ROWLAND, Clarence "Pants"

Clarence "Pants" Rowland

ROWLAND, Clarence "Pants." (Platteville, WI,Feb. 12,1879--Chicago, IL, May 17, 1969). Team owner, manager, scout, umpire, league president, and general manager. The parents of Clarence Rowland brought their son to Dubuque soon after he was born. He attended PRESCOTT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and two years of high school. (5) The future baseball great earned his nickname during a baseball game playing for the Dubuque Ninth Street Blues in Dubuque. Wearing a pair of his father's pants, Rowland hit a long ball and raced around the bases. It is said the string that held of the pants began to loosen as he rounded second. He managed to make it home as he later said "by an eyelash." The incident led to his nickname, "Pants." (1)

Rowland's high school ended when he showed more interest in being a bellhop at the JULIEN HOTEL. He found time for semi-pro baseball and organized the Rowland Colts. These became the Dubuque Models when a local store offered the team free uniforms for the advertising they would create. Rowland rented a park that often sat 1,000 spectators with players earning from $4-$7. (5)

In 1902 Rowland attended a Three-I League meeting in Chicago in search of a franchise. Despite a lack of financial backing, he showed up at the home of Charles Albert COMISKEY and made his "pitch." Impressed with Rowland's attitude, Comiskey farmed out to Rowland a pitcher and out-fielder upon which to start a team. Rowland, however, did not continue with the team the following year perhaps thinking he was worth more than the $125 per month he received. He worked four years at the WALES HOTEL again taking the management position of the Dubuque team in 1908 at a salary of $140. (5)

In 1909 his team in Aberdeen, Washington finished third in the Northwest League. In 1910 his Winnipeg team finished second. (5) Rowland returned to Dubuque as the Three-I franchise’s manager and owner from 1911-13. (4) Getting the support of the city and raising $2,500 earned him the title "Father of the Three-I League" for Dubuque.

It was perhaps his making the acquaintance of or his work as manager of the Peoria Distillers that led Rowland to become an unofficial scout for Comiskey. In this way, he played a role in the lives of future Hall-of-Fame member Urban "Red" FABER. When Comiskey decided to change managers for the 1915 season, he shocked the baseball world by choosing Rowland, a man who had never played professionally and continued to manage the bar at the Wales Hotel during the off-season. Rowland's critics quickly found a new nickname for Rowland--"The Busher from Dubuque."

Rowland quickly proved his ability. Rowland might be credited with helping to make commonplace the idea of platooning – playing right-handed batters to face left-handed pitchers, and vice versa. (4) In his first year Rowland's White Sox finished 93-61, third in the American League. They finished second the following year. In 1917 the White Sox had a 100-54 record before defeating the New York Giants in the World Series. (2) WORLD WAR I took away a lot of the talent in professional baseball, and the White Sox failed to return to the World Series. Comiskey removed Rowland from his manager's role. The fact that he got away from Chicago prior to the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal probably saved his career. Rowland's record was 339-247.

Rowland umpired for seven years, but returned to the minors as an owner and manager. He also continued to scout.

Rowland was considered one of the sport's best team leaders. He restrained himself in dealing with his players and expected the same behavior in them. Few of his players, therefore were ever lost to any type of suspension. He "cajoled and jollied his men." (3)

In 1944 Rowland was the manager of the minor league Los Angeles Angels and received The Sporting News' title of #1 minor-league executive. (1) The same year he was hired by the Pacific Coast League (PCL) to be its league president. He remained in this position until 1954. (2) Before the American and National leagues had teams west of St. Louis, the PCL worked hard to become a third major league. Although the effort failed until the efforts of Walter O'Malley of Brooklyn, Rowland earned a place in the PCL Hall of Fame in 2005. (2)

In the mid-1950s, Rowland briefly held the position of executive vice president (general manager) for the Chicago Cubs. At his death, he was an honorary vice-president. (3)

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Source:

1) Wikipedia

2) "Pants Rowland," Baseball-Reference.com. Online: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Pants_Rowland

3) "Pants Rowland is Dead at 91; A Colorful Baseball Veteran," New York Times, May 18, 1969, Online: http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_R/Rowland.Clarence.Obit.html

4) Knight, Bill. "Some Baseball History to Think About as Spring Training Begins," The Community Word, Feb. 15, 2012. Online: http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2012/02/15/some-baseball-history-to-think-about-as-spring-training-begins/

5) "Career of Pants Rowland Sparking With Romance," Telegraph Herald, June 9, 1915, p. 12

Information obtained also came from an article written by Brian Cooper.