post-script: One of the seminal events of the 1920 baseball season was the death of Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman. However, Chapman was not the only major leaguer to pass away during the season. On May 1, 1920, Senators infielder Joe Leonard died as a result of complications from an operation for appendicitis. Leonard made only one pinch-running appearance in 1920. An article in the Washington Post, May 2nd, states that he deferred the operation until the team arrived in Washington. He joined the Washington club in 1916, coming from Cleveland. He missed the 1918 season while serving in the Navy in World War I. The article notes that Leonard was one of the more popular players in the game, and his loss would be felt by the Nationals. He left behind a widow.

After the passing of his wife in February, Home Run Baker swore he would never wear a Yankee uniform again. His retirement in 1920 marked the transition of the game as his teammate Ruth redefined the home run.

The reports from spring training in Tampa, Fla. persisted as to whether Baker would reconsider and join the Yankees. Our Mr. Fitz Gerald with the Washington Post stated that “with Baker on the roster the Yanks would have one of the best hitting clubs in the history of the American League”. But Baker never appeared in Florida. There were reports on Opening Day that Baker had contacted Huggins by long distance telephone to discuss a return. Members of the Yankees expressed the belief that Baker would be on hand to join the team for a weekend series in Boston. As it turned out, Baker and Huggins did have a long talk in Philadelphia, and the Yankee third baseman could not be induced to play ball again. But in the end, as is the case with most personal tragedies, this too will pass.

In August, Baker agreed to return to the Yankees in 1921. But his 1920 sabbatical opened the door for a member of the eventual “Murderer’s Row” in New York: Bob Meusel. Baker remarried in 1922, and announced his retirement after that season. He returned to his Maryland farms to start a new life with his second wife. He hit 16 home runs as a part-time player in 1921 and 1922 to bring his career total to 96; a total Ruth eclipsed on September 10, 1920. And Mr. Fitz Gerald was right, Ruth and Baker did combine for more than 50 home runs in 1920. Ruth smashed the home run record with 54 as Baker tended to his family in 1920. As it turns out, both achievements deserve an equal amount of respect and praise.

Unfortunately, much of the article is illegible. I was lucky enough to have saved the 1920 season of The Sporting News before Google pulled the plug on the Paper of Record web site. However, some of the earlier seasons, like 1920, are not very readable. As you may suspect, most of what I could decipher read of such Victorian honor and valor to suggest that “this type of player (who throw ball games) we all know, ought to be tarred and feathered and run out of the country.” The author, Mr. Reichow, continues:

Why shouldn’t the players take it upon themselves to (illegible) the crooks? I think they should. Baseball is their bread and butter, and a mighty thick slice for many of them. The game has given and still gives a lot of them opportunity to go (illegible), to buy automobiles, oil leases and farms, and it will continue to do so as it remains on the square. The players who are getting their share of the plum today ought to make it a (illegible) to keep the game on the square for the boys who are growing up hoping some day to wear uniforms in the major leagues. Baseball gives players a national reputation, which is another reason why they ought to take a hand in cleaning it of dishonest players, if there are any present.

I am not going to turn this into another soapbox about performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, but it struck me kind of funny that the very same statements from nearly 90 years ago are being made by some today.