Interview with James Enright, Edgar Munzel, February 24, 1977

Partial Transcript: Do you recall when this was or what your impressions of him were at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Enright and Munzel reflect on Baseball Commissioner Chandler, both personally and as baseball commissioner. They also discuss a University of Kentucky baseball tournament in which James Enright officiated, and his interactions with Chandler in that capacity.

Keywords: Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Enright, James--Interviews; Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866-1944; MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; Munzel, Edgar--Interviews; University of Kentucky--Baseball

Partial Transcript: And we made a junket out of the UK tournament. I took, uh, Eddie Stone, who is now a very active and capable sportswriter...

Segment Synopsis: James Enright describes having breakfast at the State House with Happy Chandler. He also recalls a conversation with Chandler following a University of Kentucky basketball game lost to West Virginia, in which Enright officiated.

Keywords: College Basketball; Happy Chandler; James Enright; Referees; Sportswriters

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Enright, James--Interviews; Governors--Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: The man was very kind to me. In 1950, I'd only became a baseball writer in 1944.

Segment Synopsis: James Enright describes his ongoing professional relationship with Happy Chandler, dating back to the 1940's. He also gives his impressions about what led to Chandler's downfall as commissioner.

Keywords: "Lucky Jack" Larkey; All-star games; Minor league bus crash

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Enright, James--Interviews; Minor league baseball.; Williams, Ted, 1918-2002

Partial Transcript: Um, you mentioned Larry MacPhail. What sort of a person was Larry MacPhail?

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright offer their thoughts on Larry MacPhail. They also offer thoughts on Chandler's becoming baseball commissioner after being a politician.

Keywords: Baseball executives; Big Ten Football; Night baseball

Subjects: Baseball; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Cincinnati Reds (Baseball Team); Governors--Kentucky; MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; New York Yankees (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: But going back to MacPhail, I just happened to remember, uh, the flamboyant type of character he was.

Segment Synopsis: Enright and Munzel discuss the flamboyance of Larry MacPhail, including his alleged trade of a baseball player, the cash from which was used to build a bar at Yankee Stadium.

Keywords: Baseball executives; Baseball trades; Kaiser Wilhelm; Stadium Club; Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York City)

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Borowy, Hank, 1916-2004; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; New York Yankees (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Jim, wasn't, uh, MacPhail still with the Dodgers when he got Billy Herman?

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters discuss the legality of the Hank Borowy trade, as well as Happy Chandler's reasons for investigating the trade. They also talk briefly about the Billy Herman trade.

Keywords: Baseball executives; Baseball trades; Billy Herman

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Borowy, Hank, 1916-2004; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Chicago Cubs (Baseball Team); MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; New York Yankees (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: One thing you must remember about Happy, when he came into baseball, he made great friends with the Mack family of Philadelphia.

Segment Synopsis: Enright and Munzel discuss their relationship with Phillip Wrigley, also briefly addressing the relationship Wrigley had with Happy Chandler.

Keywords: Phil Wrigley; Sportswriters; Wrigley family

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Chicago Cubs (Baseball Team); Wrigley, Philip K. (Philip Knight), 1894-1977

Partial Transcript: Let me turn over to the, the Kaminsky's for a little bit--the other...

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters give their impressions of Leslie O'Connor, both personally and professionally.

Keywords: "Muddy" Ruel; Leslie O'Connor; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Chicago White Sox (Baseball Team); Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866-1944; Ruel, Herold Dominic, 1896-1963.

Partial Transcript: Did you have any contact with, with other people like Dick Butler and Mulbry? Did you have much contact with either of those people?

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright discuss the $500 fine that Chandler levied on O'Connor upon the signing of a questionable baseball player.

Keywords: Baseball general managers; Leslie O'Connor; Sportswriters; Walter Mulbry

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball managers; Baseball players; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Chicago White Sox (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Some of the other things that happened during Chandler's career, you might possibly be able to comment on, which you might have had some knowledge of.

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters discuss the player defections to the Mexican League, particularly that of Vern Stephens.

Keywords: Baseball strikes; Mexican League; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball players; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Liga Mexicana de Beisbol Profesional; Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball Team); St. Louis Browns (Baseball Team); Stephens, Vern, 1920-1968

Partial Transcript: The best one I remember is when he suspended Leo Durocher for conduct detrimental to baseball.

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright discuss Leo Durocher's suspension by Commissioner Chandler, following his feud with Larry MacPhail and accusations of his gambling.

Keywords: Baseball suspensions; Gambling; General manager suspensions

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball player-managers; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991.; MacPhail, Larry, 1890-1975; New York Yankees (Baseball Team); Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965

Partial Transcript: What kind of a person is he? That'll help.

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright recall their interactions with and give their impressions of Leo Durocher, acknowledging his skill as a baseball player. Enright describes an accidental hand-shake exchanged between Chandler and Durocher.

Keywords: "All-American Out"; Baseball shortstops; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball player-managers; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991.

Partial Transcript: Do either of you know--I don't know if he's still alive--Bill Corum?

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright discuss Chandler's alleged treatment of sports columnist Bill Corum, following Corum's defense of Leo Durocher. They also discuss Chandler's investigation of Fred Saigh.

Keywords: Bill Corum; J.G. Taylor Spink; Ken Burkhart; Sportswriters; Taylor Spink

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Broeg, Bob, 1918-2005; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Durocher, Leo, 1906-1991.; Saigh, Fred; St. Louis Cardinals (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Yeah. Say, just, just one thing in the firing of Chandler, I wasn't covering that winter meeting, but I've heard some stories...

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters briefly discuss the resignation (or, as Munzel calls it, the firing) of Happy Chandler.

Keywords: Contract extensions; Firing of Chandler; Resignation; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991

Partial Transcript: Let me go back to that a little bit--in a few minutes from now because one area that I'd really like to cover...

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters reflect on Jackie Robinson as an athlete, and as the first African American in the Major Leagues.

Keywords: Baseball Desegregation; Baseball Integration; Desegregation; Integration; Sportswriters

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball players; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Major League Baseball (Organization); Major League Baseball (Organization)--History; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Segregation

Partial Transcript: But on his ball club, there was, uh, there were some problems with the Dodgers. I think Dixie Walker was one of the, uh--

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright detail some instances of of Jackie Robinson's teammates being resistant to his being a team member. They also offer commentary on Branch Rickey's Innovation and baseball prowess.

Keywords: Al Barlick; Baseball executives; Innovation; Sportswriters

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball managers; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Reese, Pee Wee, 1918-1999; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Walker, Dixie, 1910-1982

Partial Transcript: Do you--going back to Robinson--do you, do you recall the first time he played at Wrigley Field? Were you there?

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters reflect on the first Major League games that featured African American players. They also offer their opinions on the baseball team owners' resistance to integration.

Keywords: Baseball desegregation; Baseball integration; Desegregation; Sportswriters

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball team owners; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball Team); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Doby, Larry; Integration; Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: You remember any of those incidents at all?

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright describe Jackie Robinson's personality, as displayed when he was playing in the Major Leagues.

Keywords: Personality; Sportswriters

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972

Partial Transcript: Let me go over one last area, if you'll bear with me, and that is, of course...

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright offer their thoughts on the baseball team owners who participated in the vote that led to Happy Chandler's resignation.

Keywords: Connie Mack; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991

Partial Transcript: Charles Comiskey.

Segment Synopsis: Munzel and Enright conjecture on the likely votes of Comiskey, Ryan, and Briggs in the round table vote on Happy Chandler's contract extension.

Keywords: Ellis Ryan; Sportswriters; Walter Briggs; Walter O. "Spike" Briggs

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Chicago White Sox (Baseball Team); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Comiskey, Charles A.; Detroit Tigers (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: How about William O. DeWitt, St. Louis Cardinals?

Segment Synopsis: The two sportswriters continue their discussion on the likely votes of several team owners during the round table vote on Happy Chandler's contract extension.

Keywords: Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; DeWitt, William O.; Giles, Warren C. (Warren Crandall), 1896-1979; Griffith, Clark, 1869-1955; O'Malley, Walter F. (Walter Frank), 1903-1979

Partial Transcript: How about Horace Stoneham? How are we doing?

Segment Synopsis: Enright and Munzel share their final thoughts on the votes of owners Stoneham, Carpenter, and Galbreath. Enright concludes the interview with his final reflections on Happy Chandler.

Keywords: Horace Stoneham; R.R.M. "Bob" Carpenter; Sportswriters

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball commissioners; Baseball team owners; Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Galbreath, John W. (John Wilmer), b. 1897