Evening star., 1941-04-20
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

councils of the national pastimt
and already are established in key
executive positions from the major.
right down to the lowliest minors
Mrs. J. Louis Comiskey recently
was elected president of the Chi.
cago White SoX and her daughter
Dorothy. has been treasurer of the
club for a couple of years.
Mrs. Barney Dreyfuss has beer
chairman of the board of the Pitts
burgh Pirates since her husband
died in 1892 The New York Yankees
are owned by three heiresses OF
Col. Jacob Rupert. Mrs. Jack
Dunn is president of the Baltimore
Orioles in the International League
Oldest minor loop in baseball.
Mrs. Britton Ran Cards.
The role of woman in baseball
apart from their shrjeking presence
in the grandstands every Ladies
day generally has been overlooked
but as long ago as 1911 the st. Louis
Cardinals had a woman president
She was Mrs. Schuyler P. Britton
ana for six years she not only
took an active part in the operation
OF her club, but shared in steering
the National League.
TIE Cardinals we're one of tine
charter members of baseball's senior
circuit in 1876. Ownership eventu-
ally came into the hands of Frank
and Stanley Robinson and when both
died, control passed to Stanleys
daughter.
She was no mere figurehead She
ran the ball club, and, if for nc
other reasons, should have undyine
fame as the person who first gave
little Miller Higgins his chance as
q manager. He was playing second
base for the Cards and succeeded
Roger Bresnahan at the helm. Later
OF course, he became manager OF
the New York Yankees and lifted
that club to the heights it attained
in the days of Babe Ruth.
Woman Directs Pirates Board.
Mrs. Britton operated the club
until 1917 when stock company
was organized among st. Louis
citizens to purchase control. Sam
Breadcn and Branch Hickey bought
stock and Breadon eventually OBJ
tanned ownership.
During those years Mrs Dreyfuss
vas observing the development of
the game from the viewpoint of a
fan and the wife of a club owner
1t was because she was a fan
that she met Barney Dreyfuss, who
was connected with the ball club
In her home town of Louisville. At
that time the National League had
IL clubs. When it was reduced to
eight in 1900 the Louisville fran
chise and players were moved to
Pittsburgh and Dreyfuss became
president of the Pirates.
She shared her husbands prob
lens and business secrets and helped
train son, Samuel, to continue
the baseball dynasty that Barney
built in his three decades in Pitts
burgh.
AS young man Samuel was made
treasurer of the club and later
vice president. But he died at the
age of "a in 1880, two years before
his father.
Acts on Buc Deals.
When Mrs. Dreyfuss was widowed
In 1882, she took sharge of the
club as chairman of the board and
installed her son-in-law, William
z Benswanger, an insurance dealer,
as president.
Benswanger has become an astute
bs seball executive, but over a period
OF years it is difficult to say how
many important policies of the
Pirates have been decided directly
by Mrs. Dreyfuss.
She is credited with initiating
"boys' days" and ladies days" at
Forbes Field and admits that on
occasion she has taken a hand IN
trades.
One of these times was in the
heat of the 1888 pennant race, which
the Pirates nearly won. The New
York Giants came into Pittsburgh
for a series and Manager Bill Terry,
desperately needing a second base
man, proposed a 100000 deal for
Pep Young, the keystone Of Pitts
burgh's infield.
Manager Pie Traynor of the Pi-
rates was willing, but Benswanger
was doubtful. They carried the
problem to Mrs. Dreyfuss and she
vetoed the trade The Giants moved
on to Cincinnati and obtained Alex
Kampouris.
Mrs. Comiskey ChiSox Head.
Mrs. Dreyfuss, white-haired, aris-
tocratic, cheerfully acknowledges her
IS years with the comment, you
can't fool people anyway-at least
not much"
When the Pirates are at home, she
sits in a box with Benswanger at
every game and not much escapes
her notice and sometimes we make
suggestions for the next day." she
khyly admits.
Mrs. Comiskey, Is or 20 years
younger, got her first closeup of
baseball n years ago when she and
her husband went on a honeymoon
around the world with the White
Sox, who shared an exhibition tour
with John McGraw's New York
Giants.
The club then was owned by the
grand old Roman. her father-in-
law, Charles Comiskey Her hus-
band inherited the 100000 base
ball property in 1881 and then died
in 1889, leaving the club in trust
for son, Charles, now Is years old.
Last year the bank that is trustee
for the estate sought to sell the
club on the grounds that baseball
Is not a good business risk and this
development brought about a series
of legal skirmishes out of which
Mrs. Comiskey emerged as president
Of the club, with assurance that 1t
will be kept in the family.
Yank Owners Don't Run Club,
She will serve a six-year term
until young Charles comes of age
and can assume control. Harry