John Mahon

John J. "Sonny" Mahon (August 1851 – June 19, 1928) was an American politician and professional baseball executive. He served as president and principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League in 1902. He was also a notable political boss in Baltimore, affiliated with the Democratic Party. Biography Mahon was born in Baltimore in 1851; his parents had emigrated to the United States from Ireland. He became a political boss associated with the Democratic Party, serving 14 years as a member of the Baltimore City Council. He was considered a Democratic political leader of Baltimore during his career. Mahon succeeded Sydney Frank as team president of the American League's (AL) Baltimore Orioles in 1902. The franchise would later relocate to New York City, becoming the New York Highlanders, and have been known as the New York Yankees since 1913. Baltimore's owners felt that AL president Ban Johnson was hurting the team's fortunes. When John McGraw left the Orioles for the New York Giants of the National League (NL), Mahon and his co-owners supported McGraw. In the meantime, Mahon purchased McGraw's shares in the Orioles.