In the wake of the 1919 White Sox scandal and the suspension for life of eight players, baseball saw a precipitous decline in popularity, especially among America's youth. To combat this, a group of World War I veterans who were members of the newly formed American Legion created an organization to promote teenage interest in baseball. Led by John L. Griffith, who became the first commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, the Legion undertook the revival of baseball. In the 1920s and through the Great Depression and World War II, Legion baseball continued to grow. By 1950 it had become the principal training ground for major league players. Since 2000, both the Legion and Legion baseball has been in decline due to a fall-off in membership and the rise of alternatives for aspiring young players.