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John K. Tener, President of the National League, circa 1916.
Credit: Courtesy the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, N.Y.
In 1912, Pennsylvania governor John Tener launched a campaign against illegal sports wagering in the state. The next year, he accepted the team owners' request that he become the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Tener served as commissioner without pay until his term as governor expired in April, 1915.