Gerald Nugent
Encyclopedia
Gerald Nugent was the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies
baseball team of the National League
from through .
A leather goods and shoe merchant, Nugent married longtime Phillies secretary Mae Mallen in 1925. Longtime Phillies owner William Baker
died in 1930, leaving half of his estate to Mallen and half to his wife. With the support of Baker's widow, Nugent became team president. Baker's widow died in 1932, leaving Nugent in full control.
Unlike Baker, Nugent cared more about winning than saving money. However, he didn't have the financial means to get the Phillies out of the National League basement. He was forced to trade what little talent the team had to make ends meet, and often had to use some creative financial methods to even field a team at all. The one highlight of his ownership was a 78-76 record in 1932—the only time the Phillies finished with a winning record between 1918 and 1948.
Nugent finally reached the end of his rope in . A year after a hideous 111-loss season—still the most in franchise history—the Phillies needed an advance from the league just to go to spring training. Unable to find a buyer, he was forced to sell the franchise back to the league early in February . A week later, the league sold the Phillies to a wealthy lumber broker named William B. Cox
. A popular legend has it that Bill Veeck
had agreed in principle to buy the Phillies from Nugent. As the story goes, Baseball Commissioner
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
and National League President Ford Frick
quashed the deal and engineered the sale to Cox when they found out that Veeck planned to stock the Phillies with Negro League stars. However, this story is likely false based on press accounts of the time; notably, Philadelphia's black press mentioned nothing about any prospective Veeck purchase.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
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 .
A leather goods and shoe merchant, Nugent married longtime Phillies secretary Mae Mallen in 1925. Longtime Phillies owner William Baker
William Baker (baseball)
William Baker was the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League from through . In 1913, Baker purchased the club from Horace Fogel after Fogel was banned from baseball. He was at the helm two years later when the Phillies played in the 1915 World Series.Baker was known for being...
died in 1930, leaving half of his estate to Mallen and half to his wife. With the support of Baker's widow, Nugent became team president. Baker's widow died in 1932, leaving Nugent in full control.
Unlike Baker, Nugent cared more about winning than saving money. However, he didn't have the financial means to get the Phillies out of the National League basement. He was forced to trade what little talent the team had to make ends meet, and often had to use some creative financial methods to even field a team at all. The one highlight of his ownership was a 78-76 record in 1932—the only time the Phillies finished with a winning record between 1918 and 1948.
Nugent finally reached the end of his rope in . A year after a hideous 111-loss season—still the most in franchise history—the Phillies needed an advance from the league just to go to spring training. Unable to find a buyer, he was forced to sell the franchise back to the league early in February . A week later, the league sold the Phillies to a wealthy lumber broker named William B. Cox
William B. Cox
William D. Cox was an American businessman and sports executive.-New York Yankees :A Yale University alumnus and wealthy lumber broker, Cox first entered the sports world when he headed a group that bought the New York Yankees of the third American Football League in 1941...
. A popular legend has it that Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
had agreed in principle to buy the Phillies from Nugent. As the story goes, Baseball Commissioner
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
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...
and National League President Ford Frick
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
quashed the deal and engineered the sale to Cox when they found out that Veeck planned to stock the Phillies with Negro League stars. However, this story is likely false based on press accounts of the time; notably, Philadelphia's black press mentioned nothing about any prospective Veeck purchase.