Books and articles about Joe Vila

A graduate of Harvard, Vila was sports editor of the New York Morning Sun. A sturdy, individualistic Bostonian, he was a strong AL rooter, but also one of the first journalists to print rumors of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Known for his enterprise, he reportedly once picked the pocket of the Boston NL owner to get a document for a scoop. (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » January 10, 1903: Despite attempts by John Brush and Andrew Freedman to use their political influence to prevent the AL from finding suitable grounds in New York, Ban Johnson, aided by baseball writer Joe Vila, finds backers. He also finds a ballpark site at 165th Street and Broadway. Frank Farrell and Bill Devery pay $18,000 for the Baltimore franchise and will build a wooden grandstand seating 15,000 on the highest point of Manhattan. The team, logically, will be called the Highlanders.