John J. Pershing

John Joseph Pershing, also known as "Black Jack", was an American military officer who would rise to the rank of "General of the Armies", leading American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I.

After the conclusion of the war, Pershing accepted an offer from several owners of American and National League teams to become the first Commissioner in the newly restructured Major League Baseball. Pershing would lead the organization after the Black Sox Scandal, where eight players were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series on behalf of gambling. Pershing would expel the players and enact a strict code of conduct to ensure this would not happen again. Pershing would lead with two lower officials that acted as consuls: Theodore Roosevelt and Keenesaw Mountain Landis. Pershing would oversee a new "home run" era that saw legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig rise to prominence.

In 1929, Pershing formally announced that the "color line" would be lifted, and African Americans could participate in the sport alongside their white counterparts.