Charles Ebbets

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Charles Hercules Ebbets (October 29, 1859 – April 18, 1925) was an American sports executive who was owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1902 to 1925.

He was born in New York City, and was a draftsman and architect who designed numerous New York City buildings. He also served on the Brooklyn City Council for four years, and in the New York State Assembly for one. Ebbets first job with the Dodgers was as a bookkeeper in 1883, and he became a shareholder in 1890. Charles took an active role in marketing the sport to families, and took over team operations in 1898. He also managed the Dodgers that year, and the team finished tenth. Ned Hanlon, the owner and manager of the Baltimore Orioles, bought some of the remaining stock in the team after the 1898 season, and took the best Baltimore players to the Brooklyn team. They won pennants in both 1899 and 1900. In 1905 Hanlon wanted to move the team to Baltimore and Ebbets bought out his shares. He is credited with inventing the concept of the rain check, and proposing a player draft favoring teams which finished low in the standings. He financed the building of Ebbets Field in 1912 by selling half his shares in the team to the McKeever Brothers. The Dodgers won pennants in both 1916 and 1920. Ebbets died of heart failure at age 65 in New York City, and he was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Timeline

1883 Bookkeeper
1898 President and manager
1899 Won pennant
1900 Won pennant
1912 Ebbets Field built
1916 Won pennant
1920 Won pennant

References

Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, Greenwood Press (1987).

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