Couple of things about rosters earlier in major league history. For one, there was a 28-man active roster in the majors until early May from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Many minor league seasons started later back then, just as most of them ended by Labor Day, so in the days when minor league owners and fans cared how their teams did, expanded rosters early and late did less harm. Until 2020, teams could carry their entire 40-man roster during September. Few if any did, but most of them carried more than 25. In 1946, reportedly because of a federal law against firing people who returned from military service, people in that category could be active in the majors without counting against the 25 for (I think) the first sixty days of the season. But mostly what needs mentioning here is the situation before the war. I'm not sure whether there really was a 25-man active list then, but if there was, few teams filled it. Even those with larger rosters could save money by not taking everyone with them on road trips. I read somewhere that early in John McGraw's era with the Giants, the team didn't even have a full set of road uniforms. That apparently was especially true in Philadelphia, where because of the Blue Laws in Pennsylvania prohibiting pro games on Sunday, the team would take one-day trips during homestands. Famously, Connie Mack only brought two pitchers with him on one such trip, July 10, 1932, and Eddie Rommel pitched the last 17 innings of an 18-17, 18-inning win over Cleveland. (Lou Krausse Sr started and gave up three runs in the first inning.)
One thing I know about the pre-WWI era is that the roster limits that technically existed were largely ignored by just about every team.
In particular, Connie Mack never thought much of Ban Johnson's attempts to limit rosters to 15 or 16 players or whatever. Mack was famous for signing sandlot kids on a trial basis and letting them play two or three games, or, in the case of pitchers, throwing them in there to see how they'd do. That's one reason why the 1919 Athletics wound up with such a large roster.
I do know that there were attempts to hold roster sizes down going back to 1901, since I've seen the newspapers. If you look hard enough, though, you'll also find articles admitting that the attempt was hopeless. And it makes sense: there was simply no way for the league to enforce rules like that given what transportation and communication was like at the time.
Things seem to have normalized a bit starting in the early 1920s.
There was also a huge debate between Commissioner Landis and Branch Rickey sometime in the 1930s (I think) about the issue of the farm system and the impact it had on minor league pennant races. I'm hoping to do something on that one of these days, provided I finally get caught up with all these projects...
Excellent column. I tend to dive in like you do. You also offer some very good advice as well
Couple of things about rosters earlier in major league history. For one, there was a 28-man active roster in the majors until early May from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Many minor league seasons started later back then, just as most of them ended by Labor Day, so in the days when minor league owners and fans cared how their teams did, expanded rosters early and late did less harm. Until 2020, teams could carry their entire 40-man roster during September. Few if any did, but most of them carried more than 25. In 1946, reportedly because of a federal law against firing people who returned from military service, people in that category could be active in the majors without counting against the 25 for (I think) the first sixty days of the season. But mostly what needs mentioning here is the situation before the war. I'm not sure whether there really was a 25-man active list then, but if there was, few teams filled it. Even those with larger rosters could save money by not taking everyone with them on road trips. I read somewhere that early in John McGraw's era with the Giants, the team didn't even have a full set of road uniforms. That apparently was especially true in Philadelphia, where because of the Blue Laws in Pennsylvania prohibiting pro games on Sunday, the team would take one-day trips during homestands. Famously, Connie Mack only brought two pitchers with him on one such trip, July 10, 1932, and Eddie Rommel pitched the last 17 innings of an 18-17, 18-inning win over Cleveland. (Lou Krausse Sr started and gave up three runs in the first inning.)
Thanks!
One thing I know about the pre-WWI era is that the roster limits that technically existed were largely ignored by just about every team.
In particular, Connie Mack never thought much of Ban Johnson's attempts to limit rosters to 15 or 16 players or whatever. Mack was famous for signing sandlot kids on a trial basis and letting them play two or three games, or, in the case of pitchers, throwing them in there to see how they'd do. That's one reason why the 1919 Athletics wound up with such a large roster.
I do know that there were attempts to hold roster sizes down going back to 1901, since I've seen the newspapers. If you look hard enough, though, you'll also find articles admitting that the attempt was hopeless. And it makes sense: there was simply no way for the league to enforce rules like that given what transportation and communication was like at the time.
Things seem to have normalized a bit starting in the early 1920s.
There was also a huge debate between Commissioner Landis and Branch Rickey sometime in the 1930s (I think) about the issue of the farm system and the impact it had on minor league pennant races. I'm hoping to do something on that one of these days, provided I finally get caught up with all these projects...