The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-05
Club Owners All Sorts And All Sports
Diamond Magnates Most Criticized of All Business
 Men By '2nd Guessers'
This is the second of six illus- trated articles on "Thc Other Side of Baseball"
BY RICHARD McCANN NEA Service Sports Writer

The most criticized business man in the world is the owner of a major league baseball team.
 He doesn't know how to handle employees, he doesn't pay them enough, he doesn't buy enough play CTS, he charges too much for admis- sion, he fought to get a new man. ager, and anybody would've known better than to make the trade he made last winter.
 Those are some of the mutterings you hear before, during, and after each game. It's the fans privilege to think out loud that he can do . better job at running the ball club.
 "Yes, and the day that they stop thinking that" Clark Griffith once said after his appearance on the field had brought on i7.minute boo from the citizens, i've might just as well close tip shop."
 When you know him, you will find that the major league club owner Is . genial gentleman, e shrewd business man, Q good sport. and 6 generous boss.
 Once upon 6 time nearly all club owners were men who had worked up from the ranks and depended solely on their baseball holdings for 6 living. Nowadays, however sports-minded, horo worshipping multi.nillionaires, seeking some hobby to lessen their boredom, are buying Up franchises and the old Guard Is dying out.
 Connie Mack, patriarchal presl. dent-manager of the Athletics, who was q catcher before the spanish. American war; Clar kQriffith, half owner of Washington who led the American League in pitching in 1901; Bob Quinn, Boston Bees president, who played in seven minor leagues, and Branch Rickey. head of the Cardinals 'far-flung farm system. who caught for the Yankees and the Browns, are the only up-from- -the-ranks bosses left.
 McKeever Oldest Club Head
 The oldest club head Is 83-year old Judge Stephen McKeever, Brook lyn Dodgers president. The judge, Q contractor and former politician who helped build the Brooklyn bridge, got tangled up with the Dodgers when he loaned the late Charles II. Ebbets 9760,000 to erect a bell park and received half the club stock in return.
 Youngest of the owners are Hor. ace 0. stonehafn of the Giants and Tom Yawkey of the Red sox. Both are 34. Both have realized child hood dreams by directing major league teams.
 Young stoneham likes to recall that in writing Q grammar school essay entitled What Would You DO if You Had Q Million Dollars?" he said: T would buy the Giants" A few years later his father, tho late Charles A. Stonehan, wealthy Wall Street operator, paid pre-. cisely that sum for the club. Per- sonable, enthusiastic Horace fell heir to his heroes when his father died nearly two years ago.
 Yawkey, who inherited two min. ing and lumber fortunes, Is taking up where his foster-father, William Yawkey left off. The elder Yawkey owned half of the Tigers two decades ago T want to own Q base- ball team like him when I grow up," young Thomas often said.
 The husky, youthful, democratic Red Sox owner, restricted to c q weekly allowance as c boy despite the wealth around him, has spent gobs of money trying to buy c pen- nant at Boston.
 Yawkey is one of the few who is truly an owner. The term owner is generally . rnisnomer because only Yawkey, Walter Q. Briggs Of the Tigers, Jacob Ruppert of the Yankees, Lou Comiskey of the White eox own their clubs lock, stock and barrel. The other so.called owner are heads of syndicaets or large stockholders.
 Have Varied Interests
 But whether he owns the entire club or merely . block stock, the club head cherishes victory about aS much as money. Ruppert ab- hors defeat "Oooh," he'll shud- der ct c close game, T can't stand t." And he'll get Up and leave. His idea of good game k Yankees 90. Opponents o.
 Stoneharn watches oil games from the center field clubhouse. He has four chairs lined Up ct the windows "a single, two bagger, three bagger and home run chair. He sits in the single chair when he wants c single, and 50 forth.
 Comiskey, son of the old Roman, Cahrles Corniskey, frequently travels with his club in hopes it will help. Clark Griffith thinks his cheering helps Washington on the road. He'B quite heckler away from home.
 They have varied interests. Powcl Crosley, Jr., of the Reds, is c radio tiagnate and amateur aviator. Rup- pert owns c huge brewery and col- lects jades and porcelairls and mon. keys. Gerald ?. Nugent of the Phil. lies was . hook and eye company oficial and c twice decorated World war hero before taking up bases ball. Philip X. Wrisley of the Cubs is president and director of c half dozen corporations. William Bens wanger of the Pirates loves music. Walter Briggs heads the autosbuiids ing company which beras his name (Joe Louis was . iaborer in the plant at one time). Aiva Bradley of the Indians is an iiidustEialist. real estate operator and banker.
 Sam Dreadon of the Cardinals greased autos for c living once. And Donald L. Barnes of the Browns built Up c vast investment company from 6 small loan bureau. :.