A (Watsonian) New Year's Message from the Commissioner

Happy 1925!

I wanted to send this message out to all of our fans, more than 18.5 million of whom came to see a game this year, nearly two-thirds coming to an American League or National League game. We were proud to bring Organized Baseball to thirty-eight states and Washington DC, as well as three Canadian provinces. Through our developmental league, fans in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic also were able to see high-level baseball, and though a post-season tour we were able to bring baseball to Japan, Korea, the Republics of China and the Philippines, and Taiwan. Below, I'd like to share our plans for sharing baseball with even larger audiences in coming years.

I want us to commemorate the coming sesquicentennial year in 1926 by reaching out and bringing baseball to every part of the United States.  Initial work has been done to establish several new affiliated leagues in parts of the continent that currently don't have Organized Baseball. It is my hope that in the 1926 season, every state in the Union will enjoy Organized Baseball, as well as most of the Canadian provinces, Mexico, Cuba, and Hispaniola, and as many of the American territories as possible. 

We have just finished our tenth season since the American, National, and Federal Leagues made peace and the the major leagues expanded to twenty teams. In that time, the population of the United States has increased by many millions, and the largest cities of Canada are similar in size as some of the largest ones in the USA. We're thus making plans to again add teams to the American and National Leagues, not to put an end to a baseball war but as a consequence of the benefits of baseball peace. We will be undertaking the process of identifying the right cities for expansion and preparing for four new teams to join Major League baseball in time for the 1928 season. 

Finally, we congratulate the independent baseball leagues in the Philippines and Japan on very successful seasons, and look forward to the upcoming seasons in those nations and in the leagues in the Netherlands, Nicaragua, and Mexico. In order to reinforce and encourage the international nature of baseball, we are beginning to explore a World Cup of Baseball. Because we are in the initial stages, we cannot yet say when this tournament would be held--it could be as early as the Fall of 1926, associated with the Olympic year of 1928, or in 1930. We will of course keep our fans around the world informed!

We wish a harmonious and peaceful 1925 for all, even football fans.

Yours,

-The Commissioner