Ruly Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Robert Ruliph Morgan "Ruly" Carpenter III (born 1940) was the principal owner and president of the Philadelphia Phillies
from 1972 to 1981.
Carpenter was born in Wilmington, Delaware
. He was only three years old when his grandfather, Robert Carpenter, Sr.
bought the Phillies in 1943 and gave control of the team to his father, Bob, Jr.
He graduated from Yale University
in 1962, and joined his father in the Phillies front office in 1963. In 1965, he suggested that his father hire Paul Owens
, a young scout, as farm system director. Owens would eventually become general manager
in 1972.
Ruly became team president, at only 32, when his father stepped down in 1972 season. The younger Carpenter's tenure was, statistically speaking, the most successful in franchise history. From 1976 to 1981, the Phillies appeared in postseason play in every year but one, including the team's first World Series
win in 1980
.
Not long after that triumph, however, Carpenter decided to sell the team. With the advent of free agency
, salaries were already starting to spiral upward, and he believed that even with his considerable wealth he needed to take on minority investors in order to stay afloat. Unwilling to have to get permission from partners in order to make major decisions, he sold the Phillies to a group headed by Bill Giles
for $32.5 million in 1981. By comparison, his grandfather had bought the team in 1943 for only $400,000.
Carpenter still lives in Wilmington. He is a longtime member of the University of Delaware
Board of Trustees; his family has supported the school for many years. He is still an avid Phillies fan, and closely followed the team's run to its second world title in 2008
. He was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
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...
from 1972 to 1981.
Carpenter was born in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. He was only three years old when his grandfather, Robert Carpenter, Sr.
R. R. M. Carpenter
Robert Ruliph Morgan Carpenter was an American executive and member of the board of directors of DuPont.-Biography:...
bought the Phillies in 1943 and gave control of the team to his father, Bob, Jr.
R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr.
Robert Ruliph Morgan Carpenter Jr. was an owner and club president of the Philadelphia Phillies of American Major League Baseball. When he took command of the Phils, in November 1943 after his father purchased the franchise, Carpenter became the youngest club president in baseball history, and he...
He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1962, and joined his father in the Phillies front office in 1963. In 1965, he suggested that his father hire Paul Owens
Paul Owens (baseball)
Paul Francis Owens was an American front office executive and manager in Major League Baseball.-Philadelphia Phillies:Owens' entire Major League career was spent with the Philadelphia Phillies...
, a young scout, as farm system director. Owens would eventually become general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
in 1972.
Ruly became team president, at only 32, when his father stepped down in 1972 season. The younger Carpenter's tenure was, statistically speaking, the most successful in franchise history. From 1976 to 1981, the Phillies appeared in postseason play in every year but one, including the team's first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
win in 1980
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
.
Not long after that triumph, however, Carpenter decided to sell the team. With the advent of free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, salaries were already starting to spiral upward, and he believed that even with his considerable wealth he needed to take on minority investors in order to stay afloat. Unwilling to have to get permission from partners in order to make major decisions, he sold the Phillies to a group headed by Bill Giles
Bill Giles (baseball)
William Yale Giles is the chairman and part owner of Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies.-Personal:He is the son of former National League president Warren Giles...
for $32.5 million in 1981. By comparison, his grandfather had bought the team in 1943 for only $400,000.
Carpenter still lives in Wilmington. He is a longtime member of the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
Board of Trustees; his family has supported the school for many years. He is still an avid Phillies fan, and closely followed the team's run to its second world title in 2008
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
. He was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.