 In fact, he had acquired so much renown that in 1907 the National League offered him the presidency of the league.Richter declined the offer, wanting instead to promote baseball "by lift(ing) the game up to the heights" of a national pastime ("Reach Guide", 1926, p. 351).Richter succeeded in lifting the game to these heights, seeing the sport through its darkest scandal in 1920 after the Black Sox Scandal.