John Heydler
Encyclopedia
John Arnold Heydler was an American
executive in Major League Baseball
.
, he began working as a printer, eventually being employed at the U.S. Government Printing Office.
He is reported to have recited Casey at the Bat
to President Grover Cleveland
, while presenting a drafted document for approval. Heydler later began working as an umpire
in the National League
from 1895 to 1897, and then became a sportswriter.
In 1903 he was hired as the private secretary to NL president Harry Pulliam, principally working to compile league playing statistics, a duty of every baseball league office. Heydler's work caused him to record much of the league's early history, and he became an advocate for new ways to measure player accomplishments; for example, he was a strong supporter of recording runs batted in
for batters and he began computing earned run average
s for pitchers.
On becoming the NL's secretary-treasurer from 1907-1918, he served as the league president briefly after Pulliam's suicide in 1909. As NL president again from 1918 to 1934, he hired the Elias brothers
to maintain as official keeper of playing statistics (1919), and he pushed for the selection of Kenesaw Mountain Landis
as Commissioner of Baseball
(1921), realizing the importance of an official who could keep the owners in check. Later he helped to establish the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1929 Heydler proposed permitting a tenth player to bat in place of the pitcher – a rule which came about with the creation of the designated hitter
in 1973.
After retiring as league president, he served as NL chairman until his death in San Diego, California
in 1956, aged 86.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
executive in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Biography
Born in La Fargeville, New YorkLa Fargeville, New York
La Fargeville is a hamlet in the town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 588 at the 2000 census. The hamlet is named after John La Farge, one of the early proprietors of the town. The hamlet of La Fargeville was once a village, but dissolved its municipal...
, he began working as a printer, eventually being employed at the U.S. Government Printing Office.
He is reported to have recited Casey at the Bat
Casey at the Bat
"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" is a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, it was later popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many vaudeville performances.The poem was originally published...
to President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, while presenting a drafted document for approval. Heydler later began working as an umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1895 to 1897, and then became a sportswriter.
In 1903 he was hired as the private secretary to NL president Harry Pulliam, principally working to compile league playing statistics, a duty of every baseball league office. Heydler's work caused him to record much of the league's early history, and he became an advocate for new ways to measure player accomplishments; for example, he was a strong supporter of recording runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
for batters and he began computing earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
s for pitchers.
On becoming the NL's secretary-treasurer from 1907-1918, he served as the league president briefly after Pulliam's suicide in 1909. As NL president again from 1918 to 1934, he hired the Elias brothers
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
to maintain as official keeper of playing statistics (1919), and he pushed for the selection of Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
as Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
(1921), realizing the importance of an official who could keep the owners in check. Later he helped to establish the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1929 Heydler proposed permitting a tenth player to bat in place of the pitcher – a rule which came about with the creation of the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in 1973.
After retiring as league president, he served as NL chairman until his death in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in 1956, aged 86.
External links
- Retrosheet - umpiring record