Jacob Ruppert
Jacob Ruppert | |
---|---|
U.S. House of Representatives from New York | |
In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1907 | |
Preceded by | Philip B. Low |
Succeeded by | Francis Burton Harrison |
Constituency | 15th district (1899–1903) 16th district (1903–07) |
Personal details | |
Born | Jacob Ruppert Jr. August 5, 1867 New York City, U.S. |
Died | January 13, 1939 New York City, U.S. | (aged 71)
Political party | Democratic |
Parent | Jacob Ruppert Sr. (father) |
Occupation | Businessman (brewing, baseball) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | New York Army National Guard |
Years of service | 1886–95 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | 7th New York Infantry |
Baseball career |
|
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2013 |
Vote | 93.8% |
Election method | Pre-Integration Era Committee[1] |
Jacob Ruppert Jr. (August 5, 1867 – January 13, 1939) was an American
Starting out in the family brewing business, Ruppert entered the
Early life
Ruppert was born in
Ruppert grew up in the
In 1886, Ruppert enlisted in the
Career
Political and business career
In the
Ruppert was also president of the Astoria Silk Works and the
Baseball
Ruppert, interested in baseball since his childhood, began to pursue ownership of a
After the 1917 season,
Ruppert and Huston purchased pitcher Carl Mays from the Boston Red Sox in 1918, in direct opposition of an order issued by Johnson. The matter was taken to court, where Ruppert and Huston prevailed over Johnson. The case led to the dissolution of the National Commission, which governed baseball, and helped lead to the creation of the Commissioner of Baseball.[3] Ruppert eventually organized opposition to Johnson among other AL owners.[8]
The Yankees purchased star pitcher-outfielder Babe Ruth from the Red Sox in 1919, which made the Yankees a profitable franchise.[3] The Yankees began to outdraw the Giants, with whom they shared the Polo Grounds. In 1921 the Yankees won the AL pennant for the first time, but lost to the Giants in the World Series. As a result of the Yankees' increased popularity, Charles Stoneham, owner of the Giants and the Polo Grounds, raised the rent for the 1922 season. The Yankee owners responded by purchasing land in The Bronx, across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds, from the estate of William Waldorf Astor for $675,000 ($12,286,879 in current dollar terms),[19] breaking ground on a new stadium in May 1922. That year, the Giants once again defeated the Yankees in the World Series. Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923,[3] the first ballpark with three tiers of seating for fans,[20][21] and the first referred to as a "stadium".[19] Ruppert and Huston financed the project with $2.5 million of their own money ($45,506,958 in current dollar terms).[22]
In May 1922, Ruppert bought out Huston for $1.5 million ($26,824,219 in current dollar terms), and he became the sole owner.[23] The following season, the Yankees finally beat the Giants to win their first World Series title. The Yankees went on to dominate baseball throughout most of the 1920s and 1930s, winning three more pennants from 1926 through 1928, including the Murderers' Row team that won the 1927 World Series and repeated as champions the following year. They returned to the top with the 1932 World Series title, and then began their strongest period yet with the Bronx Bombers teams of the late 1930s, becoming the first team to win three consecutive World Series titles in 1936, 1937 and 1938. In 1937, the Yankees became the first team to win six World Series titles, and in 1938 they surpassed the Philadelphia Athletics to become the first team to win ten AL championships, with only the Giants winning more pennants in the 20th century.
In 1929, Ruppert added numbers to the Yankees' uniforms, which became a feature of every team. He said, "Many fans do not attend games on a regular basis and cannot easily pick out the players they have come to see."[24]
in 1931, Commissioner
Ruppert and Ruth had public disagreements about Ruth's contracts.[27] Nevertheless, they were personal friends; according to Ruth, Ruppert called him "Babe" only once, and that was the night before he died. Usually, Ruppert called him "Root" (as "Ruth" sounded in his German-accented voice); he always called everyone, even close friends, by their last name. Ruth was one of the last persons to see Ruppert alive.[7]
Personal life
In 1894, Ruppert purchased
Death and legacy
Death
Ruppert suffered from phlebitis in April 1938 and was confined to his Fifth Avenue apartment for most of the year. He was too sick to follow the Yankees to the 1938 World Series, what would be their seventh world title under his stewardship; he listened on the radio. In November 1938, he checked into Lenox Hill Hospital, where he died on January 13, 1939.[7][30] He was survived by his brother George and his sister Amanda, and was interred in the family mausoleum at Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York.[25]
Legacy
Ruppert's father, Jacob Sr., left behind an estate of $6,382,758 ($142,000,316 in current dollar terms) when he died in 1915,
On April 16, 1940, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in Ruppert's memory, to hang on the center field wall of Yankee Stadium, near the flagpole and the monument that had been dedicated to former manager Miller Huggins.[33] The plaque called Ruppert "Gentleman, American, sportsman, through whose vision and courage this imposing edifice, destined to become the home of champions, was erected and dedicated to the American game of baseball." The plaque now rests in Monument Park at New Yankee Stadium.[34]
An apocryphal story says that Ruppert is responsible for the Yankees' famous pinstriped uniforms; according to this account, Ruppert chose pinstripes to make the often-portly Ruth appear less obese, but the uniform was in fact introduced in 1912.[35]
A beer was named after Ruppert,[36] as were Ruppert Stadium in Newark, New Jersey. Ruppert Park in Manhattan,[37] is part of the Ruppert Yorkville Towers housing complex was built on the site the brewery in Yorkville, Manhattan.[38]
National Baseball Hall of Fame
On December 3, 2012, Ruppert was elected to the
See also
- New York Yankees managers and ownership
References
- ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: "Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, Deacon White Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame by Pre-Integration Committee". December 3, 2012 [1]. Retrieved June 24, 2012
- ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: "Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, Deacon White Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame by Pre-Integration Era Committee". December 3, 2012 [2]. Retrieved June 24, 2013
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Maeder, Jay (March 2, 1999). "Jacob Ruppert The Old Ball Game". Daily News. New York. p. 2. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "Concerning The Ruppert Mansion & Ehret Brewery..." Forever Marxist. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Gouring — Smith. – View Article" (PDF). The New York Times. May 1, 1895. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "1927 New York Yankees: The Greatest Baseball Team Ever by Harvey Frommer". Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2008. "The team had a pronounced German-American flavor from its owner beer baron Jacob Ruppert to Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, George Pipgras, Dutch Ruether and half Germans Waite Hoyt and Earle Combs"
- ^ ISBN 9781608194926.
- ^ The Milwaukee Journal. p. 12. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "From Tweed To Croker. Do the Changes in Men and Methods Show that Parties in Great Municipalities are Growing Better or Worse". The Deseret News. January 6, 1900. p. 24. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ "Senator Hanna Pleased — Comments on China News and the Anti-Imperialists. Attempt to Establish Connection Between Philippine Troubles and the Boxers He Calls Idiocy". The New York Times. August 21, 1900. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "New York City — Bryan Carries It By About 28,000. Belmont Elected, Ruppert Wins: McClellan and Cummings Re-elected. Douglas Defeats Hill. Manhattan Gives Bryan Over 28,000 Plurality. Kings County for McKinley By Small Margin. Jacob Worth Defeated in Brooklyn. Van Cott-Creamer Contest New York City". The New York Times. November 7, 1900. p. 1. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "Democrats For Congress — Belmonts Turned Down for Sullivan and Hearst. Goldfogle, Sulzer, McClellan, Rider, Shober, and Ruppert Named in Other Districts — Several Conventions Adjourned". The New York Times. October 3, 1902. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "Col. Ruppert Buys Haffen Brewery: Sale Involving $700,000 Is One of the Largest Made in the Bronx. To Discontinue Business: Land on Which Brewery Stands Will Be Used as a Site for Modern Office Buildings" (PDF). The New York Times. January 20, 1914. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ Freeman, William C. (March 10, 1926). "Colonel Jacob Ruppert Authorizes Interview Which Expresses His Faith in the West Coast". The Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 13. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c Smelser, p. 194
- ^ "Miller Huggins to Pilot Yankees: Signed for Two Years to Succeed Wild Bill Donovan. Tom Connery Will Scout for Yanks. Under Huggins Cardinals Finished Third Twice in National Three Prominent Figures in Latest Major League Baseball Change". Hartford Courant. October 26, 1917. p. 14. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.(subscription required)
- ^ Wheeler, Lonnie (June 3, 2003). "Huggins cornerstone to Yankees". The Cincinnati Post.
- ^ Koppett, p. 85
- ^ a b Borzi, Pat. "End of a baseball era: Yankee, Shea stadiums taking their last at-bats". MinnPost. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ Livingstone, Seth (July 15, 2008). "For 85 years, history hit home in 'House That Ruth Built'". USA Today. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "New Yankee Stadium quieter, but an instant classic — Tom Verducci — SI.com". Sports Illustrated. April 16, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (February 8, 2008). "You Can't Buy the Naming Rights, but Call It the Billion-Dollar Ballpark". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Yankees Timeline". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
May 21, 1922: Col. Ruppert buys out Col. Huston for $1.5 million.
- ^ "Going by the numbers". The Washington Times. January 19, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jacob Ruppert – Society for American Baseball Research".
- ISBN 9780813521534,
Jacob Ruppert, owner of the New York Yankees, purchased the team from the newspaper publisher Paul Block in 1931. Mayer traces the Bears' exciting first five seasons under Ruppert and the building of a farm system that eventually produced the great Yankee...sprinkled with some of the great names of the American pastime: Ed Barrow, Paul Kritchell, Al Mamaux, Red Rolfe, Babe Ruth, Shag Shaughnessey, Bob Shawkey, and George Weiss.
- ^ "Ruppert Sets Ruth's Salary: No Compromise; Says Babe Will Sign for $70,000". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. March 12, 1932. p. 9. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ Williams, Timothy (November 20, 2007). "City Claims Final Private Island in East River". The New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
South Brother Island, seven acres of dense forest, bittersweet vines, flocks of wild birds and little else, is a speck in the East River — and a glimpse of what the rest of the city might have looked like thousands of years ago.
- ^ "Saint Basil Academy | Saint Basil Academy: The History of the Estate". Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ "Jacob Ruppert, Famous Leader of Yanks, Dies". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. January 14, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ "Jacob Ruppert Left Estate OF $6,382,758 – Held 1,000 Shares, of $100,000 Par Value, in Brewery, Appraised at $4,864,504. $72,000 Worthless Stock; Personal Property Included Many Valuable Horses at the Hudson River Farm". The New York Times. December 21, 1915. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ "Yankees Will Honor Col. Jacob Ruppert". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. April 9, 1940. p. 13. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (September 21, 2010). "Everyone Agrees: Steinbrenner's Plaque Is Big". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Yankees Timeline". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
April 11, 1912: Pinstripes first appear on Highlanders' uniforms, creating a look that would become the most famous uniform design in sports.
- ^ Spielvogel, Carl (November 5, 1958). "Jacob Ruppert Is Coming Back". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ "Ruppert Park : NYC Parks". Nycgovparks.org. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ Gray, Christopher (March 22, 2012). "Upper East Side/Streetscapes – Empires of Rival Brewers". The New York Times.
- ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: Eras: Pre-Integration, "Rules For Election For Managers, Umpires, Executives, And Players For Pre-Integration Era Candidates To The National Baseball Hall of Fame" "Eras: Pre-Integration | Baseball Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013
- ^ Dave Anderson (December 8, 2012). "No Longer Overlooked". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
Ruppert's name was resurrected by the Hall's historical overview committee, and last week, its new pre-integration era committee elected him with the umpire Hank O'Day and the 19th-century catcher/infielder Deacon White. Of the 16 votes, Ruppert and O'Day each received 15; White 14. They will be inducted posthumously July 28 with those who emerge in January from the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot.
- ^ Bloom, Barry M. (December 3, 2012). "Ruppert among three elected to Hall of Fame". Major League Baseball. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Anne Vernon Speech Transcript" (PDF). BaseballHall.org. Retrieved July 30, 2013.[permanent dead link]
External links
- United States Congress. "Jacob Ruppert (id: R000513)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Jacob Ruppert at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jacob Ruppert at Find a Grave
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress