Chris von der Ahe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris von der Ahe
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Von der Ahe, from a baseball card, 1887
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| Born | October 7, 1851 |
| Died | June 5, 1913 (aged 61) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
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| Occupation | Founder and Owner of St. Louis Cardinals (MLB), businessman, CEO, entrepreneur |
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe was a German-American businessman. He is famous for owning the St. Louis Brown Stockings baseball team. This team later became the well-known St. Louis Cardinals.
A Baseball Boss
Christian von der Ahe was born in Germany in 1851. He moved to New York City around 1870. Soon after, he settled in St. Louis. He started working in a grocery store. Later, he bought the store and added a small restaurant. He saw that many customers came after baseball games. In 1882, he bought the St. Louis Brown Stockings baseball team. He paid $1,800 for the team. They joined the American Association league. He called the team the Browns. He hired Charles Comiskey to play and manage.
Von der Ahe was very involved with his team. He became one of the first baseball owners to be famous. He had a thick German accent and a big mustache. His showmanship made him as popular as his players.
Winning Seasons
The Browns became very successful. They won four league championships in a row. This winning streak started in 1885. Von der Ahe made a lot of money from baseball and his other businesses. He earned $500,000 just from the baseball team. He sold tickets for only 25 cents. He hoped fans would buy more drinks and food. The Browns had the most fans in the league. They soon needed a bigger ballpark. Some people say the word fan (short for fanatic) came from von der Ahe.
In 1885, von der Ahe put up a large statue of himself. It was outside Sportsman's Park, their home field. He did not put up a statue of a player. He was known for being a bit unusual. But he also made new ideas happen. He started a farm team called the St. Louis Whites. It is also believed that he was the first to sell hot dogs at a baseball park. He called himself the "Millionaire Sportsman."
Changes and Challenges
In 1892, the American Association league stopped playing. The Browns then joined the National League. This was a tough time for the team. They had to let other teams pick their best players. Charles Comiskey left the Browns. Without his talent, the team struggled. They did not win as much as before.
Von der Ahe faced many problems. In 1892, he moved the team to a larger ballpark. He built an amusement park around it. It had a place to buy drinks and a horse track. There was also a water slide and a lake. The lake was used for ice skating in winter. People called the park "Coney Island West." They nicknamed von der Ahe "Von der Ha Ha."
The team kept losing money. Von der Ahe started selling his best players. Many went to the Brooklyn team. In 1898, part of the ballpark burned down. Von der Ahe also had personal problems. He lost his baseball team after a public trial about the fire. The Browns changed owners and names. They became the Perfectos in 1899 and then the Cardinals in 1900.
Later Life
Von der Ahe lost most of his money. He ended up working in a small restaurant. Charles Comiskey often sent him money to help him. In 1908, the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns played a game. They raised $4,300 to help von der Ahe.
Death and Legacy
Christian von der Ahe passed away on June 5, 1913. He was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. The statue that once stood at Sportsman's Park was placed on his grave.
In 2015, Von der Ahe was considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
