Bad To The Bone
Andrew Freedman
He was perhaps the most hated team owner in baseball history. Andrew Freedman, born Andrew Freidman, bought the New York Giants from John B. Day and owned the team til 1902.
In 1901, he conspired unsuccessfully with John T. Brush, owner of the Reds, to create a trust in which all NL teams would be pooled and owned through shares held by the club owners.
He was a proponent of "Syndicate Baseball", where the owner of one team could also own interest in another club. In a classic example of this, John T. Brush, owner of the Reds, also owned shares in Freedmans' Giants
During his time, he was in constant contract haggles with his players. Most notably was his troubles with Amos Rusie. Rusie sat out a whole season because the stingy Freedman would not come up with a few hundred dollars!
He had an arbitrary disposition, a violent temper, and an ungovernable tongue in anger which was easily provoked and he was disposed to be arbitrary to the point of tyranny with subordinates.
The Giants floundered during his ownership and attendance dropped. He was a member of New York's corrupt Demacratic Tammany Hall machine. He used his political clout to tie up possible sites where an AL team might play in New York until the peace treaty between the leagues in 1902.
Upon his death, News Papers praised him and lauded his sporting qualities. Of course, the writers who wrote the memorial tributes to Andrew Freedman, never had to work for Andrew Freedman.
In 1901, he conspired unsuccessfully with John T. Brush, owner of the Reds, to create a trust in which all NL teams would be pooled and owned through shares held by the club owners.
He was a proponent of "Syndicate Baseball", where the owner of one team could also own interest in another club. In a classic example of this, John T. Brush, owner of the Reds, also owned shares in Freedmans' Giants
During his time, he was in constant contract haggles with his players. Most notably was his troubles with Amos Rusie. Rusie sat out a whole season because the stingy Freedman would not come up with a few hundred dollars!
He had an arbitrary disposition, a violent temper, and an ungovernable tongue in anger which was easily provoked and he was disposed to be arbitrary to the point of tyranny with subordinates.
The Giants floundered during his ownership and attendance dropped. He was a member of New York's corrupt Demacratic Tammany Hall machine. He used his political clout to tie up possible sites where an AL team might play in New York until the peace treaty between the leagues in 1902.
Upon his death, News Papers praised him and lauded his sporting qualities. Of course, the writers who wrote the memorial tributes to Andrew Freedman, never had to work for Andrew Freedman.