Clark Griffith letters

Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler was unanimously elected commissioner of baseball on February 25, 1945, just four months after the death of long-time commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Although Chandler was elected in February, he did not begin to serve as commissioner until November 1, 1945. This delay allowed him to complete his term as Senator of Kentucky.

Although he was elected to, and signed, a seven year contract, his tenure in office only ran from 1945-1951. Discord with the owners started almost immediately. Chandler wanted the same type of dictatorial control Landis had, but the owners wanted someone to carry out the rules, not make them. A campaign to oust Chandler as commissioner was led by three baseball owners: Louis R. Perini (Boston Braves), Del Webb (New York Yankees), and Fred M. Saigh (St. Louis Cardinals). Perini and Chandler had a conflict over the option rule. Webb's construction company had built a casino in Las Vegas for Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and it was reported that Webb had been given an interest in the casino. Chandler had this investigated as he knew baseball could not afford another gambling scandal. Saigh wanted his team to play Sunday night games. Chandler refused to grant approval for this. During all of the strife, Clark Griffith, then owner of the Washington Senators, stood behind Chandler's desire to retain Landis-type control. Griffith believed that a "commissioner's first duty was to the public and that he should rule with an iron hand. He should not be a puppet for the owners, and should be a supporter of the ballplayers. He should also have a legal mind and be willing to carry full responsibilities of the office." Griffith felt that Chandler was such a man, and started his own campaign to keep Chandler as commissioner.

A change in voting rules was instrumental in ending Chandler's time as commissioner. After failing to receive the support of the owners in a secret ballot, Chandler resigned on March 12, 1951.

Despite all of the controversy surrounding his reign as commissioner, Chandler helped white professional baseball integrate, signed the first television contracts for All-Star and World Series games, and instituted the players' pension plan with the proceeds from these television contracts.

With three antitrust suits against baseball, with Chandler named as defendant, the action of the owners may have saved Chandler from even more controversy.