The Erie Canal had opened back in 1825, changing the course of the city and transforming Buffalo into a major shipping port.  The combination of the Erie Canal and the invention of the first steam driven grain elevator by Joseph Dart propelled Buffalo to America’s primary grain milling center by the 1850’s. Two Buffalonians became President of the United States in the 1800’s.  First in 1850, lawyer Millard Fillmore and then former Buffalo mayor Grover Cleveland in 1885.

In 1900, one of America’s foremost architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed his first building in Buffalo, The Larkin Administration Building.  He went on to design several additional structures in Western New York, including the Darwin Martin residence. By the early 1900’s, Buffalo was the primary grain supplier, the second largest port for lumber and the second largest rail center.  Also, in 1905 Lackawanna Steel moved from Scranton, PA to Buffalo and suddenly the city became one of the country’s largest steel centers.   They Queen City of the Lakes was clearly enjoying what could be considered its heyday.

At this same time, Major League sports were just beginning to become important in cities across the country and had begun to insert itself into American culture.  In the first 25 years of the new century, professional baseball would expand from a single National League to add the American League and, in 1903, the first World Series.  The National Football League began as the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and was renamed the National Football League in 1922.  The National Hockey League awarded its first Stanley Cup in the spring of 1920.  Professional Boxing was also a major sport in the 1920’s with Jack Dempsey being celebrated as the reigning heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.

In 1894, a newly formed minor league—calling itself the Western League—was looking for a President. It hired Ban Johnson.  The name is a recognizable one among many baseball fans. Johnson would end up serving as the president of the American League from its inception in 1899 until he retired in 1927.  The successful establishment of the American League was the direct result of Ban Johnson’s fortitude, shrewd business skill, rigorous standards, along with some good fortune.

Johnson began his baseball career as a catcher and played both college and semi-pro ball with a great fondness for the game.  He was the son of a college professor, attending Marietta and Oberlin colleges in Ohio.  After college he became a sports editor for the Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette where he served for seven years. He secured the Western League job through a relationship he had developed with Charles Comiskey, who recommended him. Comiskey owned the St. Paul franchise in the Western League and liked Johnson’s strong opinions and baseball knowledge. In fact, it was at Johnson’s urging that Comiskey would eventually move his team to Chicago to become the White Stockings in 1900.

Johnson saw taking the leadership role in the Western League as a way to implement changes in the game of baseball that he felt were essential for its survival and success.  Baseball in the 1890’s was a rough and rowdy game with little respect for the umpires.  After Johnson became president of the league, he immediately mandated and enforced respect for the umpires.  He created an atmosphere at the games that provided family entertainment without the violence or objectionable language present in the National League.  Soon the Western League was recognized as the best minor league in all of baseball.

Jim Franklin, a Buffalo Alderman, became the principal owner of the Buffalo Bisons baseball club in 1891. When the International League was reorganized into the Eastern Association, Buffalo became a member.  Franklin owned a meat market on Niagara Street as well as being a Buffalo politician, and he became known as quite a promoter. On opening day each year he hired a brass band and had horse-drawn carriages that carried the players.  He was also famous for changing managers and being impatient with his ball club.  

The Bisons played baseball as part of the Eastern Association from 1891 to 1898.  Their best finish was second place in 1896.  Throughout their tenure in the Eastern Association the league was very unstable and unpredictable.  By 1899, Jim Franklin was concerned about the future of the Eastern Association and decided to join Ban Johnson’s Western League.  Johnson, in turn, was very pleased with securing the Buffalo franchise. The Bisons opened the 1899 season with high hopes, and the season could not have started better as Chummy Gray pitched a no-hitter.  The team won their first four games, but then slumped and never regained the winning ways. By the end of the 1899 season the Bisons had fallen to a 53-70 record and a tie for seventh place in the league. 

That October, Ban Johnson decided to rename the Western League, changing the organizational moniker to the “American League.”  He thought the name was more patriotic and would broaden the league’s appeal. In addition to the name change, he decided to reorganize some of the league’s franchises-- moving two smaller market teams, St. Paul and Grand Rapids, to the larger markets of Chicago and Cleveland, respectively. Johnson’s power was enormous.  He moved franchises, made schedules and signed players.  

Meanwhile, Bisons owner Jim Franklin was very excited about the prospects for his team in 1900.  He invested significant dollars in the franchise to prepare for their first season in the newly named American League, causing one paper to comment “He is spending money in a way that is astonishing to his friends.” The Bisons began the 1900 season strong, again with a no-hitter on opening day, this time fired by Morris “Doc” Amole. However, the thrilling opening day was followed by both winning and losing streaks as the team struggled for consistency.  Up and down throughout the season, the Bisons slumped badly at the end, again falling into seventh place with a 61-78 final record.

Despite the disappointing finish, Franklin had other reasons to be optimistic as the 1900 baseball season came to an end. For he knew Ban Johnson was planning on breaking away from the minor league system to become an independent major league, and so planned to go head-to-head with the National League. Thus, he was excited that his beloved Buffalo would be part of major league baseball in 1901.

In the fall of 1900, as Johnson positioned the American League, he decided moved three more teams to larger markets.  He dropped the Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Kansas City franchises and replaced them with Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. In addition to these deals, and unbeknownst to Franklin, Ban Johnson also held secret meetings in Boston regarding a potential franchise in that city, as he believed a Boston team would be necessary to earn full respect for the American League and to compete with the National League. All the while, however, Johnson continued to give assurances to Franklin that “Buffalo was in and not to worry.”  

Nonetheless, by November Franklin had become uneasy as he kept hearing rumors that Buffalo might be dropped from the American League. Thus, he decided to make a trip to the American League baseball headquarters in Chicago to try and get to the bottom of things, scheduling a November 20 meeting with Ban. Franklin and Johnson met throughout the day with Franklin selling all the benefits of a franchise in Buffalo, including the value of the upcoming Pan American Exposition. With the Bison’s Olympic baseball park near the fairgrounds, the opportunity to draw many fairgoers to the ballgames seemed too good to pass-up. The outcome of the meeting was apparently optimistic, as the Buffalo Evening News was able to report following the meeting that, “It now seems that Franklin’s wishes may be respected and that the Bisons will make the eighth club in the circuit.”

Another important founding member of the American League was the owner of the Cleveland Indians, Charles Somers.  Having made his fortune buying and selling coal mining properties, Somers was a millionaire at the age of 31 and so was also one of the league’s chief financiers. Not only was he the owner of the Indians, but he also helped establish clubs in Chicago and Philadelphia. Somers met with Ban Johnson in Boston on January 4, 1901, proposing to finance and own the Boston franchise. Together, and quietly behind closed doors, they agreed to put a team in Boston in spite of not having a ball park in which to play.

The Times-Herald in Chicago reported on January 14 that “Ban Johnson of the American League announces that the American League circuit may be made up of ten clubs instead of eight.”  Mr. Johnson went on to say, “We have not completed our plans yet, but I am ready to state that under certain conditions, I favor a 10-club circuit, we already have nine.”  Johnson further commented that he was not prepared to say that Boston would be in the league in 1901. Buffalo was part of the nine as Franklin had paid the $500 entrance fee securing the franchise a spot in the league. 

Ban’s comments in Boston presented a somewhat different picture to that which he shared with the Chicago paper, however. On January 16 Johnson told The Boston Globe “Boston is a good city. It is only a question of time, and unless our plans fail, we will have a club there this year.”  The following day Connie Mack signed a lease for land on Huntington Avenue for the building of a stadium for the new Boston team.

When land became available in Boston to build a new ballpark, to be known as Huntington Grounds, Buffalo’s place in the American League became tenuous at best, unless Johnson went to a ten-team league. And many baseball people felt a ten-team American League was not feasible. On January 20, it was reported in Boston that “Boston, it is pretty definitely settled will take Buffalo’s place in the league.” Johnson would not confirm the report.  It was also reported that Jim Franklin, Buffalo’s owner, would be compensated with stock in the Boston team in exchange for dispensing his team to Boston.

Somers and Johnson approved plans for the placement of the diamond and grand stands for the Huntington Grounds baseball field on January 23. They were given assurances that the stadium could be ready by April for the start of the season. This was the last of the stumbling blocks for the Boston franchise. Franklin would later surmise that Johnson kept reassuring him of Buffalo’s place in the American League because he did not know if he could get the right ownership in Boston and secure a ballpark in time.  Thus, Buffalo was kept as a contingency.

The ten-team league fell apart and Buffalo’s opportunity would crumble soon after. On January 28, 1901, Johnson sent out an official announcement, formally organizing the American League, a major league to rival the National League.  The announcement also listed the teams that would make up the new league—the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago White Stockings, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Athletics and the Washington Nationals.  The Buffalo franchise was moved to Boston.  Jim Franklin was shocked and felt double-crossed by Johnson.

Franklin attended the American League owners meeting on January 28, though not invited. “Franklin, President of the Buffalo Club was the sorest man in Chicago tonight,” the Buffalo Morning Express reported, “when he was definitely informed that Buffalo had been dropped from the circuit of the A.L.” Franklin turned down an ownership stake in the Boston franchise and his franchise entrance fee of $500 was returned to him. Boston also offered to buy the Buffalo players, but Franklin turned down the offer as he expected to keep the team together, whatever league they might play in for 1901. In turning down both offers, the Express reported, “Mr. Franklin says, it is very poor satisfaction and that he would much prefer to remain in the American circuit.”

Buffalo Bisons catcher Ossie Schreckengost was the only player from the Buffalo team to make the move to Boston and play for the Americans in 1901. He acquitted himself well, appearing in 86 games while batting .304 with 38 runs batted in. The Buffalo franchise returned to the Eastern Association and changed its name to the Pan Ams, recognizing the Pan American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo.  The team proceeded to finish in the cellar with a record of 45-88.  Franklin was extremely distraught over his bad fortune on losing out on staying in the American League and having a major league team in his beloved Buffalo. To make matters worse, in rejoining the Eastern Association, his team had had its worst season ever and the fans were very displeased with his ownership. On November 18, while at Crowley’s parlor—which was perhaps ironically located on Franklin Street—where he had likely gone to play poker, Jim Franklin died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 53. Buffalo’s flirtation with major league baseball sadly ended, as did the life of James Franklin.

The Boston franchise that moved from Buffalo became the Boston Americans. In one of their first big player moves they signed star third baseman Jimmy Collins away from the National League’s Boston franchise in March 1901. He came to the Americans, not only as their starting third baseman but also captain and manager. They paid him handsomely— $3,500 a year guaranteed for three years.  This was a significant increase over his salary in the National League.  

Jimmy Collins was born in Niagara Falls, NY in 1870 and his family moved to Buffalo in 1872, where his father was a police officer and would serve for over 30 years. He grew up in South Buffalo and when his baseball career ended he would return in 1914 to live the remainder of his life there. Collins was considered the greatest third baseman of his era and was the first third baseman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  He was enshrined in 1945.

During his first two seasons with the Americans he did not disappoint, swinging his way to a .332 batting average in 1901 and an average of .322 in 1902.  He also managed the Americans to a 79-57 record and a second-place finish in 1901.  The following year saw the team place third in the league with a record of 77-60.

In 1903, the Boston Americans were the best team in the American League, winning the pennant by 14 ½ games with a 91-47 record.  They played the National League Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, led by Honus Wagner, in the first-ever World Series.  In an exciting and tight series, the Americans beat the Pirates five games to three and were crowned the first World Series Champions. Americans pitcher Bill Dineen struck out Honus Wagner for the final out of the series, giving the World Championship to Boston and the upstart American League.  Other star players for the Americans on that first championship team included pitcher Cy Young and third baseman Jimmy Collins. Oh, what might have been?  Could Buffalo have been the first World Series champion in baseball history? At least the first manager to win the World Series came from Buffalo. 

The Boston baseball team, known as the Americans from 1901 through 1906, was renamed the Boston Red Sox in 1907 and was the most successful team in baseball until 1919.  They won five World Series Championships, including that initial series in 1903. The Red Sox opened Fenway Park in 1912 and had the greatest season in team history, winning the American League pennant by 14 games with a 105-47 record.  That year they won the World Series over the New York Giants to secure their second World Championship.

A left-handed pitcher named George Herman Ruth joined the Boston Red Sox in June of 1914 when he was purchased from the minor league Baltimore Orioles.  Ruth made his major league debut on July 11, 1914, defeating the Cleveland Indians with his solid pitching, 4-3.  “Babe” Ruth would lead the Red Sox to three more World Championships in the next five years with both his pitching and batting prowess. He went 18-6 in 1915, helping the Red Sox to the American League pennant.  The team went to the World Series and beat the Philadelphia Phillies in five games for the World Championship. The following season, Ruth led the league in earned run average by sporting a 1.75 mark to go along with his 23-12 won-lost record.  The Red Sox again won the American League pennant and this time beat Brooklyn in the World Series.  In one of the best World Series games ever played, Ruth won an outstanding pitcher’s duel, 2-1, in fourteen innings.  He shut out Brooklyn for 13 consecutive innings after surrendering a first inning run.

Boston won their fifth World Championship in 1918 as Babe Ruth led the league in home runs while also chalking up 13 wins as a pitcher.  The Red Sox’ Carl Mays defeated the Chicago Cubs on September 11, 1918, to secure that year’s World Championship for Boston.  Ruth pitched a shutout against the Cubs and set a World Series record extending his Series scoreless streak to 29 innings.

Babe Ruth was clearly the star of the Red Sox, and of baseball, in 1919.  Red Sox owner Harry Frazee could not afford to pay him and continue to produce Broadway shows at the same time, however, and so he traded Ruth to a certain team from New York. Boston would not win another World Series pennant until 2004. All of this wonderful Boston baseball history could have played out here in Buffalo instead, if not for the double-cross of American League founder and commissioner, Ban Johnson.