Will Harridge
Encyclopedia
William Harridge was an American
executive in professional baseball
whose most significant role was as president of the American League
from 1931 to 1958. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1972.
Harridge earned his start in baseball in 1911 when American League founder and President Ban Johnson
hired the railway ticket clerk to work for him. He was Johnson’s personal secretary from 1911 to 1927, and became American League secretary in 1927. He became president of
the American League in 1931, held that post until his retirement in 1958, and then was named President Emeritus.
Harridge was a modest human being who successfully promoted the league without personally seeking the spotlight. He was instrumental in convincing American League club owners to play an interleague All-Star game, thus beginning the mid-summer tradition that started in 1933.
Harridge faced some criticism for his involvement in allowing Arnold Johnson
, a business associate of New York Yankees
owners Dan Topping
and Del Webb
, to purchase the Philadelphia Athletics and move them to Kansas City
rather than allow local owners to purchase the team and keep it in Philadelphia. He is also criticized by some for his then "non-involvement" in turning a blind eye to the control that the Yankees had over Johnson and the A's.
Will Harridge died at age 87 in Evanston
, Illinois
, and is interred in Memorial Park in Skokie, Illinois
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
executive in professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
whose most significant role was as president of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
from 1931 to 1958. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1972.
Harridge earned his start in baseball in 1911 when American League founder and President Ban Johnson
Ban Johnson
Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson , was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League ....
hired the railway ticket clerk to work for him. He was Johnson’s personal secretary from 1911 to 1927, and became American League secretary in 1927. He became president of
the American League in 1931, held that post until his retirement in 1958, and then was named President Emeritus.
Harridge was a modest human being who successfully promoted the league without personally seeking the spotlight. He was instrumental in convincing American League club owners to play an interleague All-Star game, thus beginning the mid-summer tradition that started in 1933.
Harridge faced some criticism for his involvement in allowing Arnold Johnson
Arnold Johnson
Arnold M. Johnson was an American industrialist, businessman and sportsman, who purchased the storied but financially unsound Philadelphia Athletics baseball club and moved it to Kansas City, Missouri, in the autumn of 1954...
, a business associate of New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
owners Dan Topping
Dan Topping
Daniel Reid Topping was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to 1964. Daniel Reid Topping was the son of Rhea Reid and Henry J. Topping. Rhea Reid, the daughter of Daniel G. Reid, known as the "Tinplate King" for his vast wealth in the tin industry, was the...
and Del Webb
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
, to purchase the Philadelphia Athletics and move them to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
rather than allow local owners to purchase the team and keep it in Philadelphia. He is also criticized by some for his then "non-involvement" in turning a blind eye to the control that the Yankees had over Johnson and the A's.
Will Harridge died at age 87 in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and is interred in Memorial Park in Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
.