When the National and American leagues drew up their “peace treaty” following two years of cutthroat competition for star players after the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, a governing body was formed to oversee baseball. The three members were NL president Henry Pulliam, AL president Ban Johnson, and Cincinnati owner Garry Herrmann. Herrmann, widely-respected enough to be considered impartial despite his NL affiliation, served for the life of the National Commission, as did Johnson; Pulliam was followed by his successors as NL president. The Commission saw baseball through a growth in popularity that brought with it a successfully-withstood challenge from the Federal League, but the triumvirate foundered on the Black Sox scandal. Herrmann’s resignation in 1920 broke up the Commission, and its function was replaced by the new office of Commissioner, filled by Judge Landis.
