Ban Johnson

Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 - March 28, 1931) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League.

Johnson was born in Norwalk, Ohio. As president of the Western League , he renamed it as the American League in 1900, launching it as a major competitor to the National League. He soon became an important member of the National Commission until 1920.

Johnson died at age 67 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

External link

• Baseball Hall of Fame profile