Bill Benswanger
Encyclopedia
Bill Benswanger was president of the Pittsburgh Pirates
baseball team of the National League
from through . Benswanger became involved in baseball
through his marriage to Eleanor Fanny Dreyfuss, the daughter of longtime Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss
. The elder Dreyfuss was grooming his son, Samuel, to succeed him as club president, but Samuel Dreyfuss died suddenly in 1931 from pneumonia
at age 35. The following year, Barney Dreyfuss died as well. Dreyfuss' widow, Florence, inherited the team and successfully prevailed upon Benswanger, her son-in-law, to become the Pirates' president and front-office boss. He sold the Pirates to John W. Galbreath in 1946. Prior to Branch Rickey
's efforts with the Brooklyn Dodgers
, Benswanger was one of the few owners and executives who vocally challenged Major League Baseball
's color barrier and its major proponent, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
baseball team of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from through . Benswanger became involved in 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...
through his marriage to Eleanor Fanny Dreyfuss, the daughter of longtime Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss
Barney Dreyfuss
Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to 1932....
. The elder Dreyfuss was grooming his son, Samuel, to succeed him as club president, but Samuel Dreyfuss died suddenly in 1931 from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at age 35. The following year, Barney Dreyfuss died as well. Dreyfuss' widow, Florence, inherited the team and successfully prevailed upon Benswanger, her son-in-law, to become the Pirates' president and front-office boss. He sold the Pirates to John W. Galbreath in 1946. Prior to Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
's efforts with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Benswanger was one of the few owners and executives who vocally challenged Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's color barrier and its major proponent, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
.
See also
- William BenswangerWilliam BenswangerWilliam Edward Benswanger was an American businessman who served for almost 15 years as president and chief executive of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball franchise of the National League from through ....