HAPPY CHANDLER SIGNED 3x5 Index Card (d.1991) HOF Dodgers HOF MLB Commissioner

APPROXIMATE SIZE: 3"x5"

MARKS / STAMPING: Hand-signed by Happy Chandler

ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Original

COMMENTS / CONDITION: As with all of my signed items, the signature is guaranteed to pass further inspection by any major authenticator, or your money back. See scans for signature quality and photo condition.

BIO: Albert Benjamin Chandler was born in 1898 in Corydon, KY and died in 1991 in Versailles, KY. Nicknamed because of his jovial nature, Albert "Happy" Chandler was elected Commissioner of Baseball in 1945. During his tenure, he saw baseball's color barrier fall in 1947 when Jackie Robinson made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers with Chandler's blessing, despite the misgivings of many owners. This makes him a key, albeit underrated, figure in the integration of Major League Baseball. One of his more controversial moments came that same year, as he suspended Dodgers manager Leo Durocher for the season for his association with known gamblers. Facing insufficient owner support for re-election, he resigned in 1951. Prior to his time as Commissioner, Chandler was Governor of Kentucky from 1935 to 1939 and a Senator from 1939 to 1945 (during which time he was a proponent of Major League Baseball continuing during World War II). He later went on to become Governor of Kentucky again from 1955 to 1959. Chandler was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

SKU: X03158

Item: X03158