Bill Text: IL HR1049 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Recognizes the legacy of the Comiskey family and the family's contribution to the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois and honors the history made by Grace and Dorothy Comiskey as two of the first women to have served as owners of a Major League Baseball team.

Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 6-3)

Status: (Passed) 2012-05-16 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael W. Tryon [HR1049 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HR1049-Introduced.html


HR1049LRB097 21159 GRL 68643 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, In 1900, Charles "The Old Roman" Comiskey became
3involved in the birth and development of the American League;
4in January of 1900, Comiskey became the owner of the Chicago
5White Stockings and moved the franchise to Chicago to be a part
6of the newly formed League; and
7 WHEREAS, As the White Stockings, the team played the
8first-ever game of the American League on April 21, 1900; and
9 WHEREAS, The people of Chicago soon shortened the team's
10name to "White Sox"; the new name was accepted by the Comiskey
11family and eventually became the team's official name; and
12 WHEREAS, In 1910, Charles Comiskey oversaw the building of
13Comiskey Park, the home of the White Sox for more than 8
14decades; Comiskey served as the owner of the team until his
15death in 1931; and
16 WHEREAS, J. Louis Comiskey, Charles' only child, inherited
17and owned the team until his death in 1939; ownership of the
18Chicago White Sox was then passed onto his wife, Grace; and
19 WHEREAS, Grace Comiskey served as the owner of the Chicago
20White Sox from 1939 to 1956; she was baseball's second female

HR1049- 2 -LRB097 21159 GRL 68643 r
1executive and the first in the American League; and
2 WHEREAS, Under the ownership of Grace Comiskey, the White
3Sox signed Minnie Minoso, the team's first African-American
4player, and Luis Aparicio, the league's first Hispanic American
5Rookie of the Year winner; and
6 WHEREAS, Grace Comiskey passed away in 1956, leaving the
7controlling share of the team to her first child, Dorothy
8Comiskey Rigney, the wife of former White Sox pitcher John
9Rigney; and
10 WHEREAS, Dorothy Comiskey Rigney, along with her mother,
11was a sports pioneer, being one of the few women to have served
12as principal owner of a Major League Baseball team; and
13 WHEREAS, After the 1958 season, Dorothy Comiskey Rigney
14sold the White Sox to Bill Veeck, ending the Comiskey family's
1558-year control of the franchise; and
16 WHEREAS, John and Dorothy are the parents of Illinois State
17Representative Patti Bellock; therefore, be it
18 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we recognize the legacy of the Comiskey family and the family's

HR1049- 3 -LRB097 21159 GRL 68643 r
1contribution to the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois;
2and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That we honor the history made by Grace and
4Dorothy Comiskey as two of the first women to have served as
5owners of a Major League Baseball team; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Illinois State Representative Patti Bellock as a
8symbol of our great esteem and respect.
feedback