Turn back the clock … 1943: owner William Cox, the last man banned before Pete Rose

Baseball Digest, August, 2004 by Jerome Holtzman

Landis suspended Cox on November 23. Two weeks later Cox recanted and appealed the decision. In Landis' final hearing, on December 4 in New York, Harris testified he was in the office when he overheard Cox's secretary, Dorothy Massey, making a phone call asking for the odds on that day's game.

When she completed the call, Harris asked, "What were the odds?" and she replied, '13-5 on Brooklyn.'

"I said to her, 'Do you mean to tell me that Mr. Cox is betting on baseball?' She looked startled and said, 'I thought you knew that.'"

Cox, who was described as an "astute business man," alienated his board. Nathan Alexander, who was among his Investors, had a laundry list of 50 grievances. Among other indiscretions, he said Cox took a $25,000 salary after he had agreed to a $5,000 wage, that he had purchased a minor league pitcher for $20,000 without seeing him, and had acquired a shortstop after Harris had advised against it.

The board of directors accepted Cox's resignation the day before Landis had announced his suspension. Two weeks later, Cox appealed and asked Landis for another hearing, which was held on December 4 in New York. Cox did not attend but was represented by counsel. In a rare move, Landis opened the hearing to the press.

Cox died in Mount Kisco, New York, in 1989 at the age of 79 and was the first non-player banished from baseball. Including the eight 1919 Black Sox. Cox was No. 16 on Landis' lengthy suspension list. Pete Rose, banned by Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989, was No. 17. Nobody on the suspended list has yet to be reinstated.

Jerome Holtzman is the Historian for Major League Baseball and writes for mlb.com