Books and articles about Frank Navin

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Navin was president of the Detroit Tigers for 32 years. Although trained in the law, he worked as a bookkeeper for S.F. Angus, the Tigers' second owner. When the club was sold to William Yawkey in 1903, Navin purchased $5,000 worth of stock, reportedly with money won in a card game. Elevated to club president, he brought in Hughie Jennings, Ty Cobb, and others, who helped lead the Tigers to consecutive pennants in 1907, 1908, and 1909. The grateful Yawkey gave Navin half ownership of the team. The baseball park (now Tiger Stadium) was called Navin Field from 1912 through 1937. Attendance grew in Detroit even though the team went more than two decades before its fourth pennant. Navin became rich and a civic leader, but was nearly ruined in 1931 by the Depression and his own racetrack losses. He was forced to sell most of his Tiger stock to William O. Briggs, although he remained team president. In 1934 the Tigers won their fourth pennant, and shortly before Navin's death in 1935 they defeated the Cubs in the World Series. (BC)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » January 22, 1904: William H. Yawkey, the 28-year-old heir to a lumber and mining fortune, buys the Detroit Tigers from S.F. Angus for $50,000. New money and Frank Navin's shrewd management will bring three straight pennants to the franchise within a few years. » January 9, 1908: Frank Navin is named president of the Detroit club. Bennett Field will be renamed Navin Field. » October 26, 1910: The Washington Post headlines a rumored trade with Walter Johnson going to Detroit for Ty Cobb. Detroit president Frank Navin scoffs at the story, saying he would never trade Cobb, but praising Johnson "as the best pitcher in the country." » May 18, 1912: The Tiger players protest Ty Cobb's suspension and vote to strike. Faced with a $5,000 fine for failing to field a team, club owner Frank Navin orders manager Hugh Jennings to sign up some local amateurs. Al Travers, Bill Leinhauser, Dan McGarvey, Billy Maharg (whose real name was Graham, "Maharg" reversed), Jim McGarr, Pat Meany, Jack Coffey, Hap Ward, and Ed Irvin put on Tiger uniforms. Two Detroit coaches, Joe Sugden, 41, and Jim McGuire, 48, complete the lineup, and score the only two runs for Detroit. The Athletics win 24–2, as Travers goes all the way, giving up 26 hits and 24 runs in eight innings. The only recruit to hit for Detroit is Irvin, who laces two triples in three at bats and closes his ML career with a 2.000 slugging average (only three other players will debut with two triples -— Roy Weatherly, Willie McCovey, and John Sipin). Only one ever plays another ML game: Maharg will bat once for the Phils in 1916. He will also be involved as a conspirator in the Black Sox scandal of 1919. A's starter Jack Coombs leaves after three innings with a 6–0 lead, good enough for a win under the rules at the time. Boardwalk Brown and Herb Pennock divide the rest of the pitching for the A's. Starter Travers, having pitched his only ML game, returns to his studies at St. Joseph's College and later becomes a Catholic priest. » January 24, 1913: In a story in the New York Times, Detroit Tiger President Frank Navin blames the length of the games on the "coachers boxes." Navin, reacting to American League President Ban Johnson's complaint that too many games the previous season had taken two hours to play, says the boxes should be moved back so that the catcher can give the pitcher his signals more quickly. From where they are now, he said, the coaching players can detect the catcher's signals unless he takes a lot of time to hide them. Navin said this slow signalling is the reason for the longer games (as noted by Lyle Spatz). » January 23, 1927: In the continuing clash between Judge Landis and Ban Johnson, the American League owners are prepared to censure Johnson. But his serious health problems convince them to change their stance and Ban Johnson is given an indefinite leave of absence instead. Detroit's President Frank Navin is named acting AL president and the owners adopt a resolution repudiating the charges that Johnson made against Landis. » October 17, 1927: Ban Johnson, in failing health, retires as AL president after heading the league he started for its first 28 years. Detroit's President Frank Navin is named acting president. » November 13, 1935: Tiger owner Frank Navin dies while horse back riding. Walter Briggs will eventually become the new president.