Arthur Richman
Encyclopedia
Arthur Richman was an American
baseball
writer at a New York City
newspaper who become a sports executive, working in the front office of both the New York Mets
and New York Yankees
.
in 1942, starting as a copy boy. He worked his way up the ladder, becaming a baseball reporter, writing a popular column called The Armchair Manager.
After the paper closed as a result of the 1962 New York City newspaper strike
, Richman was hired by the nascent New York Mets
, initially as director of promotions, and later publicity director. He became the teams traveling secretary in 1980 and served in that post until 1988 after making remarks critical of players regarding the share of postseason monies that he was allocated by players. In a 1994 interview, he stated that Nelson Doubleday, Jr.
, then an owner of the team, had made anti-Semitic statements in his presence.
He was hired by the New York Yankees
as their vice president of media relations in May 1989, replacing Harvey Greene. Asked by George Steinbrenner to prepare a list of candidates to succeed Buck Showalter
, Richman included Sparky Anderson
, Davey Johnson
, Tony La Russa
and Joe Torre
. Anderson was happily retired at the time, and both Johnson and La Russa were about to sign contracts with the Baltimore Orioles
and St. Louis Cardinals
, respectively. Richman had know Torre from his time at the Mets when Torre was leading the team from the dugout. Newspapers were critical of the choice of Torre, who had won only one pennant in his prior 14 years as manager, and after Steinbrenner saw the printed comments, he asked Richman "Do you know what you're doing?", who responded "If I don't, fire me".
In a statement released after Richman's death Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
described how "Arthur Richman made baseball and the New York Yankees an enormous part of his life, and I am grateful for his contributions both personally and professionally" noting that he was "someone the world of baseball will find impossible to replace".
, was also a sportswriter, and was inducted into the Writers' Wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
in 1981. His brother died in 1986.
Richman died in his sleep at age 83 on March 25, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
writer at a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
newspaper who become a sports executive, working in the front office of both the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
Biography
He was hired by the New York Daily MirrorNew York Daily Mirror
The New York Daily Mirror was an American morning tabloid newspaper first published on June 24, 1924, in New York City by the William Randolph Hearst organization as a contrast to their mainstream broadsheets, the Evening Journal and New York American, later consolidated into the New York Journal...
in 1942, starting as a copy boy. He worked his way up the ladder, becaming a baseball reporter, writing a popular column called The Armchair Manager.
After the paper closed as a result of the 1962 New York City newspaper strike
1962 New York City newspaper strike
The 1962-63 New York City Newspaper Strike ran from December 8, 1962 until March 31, 1963, lasting for a total of 114 days.-Preliminary actions:...
, Richman was hired by the nascent New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, initially as director of promotions, and later publicity director. He became the teams traveling secretary in 1980 and served in that post until 1988 after making remarks critical of players regarding the share of postseason monies that he was allocated by players. In a 1994 interview, he stated that Nelson Doubleday, Jr.
Nelson Doubleday, Jr.
Nelson Doubleday, Jr. was the president of Doubleday. He was instrumental in the company's purchase of the New York Mets in 1980. He served as chairman of the Mets' board during the team's rise to its 1986 World Series title. In 1986, he and Fred Wilpon bought the team from the publishing company...
, then an owner of the team, had made anti-Semitic statements in his presence.
He was hired by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
as their vice president of media relations in May 1989, replacing Harvey Greene. Asked by George Steinbrenner to prepare a list of candidates to succeed Buck Showalter
Buck Showalter
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American Major League Baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He has previously served in a similar capacity with the New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Texas Rangers...
, Richman included Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
, Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
and Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
. Anderson was happily retired at the time, and both Johnson and La Russa were about to sign contracts with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, respectively. Richman had know Torre from his time at the Mets when Torre was leading the team from the dugout. Newspapers were critical of the choice of Torre, who had won only one pennant in his prior 14 years as manager, and after Steinbrenner saw the printed comments, he asked Richman "Do you know what you're doing?", who responded "If I don't, fire me".
In a statement released after Richman's death Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
described how "Arthur Richman made baseball and the New York Yankees an enormous part of his life, and I am grateful for his contributions both personally and professionally" noting that he was "someone the world of baseball will find impossible to replace".
Personal
His brother, Milton RichmanMilton Richman
Milton Richman was an American sports columnist and sports editor for United Press International who was inducted into the Writer's Wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.-Biography:...
, was also a sportswriter, and was inducted into the Writers' Wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1981. His brother died in 1986.
Richman died in his sleep at age 83 on March 25, 2009.