- Charlie Byrne (baseball)
-
Charles H. Byrne (born September 1843 in New York, New York, died January 4, 1898) was a New York realtor who was one of the original founders of the team that became the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Byrne was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier College,[1] and after graduation he worked as a writer for a newspaper[1].
Byrne along with New York Herald editor George J. Taylor, Joseph Doyle (Byrne's brother-in-law) and Rhode Island casino owner Ferdinand Abell were the group that originally raised the money to found the ball club, known at first simply as the "Brooklyns." They leased land on fifth avenue to build Washington Park, the team's original home. It cost them the then-considerable sum of $30,000 to build the ballpark. The first year the team played in the minor Inter-State Association of Professional Baseball Clubs but the team was able to attract a following and won the league championship.
In 1884, the owners were able to bring the franchise into the American Association, a competitor to the more established National League, that catered to a more working-class crowd. [1]
Byrne remained in the ownership group until his death in 1898, seeing the franchise eventually join the National League in 1890. Under his ownership, the Grays/Grooms/Bridegrooms/Dodgers (as they were alternately known during this period) went 567-506 and won two championships (the AA championship in 1889 and the NL championship in 1890. [2]) He was also the team's Manager from 1885-1887. [3]
Byrne was in ill health when the National League meeting was set to take place in November of 1897,[1] but he insisted on making the journey from Virginia, where he had been recovering, to Philadelphia, the site of the meeting.[1] After the meeting concluded, his health took a turn for the worse, from which he never recovered.[1]
External links
- Brooklyn history book excerpt
- Dodgers ownership history
- 120 Years of Dodgers history
- Baseball reference managerial record
References
- ^ a b c d e "Charles H. Byrne Dead - President of the Brooklyn Baseball Club Passes Away After a Long Illness", The New York Times, January 5, 1898.
Preceded by
(none)President of the Brooklyn Dodgers
1883-1898Succeeded by
Charles EbbetsPreceded by
Charlie HackettBrooklyn Grays Manager
1885-1887Succeeded by
Bill McGunnigleBrooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers managers Brooklyn Atlantics (1884) Brooklyn Grays (1885–1887) Hackett • ByrneBrooklyn Bridegrooms (1888–1890) Brooklyn Grooms (1891–1895) Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1896–1898) Brooklyn Superbas (1899–1910) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911–1913) Brooklyn Robins (1914–1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932–1957) Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers Presidents Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/
Superbas/Robins/Dodgers (1883-1957)Charles Byrne • Charles Ebbets • Ed McKeever • Wilbert Robinson • Frank B. York • Stephen McKeever • Larry MacPhail • Branch Rickey • Walter O'MalleyLos Angeles Dodgers (1958-present) Principal owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/
Superbas/Robins/Dodgers (1883-1957)Ferdinand Abell & Charles Byrne • Ferdinand Abell, Charles Byrne & George Chauncey • Ferdinand Abell & Charles Ebbets • Ferdinand Abell, Charles Ebbets, Ned Hanlon & Harry Von der Horst • Ferdinand Abell, Charles Ebbets, Ned Hanlon & Henry Medicus • Charles Ebbets & Henry Medicus • Charles Ebbets, Ed McKeever & Stephen McKeever • Brooklyn Trust Company, Grace Slade Ebbets, Joseph Gilleaudeau & Stephen McKeever • Brooklyn Trust Company, Grace Slade Ebbets, Joseph Gilleaudeau, James & Dearie Mulvey • James & Dearie Mulvey, Walter O'Malley, Branch Rickey & James Lawrence Smith • Walter O'MalleyLos Angeles Dodgers (1958-present) Categories:- 1843 births
- 1898 deaths
- Brooklyn Bridegrooms managers
- Brooklyn Dodgers executives
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.