Rare 1899 Western League Season Pass Issued On Charles Comiskey's Account - Forerunner to the American League - PSA EX-MT 6

Sold For:

$1,260

Year:

1899

Auction:

2024 Fall

Lot #:

2478

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Exceedingly rare Western League "Season Annual Pass To All Grounds" issued for the 1899 season. Graded EX-MT 6 by PSA. The colorful design includes an illustration of a baseball player in a batting pose, with the year of issue (1899) printed in the center of an illustrated baseball located in the lower right corner. The name of the recipient (Burt E. Lineman) is handwritten in black fountain pen in the upper right corner, as is the name of the person on whose account the pass was issued: Chas Comiskey. The facsimile signature of league president Ban Johnson is printed along the base, directly above the pass number ("74"). The eight host cities of Western League clubs in 1899 are listed on the reverse: Kansas City, St. Paul, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Detroit, Buffalo, Columbus, and Indianapolis. The Western League was the forerunner to the American League. Comiskey was the owner/manager of the St. Paul Apostles in 1899, and the following year he moved his club to Chicago and renamed them the White Sox. In 1893 Ban Johnson took over the duties as president of the Western League, a struggling minor league. Under Johnson's leadership the Western League quickly flourished and by the turn of the century was considered the strongest minor league circuit in the country. Johnson was ambitious however, and in 1900 he changed the name of the league to the American League in anticipation of his next big move: declaring the American League to be a second Major League in 1901. The bold gamble worked. The American League was not only successful in gaining a foothold in major cities but also lured many of the top National League stars to its rosters. As a result, American League attendance topped that of the National League during its first two seasons. In 1903 the National League, realizing that Johnson's upstart league was here to stay, acquiesced and signed a new National Agreement that formally recognized the American League as a second Major League. This is both a rare and significant Western League season pass dating to the league's final season before being renamed the American League. The pass (4 x 2.5 inches), which is printed on heavy paper stock, displays light toning and is otherwise free of any significant flaws. Opening Bid $300.