb that he personally believed Kauff was guilty, and claimed his acquittal "smelled to high heaven" and was "one of the worst miscarriages of justice that ever came under my observation." [12] According to Kauff's attorney, Emil Fuchs (who would go on to own the Boston Braves), another factor in Landis' refusal to reinstate Kauff was that Kauff tried to compensate Engel for the purchase price of the car after finding out it was stolen--something which Kauff had done on Fuchs' advice.[15] Kauff appealed his banishment in court on the basis of his acquittal, but to no avail.[7] On January 17, 1922, he lost his appeal to a higher court.[16]"