Books and articles about Charles W. Murphy

Murphy began as a baseball writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer, then went to the New York Giants as publicist. When he heard the Chicago NL club was for sale, he got backing from Charles Taft of Cincinnati and bought it. His teams won four pennants and the World Series in 1907 and 1908. His style antagonized the more conservative NL owners, and when John Tener became NL president, Murphy was urged to dispose of his team, the most profitable of the time. He sold out to Charles Weeghman as part of the settlement of the Federal League war. (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 31, 1905: Charles P. Taft, owner of the Cincinnati Times-Star and brother of a future president, finances Charles W. Murphy's purchase of the Chicago Cubs for $125,000. » March 6, 1906: Rookie owner Charles W. Murphy puts the last pieces of a Cubs dynasty in place, trading rookie infielder Hans Lobert and lefthander Jake Weimer to the Cincinnati Reds for 3B Harry Steinfeldt. Not a heavy hitter, Steinfeldt completes the Tinker-Evers-Chance infield. » June 2, 1906: Only three games separate the Cubs from the 4th-place Phillies, and Cubs owner Charles Murphy again goes to Cincinnati for help. This time he comes back with Orval Overall, a six foot two inch, 225-pound righthander who is 4-5 for the Reds. The price: pitcher Bob Wicker, winner of 50 games the past three seasons, and $2,000. Orval will go 12-3 overall for the Cubs and will help pitch them into four World Series in five years, while Wicker will wind up his career this year. » January 11, 1909: The National Commission approves owner Charles Murphy's payment of a $10,000 bonus to his Cubs for their 1908 World Series triumph. » August 12, 1912: Cubs owner Charles Murphy hints that the Cards and other clubs go easy against John McGraw's Giants. Later Phils' owner Horace Fogel, a former Giants manager whose ownership of the Phils is seen as a front for Murphy and financial backer Charles Raft of Cincinnati, echoes the accusation and charges NL umpires with favoring the Giants. It will lead to Fogel's being expelled from the NL. » February 21, 1914: Charles W. Murphy sells the Cubs to Charles P. Taft of Cincinnati. » January 5, 1916: The National League, happy to be rid of fractious Cubs owner Charles W. Murphy, allows Charles H. Weeghman, owner of a restaurant chain and president of the Federal League Chicago Whales, to buy the Cubs for $500,000. By putting up $50,000, William Wrigley, Jr. becomes a minority stock holder. Whales manager Joe Tinker succeeds Roger Bresnahan, and the Cubs will play in the FL's newly built park on the North Side, soon to become Wrigley Field.