Rickey and Detroit Judge George P. Codd contacted the National Commission, baseball's governing body, asking for the contract to be declared illegal.

[16] The Commission failed to come to a decision in 1912 because one of its members, August Herrmann, thought Sisler should give the Pirates the first right to sign him, while Codd wanted the contract declared completely void.

[17] After Sisler's junior year, with the time when he would play professional ball nearing, Codd pressed Herrmann for a decision, threatening to sue for triple damages.

[26] He helped the Wolverines hold opponents scoreless for 44 straight innings, personally striking out 10 batters in a row before reinjuring his arm in a game against Syracuse.

[27] At the end of the season, he had two hits, three runs scored, and two stolen bases in the first of two victories over the Penn Quakers that gave the Wolverines the 1914 college baseball national championship.

[40] Though Sisler's 24 errors that year led American League (AL) first basemen,[39] Huhn wrote that he demonstrated "significant improvement and frequent brilliance" at the position.

[51] Sisler enlisted in the army, joining several major league players as a second lieutenant in a Chemical Warfare Service unit commanded by Rickey.

[52] Undergoing training at Camp Humphreys in Virginia, Sisler was preparing to go overseas until the war ended that November, relieving him from his military obligation.

[58] In 1920, baseballs began to be manufactured with a tighter-wound yarn, and a greater emphasis was placed on keeping the balls clean, which made them easier for the hitters to spot.

After tying the old record on September 27, Sisler set the new one on a day that was coincidentally dedicated to him, in which he was presented with a $1,000 check, a $1,500 silver service, and flowers before the game at Sportsman's Park.

[62][66] Despite finishing second to Ruth in home runs, Sisler did not attempt them as often, as he was able to maintain a higher batting average by merely focusing on making contact with the ball.

[70] Though not quite as successful offensively in 1921 as he had been the year before, Sisler led the AL with 18 triples (tied with Howie Shanks and teammate Jack Tobin) and 35 stolen bases, also finishing fourth in the league with a .371 batting average.

[85] Sisler's .420 batting average remains the third-highest of American and National League (NL) players in the 20th century, surpassed only by Nap Lajoie's .426 in 1901 and Rogers Hornsby's .424 in 1924.

"Of course, Ruth's obliteration of the home run record drew all the attention from fans and newspapermen, while Sisler's mark was pushed to the side and perhaps left unappreciated during what was a golden age of pure hitters", Barrero wrote.

Sisler ensured he would remain with them by accepting the managerial position after the 1923 season, his worries about its effect on his hitting now counterbalanced by the uncertainty surrounding his playing career.

"[94] Returning to play with the Browns at the beginning of 1924 spring training, Sisler batted .324 in the exhibition contests and was St. Louis's starting first baseman on Opening Day.

[100] Despite his "player's manager" reputation, Sisler would still discipline his squad when necessary, as he proved in May when he fined Shocker for skipping and showing up late to several Browns games with no explanation.

[104] Ruth said on May 10 that the Browns player was "staging the greatest come-back ever known to baseball ... the league ought to strike a medal for iron nerve and give it to George.

[115] In August, St. Louis sportswriter John E. Wray wrote that "were it not for the surprising flash of Lou Gehrig, Sisler [batting .340] would have the first base championship of the American League wrapped up and tucked away.

[39] Hornsby, who had starred for the NL's Cardinals in Sportsman's Park for many years, now managed the Braves, and after spearheading the Sisler acquisition, he installed the veteran as Boston's everyday first baseman.

The veteran did not start any of Boston's first 19 games, but after the Braves suffered a seven-game losing streak, Sisler resumed his role as the everyday first baseman on May 11.

[134] In the second game of a September 10 doubleheader, Sisler hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, clinching the International League pennant for Rochester.

[144] Though he led his league in errors multiple times after his vision troubles, he was an excellent fielder before the ailment, and Lamberty refers to him as "[a]rguably the first great first baseman of the twentieth century".

[146] According to Bill Lamberty of the Society for American Baseball Research, a contemporary writer claimed that Sisler possessed "dazzling ability of the Cobbesque type.

"Ruth stands out before the world as the more striking figure because of the spectacular nature of his blows [home runs]", Wray wrote, but he concluded that "the cumulative effect of his [Sisler's] efforts would probably surpass those of his rival.

[161] Sisler and Rickey worked with future Hall of Famer Duke Snider to teach the young Dodgers hitter to accurately judge the strike zone.

Taking a job as the Pirates' general manager, he hired Sisler as his Scouting Supervisor, responsible for evaluating prospects within 100 miles of Pittsburgh.

[167] Acting on a tip from Clyde Sukeforth, Sisler journeyed to Montreal to see Roberto Clemente play, recommending that Rickey sign the future Hall of Famer.

[173] After spending eight days at St. Louis's St. Mary's Hospital, Sisler died in Richmond Heights, Missouri, on March 26, 1973, of kidney failure exacerbated by heart trouble.

[178] Soon a strong believer in its power, Sisler had spiritual adviser Dr. John Randall Dunn accompany him to Browns spring training in 1924, when he made his comeback.