The 5 – Most Memorable World Series Moments With MLB Owners

Hey everybody! Welcome to the self-imposed MLB deadline day! And your boy MSS sees ya. I see y’all siding with the players, “simpin’ for the players” as the kids say. Maybe some of you “simps” don’t understand the HISTORY of BASEBALL. While it’s been a few years, y’all seem to forget how important an owner is to the actual game on the field. Oh you don’t believe me? Well keep reading and I’ll show you how some of baseball’s greatest moments were not JUST the players making the plays.

1917: World Series MVP – Charles Comiskey

While mostly remembered for the 1919 World Series, Charles Comiskey was actually the MVP of the 1917 World Series. He had a .409 Batting Average and collected 7 RBI’s on 4 Hits in 23 ABs. He was pivotal in the field too, playing 1st base. No way the White Sox win the 1917 World Series without Charles Comiskey. He retired the following year and his only responsibility in the 1919 debacle was being a fucking low down dirty cheapskate.

1977: Introducing “Mr. October” – George Steinbrenner

Mostly remembered for his appearance on TV show Seinfeld, George Steinbrenner was quite the asset to the New York Yankees in the late 70’s. In addition to owning the team, Steinbrenner was nicknamed “Mr. October” for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the Yankees. Steinbrenner helped New York win four American League East divisional pennants, three American League pennants and two consecutive World Series titles, in 1977 and 1978. Only the players win championships huh?

1990: The Nasty Girl – Marge Schott

While the “Nasty Boys” got all the press, this Nasty Girl was winning a championship too. She helped the Cincinnati Reds record their first World Series title in 14 years by shocking the Oakland Athletics with a four-game sweep. Cincinnati pitcher Jose Rijo, the Series MVP, outpitched Oakland staff ace Dave Stewart twice, including a 2-1 decision in Game Four. Rijo always credited a rather mundane fly out to Schott (in the bottom of the 6th, Game 4) as the moment he knew they’d be champions.

1995: “Two Bag” Teddy Turner

The Braves advanced to the World Series five times in the 1990s: 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999. After the heartbreak of a second World Series loss “Two Bag” Ted Turner promised the folks of Atlanta that he’d be personally vested in the teams future by taking over at 2B. Before becoming a media man, Ted was known as “Two Bag” Teddy to those who watched him play hardball in the Independent Southern Baseball Leagues (ISBL). He was fantastic at his position and turned several double plays a game. While the Braves failed to make the Playoffs in 1994, Teddy really got them motivated in 1995 winning the only championship during that magical 1990’s run. He immediately retired after being assured that the Braves “got it now” when in fact they didn’t actually “have it” and lost their next two appearances in the fall classic (96 & 99). A true owner of the people….

2016: Rickets to Rizzo

The Cubs lack of a World Series victory since 1908 was quite the black eye on the franchise. So black and damaging the Chicago Tribune struggled to put positive spins on stories they published daily on the team. Attendance was down, fans were few and far between, ticket prices were in the gutter. The time had come for the mom and pop media conglomerate Tribune Company to sell the team to someone who could save this sinking ship. Enter the Ricketts Family. From Nebraska, the Cubs had finally found that Midwest Family Values ownership team to lead them to glory. But as an added bonus Thomas S. Ricketts could also play 3B. So after a rain delay and a rousing speech by Jason Heyward, Rickets made that throw (while slipping) to Rizzo to win their first World Series title in 108 years!

And there you have, 5 moments in baseball where the owners made the game better on and off the field. Next time you wanna disparage a bunch of billionaires on Twitter Dot Com just remember the roots of this fantastic sport were not only player made. They were also made by the owners who risked not only their money, but their health for this sport. Good day.

-MSS