Commissioner Landis Bans Phillies Owner William Cox for Gambling

On November 23, 1943, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis declared Phillies owner William D. Cox permanently ineligible to hold office or employment in organized baseball. Cox had bet on his own team, and Landis, the iron-fisted commissioner who had banned the eight Black Sox players two decades earlier, treated the offense with identical severity.

The investigation began when Phillies manager Bucky Harris, after being fired by Cox during the season, told the commissioner's office that the owner had been placing wagers on Philadelphia games. Cox admitted making what he called "sentimental" bets on the Phillies, estimating approximately 15 to 20 wagers ranging from $25 to $100 per game. He claimed he did not know it was against the rules. Landis did not find the defense persuasive.

Cox had purchased the Phillies earlier that year for a reported $80,000. He was 33 years old and had owned the club for less than a full season. The ban made him the first team owner expelled from baseball by a commissioner. He appealed 11 days later without success.

The expulsion opened the door for the Carpenter family of Wilmington, Delaware to purchase the Phillies. Bob Carpenter, just 28 years old, became the club's new president and began the process of rebuilding a franchise that had been one of the weakest in the National League for decades. Under the Carpenter family's ownership, the Phillies developed the "Whiz Kids" team that won the 1950 NL pennant, ending a 35-year drought and giving Philadelphia fans their first taste of October baseball since 1915.