Harry Clay Pulliam

Harry Clay Pulliam
Harry Clay Pulliam, January 1909.
Born	February 9, 1869 Scottsville, Kentucky
Died	July 29, 1909(1909-07-29) (aged 40) Manhattan, New York City
Cause of death	Suicide
Resting place	Cave Hill Cemetery
Citizenship	American
Education	Juris Doctor
Alma mater	University of Virginia
Occupation	MLB Executive
Political party	Democrat

Harry Clay Pulliam (February 9, 1869 – July 29, 1909) was an American baseball executive who served as the sixth President of the National League. He served from 1903 until his death in 1909. He was president during the period in which the National League and the fledgling American League settled their hostilities and formed a National Agreement which led to the creation of the World Series.

Harry Clay Pulliam was born on February 9, 1869 in Scottsville, Kentucky. Early in his life, his father, a tobacco businessman, moved the family to Louisville, where he attended public schools. Pulliam received his law degree from the University of Virginia.

In the late 1880s, after working for newspapers in California, Pulliam became a reporter for the Louisville Commercial, He quickly advanced through the ranks, and was considered one of the leading authorities on the game and history of baseball. Soon after receiving a promotion to City Editor of the Commercial, he met the owner of the Louisville Colonels, Barney Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss liked Pulliam and hired him away from the newspaper, appointing him to the position of club secretary in 1890. In 1897, Dreyfuss promoted Pulliam to club president. Pulliam negotiated an ownership position of the Colonels. There he selected Honus Wagner as a player.

When the National League contracted from 12 to eight teams in 1899, the Louisville Colonels were dropped from the league. Dreyfuss purchased interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates and brought Pulliam with him to Pittsburgh. Through the efforts of Dreyfuss and Pulliam, Wagner and other key Louisville players moved to the Pirates as well. In his book, Wagner credited Pulliam with arranging for him to stay with Pittsburgh and not leave for another franchise. Wagner stayed with Pittsburgh until retirement.

Pulliam was unanimously elected president of the National League in December 1902.

Pulliam's most controversial decision came late in the 1908 season, following a game between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in which Giants first baseman Fred Merkle (at 19 the youngest player in the Major Leagues), standing on first base, saw his team score a run to win the game and became so excited that he failed to step on second base, thus nullifying the run and leaving the game tied. The excited spectators ran onto the field in joy, thinking the Giants had won. Home plate umpire Hank O'Day deemed it impossible to restore order on the field to resume the game, and ruled that the run did not count. Due to darkness, the game was declared a tie. His decision was submitted to the league president, Pulliam, who agreed with the umpires. The play was reviewed by the National League Board of Directors during a special session held in Cincinnati. The board's report issued on October 6, 1908, upheld Pulliam's decision and unsparingly castigated Merkle for his "stupid play"—a "reckless, careless, inexcusable blunder." The game was later replayed (due to the Giants and Cubs finishing the season with identical records atop the National League), with the Cubs winning to capture the pennant. They went on to win the World Series that year, and Merkle has been blamed for the loss ever since. The pressure of the 1908 decision resulted in Pulliam taking several months off, and his discussion of retirement.