Two Former Dodgers Reinstated From MLB's Permanently Ineligible List

Neither Magee, a speedy outfielder, nor Douglas, the 1922 National League ERA leader, is likely to be considered for Hall of Fame induction. Their best seasons came with teams other than the Dodgers. News of their reinstatement is unlikely to resonate beyond family reunions among their descendants after this week.

Yet Tuesday's decision also renews the focus on the early efforts of Landis to rid baseball of gambling in light of the scandal that engulfed the 1919 World Series.

In 1920, Magee confessed to Cubs president Bill Veeck he and Hal Chase (then members of the Cincinnati Reds) each bet $500 against their team in the first game of a doubleheader against the Boston Braves two years earlier. He was banned by Landis and played his final game at age 30 in September 1919.

Magee, who played 45 games for Brooklyn in 1919, played 1,015 major league games over nine seasons (1911-19). He batted .276, stole 186 bases, and played every position but pitcher and catcher.

Douglas, a spitballer, was leading the New York Giants, and the NL, in ERA in July 1922 when his career spiraled out of control. After a bad start against the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Polo Grounds, he got drunk, was arrested, and transferred to a sanitarium.

Chastised and fined by Giants manager John McGraw for his conduct, Douglas sent a letter to St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Les Mann implying he would rather throw games than help McGraw win a pennant. Later that month, Douglas confessed to Landis that he had written the letter, and promptly landed on the permanently ineligible list.

Douglas went 5-5 for Brooklyn in 1915 with a 2.62 ERA in 20 games. His contract was sold to the Chicago Cubs in September of that year.

Douglas himself later applied for reinstatement with Landis, but had his plea rejected. When he was commissioner in 1990, Fay Vincent refused to re-open Douglas' case at the request of his family.

Now, Douglas and Magee are the unknowing beneficiaries of a push by President Donald Trump to have Pete Rose's name cleared, a push Manfred acceded to Tuesday.