Need help with a CDV. Baseball Commissioner?

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Posted By: Matt Hart

I just picked this up this morning and can't seem to find anything on him. Does anyone know if he was a League President or Comm?
Thanks for the help.
Matt

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Posted By: davidcycleback

There were A, AA and other lower leagues around the US, each with a commissioner.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Well he didn't sign that, I don't think. He wouldn't have written on there when he died...

I can't decipher the last name. What you need is a Spalding Guide from about 1902. Look at each of the minor leagues and see who the commissioner was. If the guy sat in New York, then I'd first look at the Eastern League, the International League, the New York State League, the Pony League....

FW

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

The name does not come up in a search of the online Spalding guides.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

What name or names did you search?? I can't figure out if that last name starts with an S or an L or what... and I think there must be an I in there somewhere because of that dot, I think it's a tittle, but maybe it is just an errant dot.

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Posted By: Jim VB

I assumed the name on the card was Barry Linden. That makes it a difficult Google search.

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Posted By: Matt Hart

Thanks for the help so far. I think the name is Barry Linden as well.
If anyone comes up with anything, please let me know
Thanks
Matt

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Posted By: Rob D.

I once knew a guy named Barry Linden who somehow bore a striking resemblance to Cy and Irv Young, but I know that doesn't help much here.

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Posted By: Jim

There is a baseball field/city park in NYC called Linden Park. I emailed NYC Parks and Rec to see if they have a history of how the park was named. When they respond, I'll let you know.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

An answer from the www.nycgovparks.org site although it is not much help...

"Linden Playground - Bounded by Linden Boulevard, Stanley Avenue, Vermont Street, and Wyona Avenue, this park takes its name from Linden Boulevard...Although it is unclear when the street assumed its present name, Linden Boulevard, the name itself comes from the American linden trees (Tilia americana) that line the boulevard."

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Posted By: Matt Hart

Jim and Kevin,
Thanks for the help. It is appreciated.
Matt

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

I also scanned my copy of The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball and found no one by that name as either a league president or team manager.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, by Johnson and Wolff, starts its coverage with the 1902 season. We're looking for 1890 to about 1902 or 1903... my copy only lists league presidents, not Commissioners. We still need a Spalding Guide or Record for 1901, 1902...

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Posted By: Rhys

My guess is that this person was not actually a Baseball "Commissioner". I dont think there was such a thing as a Commissioner in any Baseball League until Landis. I think the person who wrote this identification did so years and years after the fact and was using a term that was in existance in regards to Baseball when the ID was written, but not actually a position which existed between 1890-1902. I could be wrong but I have never seen that term used before 1920 in Baseball, just League Presidents. He could also have been a big guy in a small league and that was just the Family's terms used to remember a relative from long ago. I have searched all my resources and can find nobody with that name so I am thinking the latter is the most likely scenario. More often than not people's opinions and facts about past family members are much exaggerated and usually wrong.

Rhys

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Rhys has kinda hammered the nail through the plank!!! I think he's right on all that he says. All that is left is to find a reference to this guy in the 1890s.

FW

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

Frank:

I don't know what version of The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball you are using, but my second edition (copyright 1997) starts with the 1883 season.

Kevin

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

1993. First edition, stated.

Seems Mr. Johnson and Mr. Wolff expanded their fine work in both chronological directions.


After Googling around a bit, I see there's a 3rd edition dated 2007. And it looks like they added info on the major leagues, attendance figures, and affiliation, expanding even beyond what the 2nd edition has. I may well need to get a 3rd edition...