American League "To Speed Up Ball Games"

To Speed Up Ball Games
Ban Johnson Declares Unnecessary Delays Must Cease

Ball games in the American League will be speeded up hereafter, according to President Johnson, who has instructed his umpires not to tolerate any unnecessary delays. The order today is the outgrowth of a complaint made by President Comiskey of the Chicago Americans, who said that protests of some managers and players about the condition of the ball in recent games has made it to necessary to play two hours or more.

The New York Times, September 2, 1917