Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The American League was founded by a few men, but two are largely given most, if not all, of the credit: Charles Comiskey and Byron Bancroft “Ban” Johnson. Despite what history tells us, there was a third gentleman who deserves just as much credit; and if Comiskey and Johnson were alive today, they would most likely concur – Tom Loftus. The three men spearheaded the idea of taking on the National League at a time when several leagues were trying to make a “go” of it. The Players League, the American Association and the Western League were the most noteworthy. With the exception of the Players League which lasted just over a year, all other comers were regarded as “minor” leagues, that is until the American League was hatched. In fact, the National League agreed to recognize the American League as a “major” instead of a minor league. But there was a lot of work to be done. Johnson, who wanted to create a league that would play a more fan-friendly style of baseball instead of the rough-and-tumble National Leagu