Books and articles about Charlie Ebbets

Ebbets joined the Brooklyn club as a bookkeeper in 1883, gradually began buying shares in the team, and became president in 1898. He never played the game, but tried his hand at managing in 1898, finishing tenth. Ned Hanlon, the owner-manager of the Baltimore Orioles, bought some of the remaining Brooklyn stock after the '98 season, moved the best Baltimore players to Brooklyn, and won pennants in 1899 and 1900. However, when Hanlon wanted to move the team to Baltimore after the 1905 season, Ebbets bought him out.

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RELATED LINKS » 1913: Ebbets Field Opens Book Excerpts » "Ebbets, the owner of the Dodgers, was building a magnificent new baseball palace way out in Flatbush": Leonard Koppett

Ebbets is sometimes credited with inventing the rain check and with suggesting that teams with the worst records should draft first, long before there was a draft. He had a deserved reputation for honesty and was popular in Brooklyn.

He financed the building of a new ball park for his team in 1912 by selling half of the club to the McKeever Brothers, contractors in Brooklyn. When the park was opened the next year, it was named Ebbets Field by a vote of sportswriters. Ebbets's Dodgers won pennants in 1916 and 1920. At the turn of the century, the prescient Ebbets was widely quoted when he said, "Baseball is in its infancy." (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 21, 1903: At Brooklyn's home opener at Washington Park, Mrs. Charles Ebbets throws out the first ball and then Henry Schmidt and the Giants' Christy Mathewson keep the ball low as a National League-record 43 total chances are taken by two clubs. The Superbas have 23 assists, including eight by Schmidt in his ML debut; the Giants have 21. Catcher Jack Warner drives home the winning run for a 2–1 New York victory. The total chance record will be tied by the Giants and Reds May 15, 1909. » June 17, 1906: In another test of Sunday baseball in Brooklyn, Superbas prexy Charles Ebbets comes up with a twist--patrons will pay after the game is played. 'Nice try' say the police who arrest Ebbets, manager Ned Hanlon, the visiting Reds' manager Joe Kelley, and starting P Mal Eason. The case is dismissed as no admission was charged. In addition to the visit to the police precinct, the Reds whip Brooklyn, 3-0. » January 2, 1912: Brooklyn Dodgers president Charles Ebbets announces he has purchased grounds to build a new concrete-and-steel stadium to seat 30,000. During the year he will ease his pinched financial condition by selling half the team to Ed and Steve McKeever. » November 24, 1913: Joe Tinker is out as Reds manager, but is still their property as a player. On December 12th he will be sold to Brooklyn for $25,000, $10,000 of which goes to him. P Earl Yingling and OF Herbie Moran are sent to Cincinnati later as part of the deal. When Charles Ebbets puts off signing Tinker, he jumps to the Feds, signing to manage Chicago for $12,000. » February 8, 1916: The National League votes down a proposal by Charlie Ebbets of Brooklyn to limit the number of 25-cent seats clubs can sell to 2,000. Boston has 10,000 such seats; St. Louis, 9,000, Philadelphia, 6,500, and Cincinnati, 4,000. » October 10, 1916: In Game Three, Larry Gardener's 7th inning home run over the RF fence at Brooklyn brings the Sox within a run 4–3, but Jeff Pfeffer, in relief of Jack Coombs, shuts them down. Carl Mays takes the loss. Charlie Ebbets becomes the first owner to raise the price of World Series grandstand seats to $5—up from $3. » October 16, 1916: Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets rewards manager Wilbert Robinson with a $5,000 bonus for a job well done. » March 27, 1917: The Red Sox beat Brooklyn, 11–2 in Hot Springs. For tomorrow's game in Memphis, players on both teams will sport numbers on their sleeves, the idea of Robins' owner Charles Ebbets. His reasoning is that fans in non-major league cities would be unfamiliar with the players. » July 1, 1917: Despite a state law banning Sunday baseball, the Robins (Dodgers) play their first Sunday game in Brooklyn, charging regular admission and beating the Phils 3–2. Charles Ebbets announces that the admission to benefit the Militia of Mercy, a wartime charity, is for a pregame band concert and military drill exhibition before the game. When the band concert ends ticket sales stop to conform with the Sunday baseball laws. More than 12,000 attend. Despite the maneuver, Ebbets and manager Wilbert Robinson are arrested, and will pay a small fine. » January 12, 1920: A plan developed by Charles Ebbets many years ago is finally adopted: the annual drafting of players from the minor leagues will be done in inverse order to the teams' final standings. » September 5, 1920: Before the start of the World Series, Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets gives his approval for the addition of rookie Joe Sewell to the Indians' roster. Sewell joined the team after September 1st and was not eligible for the series. The tradition of low-scoring World Series games continues when the Indians manage to collect only five hits off Brooklyn's Rube Marquard (10-7) and two relievers. Stan Coveleski's (24-14) 5-hitter gives the Indians a 3–1 opening win. » December 13, 1922: Alarmed at the increase in home run hitting (1,054 in the major leagues, up from 936), some American League owners back a zoning system setting a minimum of 300 feet for a ball to be called a home run. The motion dies. In another action, the league requires each club to furnish two home uniforms per player, plus extra caps and stockings on the road, to improve the players' appearance. In National League meetings, Charles Ebbets proposes putting numbers on players' sleeves or caps. It's left to each club to do as it wishes. » December 10, 1924: The two leagues agree on a permanent rotation for World Series play proposed by Charles Ebbets: first two games at one league's park, next three at the other leagues park, last two if needed back at the first league's park, with openers to alternate between leagues. Next year's World Series will commence at the National League city. » January 1, 1927: Charles Ebbets announces the purchase of ground for a new 30,000-seat stadium in Brooklyn. He also announces the release of OF Zack Wheat, a future Hall of Famer.