Emil Fuchs (baseball) facts for kids
Emil Edwin "Judge" Fuchs (born April 17, 1878 – died December 5, 1961) was born in Germany but became an American citizen. He was a very important person in the world of baseball, working as an owner and leader for a team. People often called him "Judge" Fuchs, even though he wasn't a judge in a court.
Contents
Emil Fuchs' Early Life
Emil Fuchs was born in Hamburg, Germany. His parents were Hermann and Henrietta. When he was young, his family moved to the United States. He grew up in a busy part of New York City called the Lower East Side.
Emil went to New York University and earned a law degree. He started working as a lawyer in 1899. From 1902 to 1910, he was a Deputy Attorney General for New York. This meant he helped the state government with legal matters. Emil was married to Oretta, and they had two sons, Job and Robert, and a daughter, Helen.
His Baseball Journey
Emil Fuchs loved baseball. He started working as a lawyer for the famous New York Giants baseball team and their manager, John McGraw.
Buying the Boston Braves
In 1922, Emil Fuchs decided to buy the Boston Braves team. He bought it with two other people: Christy Mathewson and James McDonough. Christy Mathewson was a legendary baseball player. At first, Mathewson was supposed to be the main owner of the team. However, Mathewson was not in good health. He had been very sick with tuberculosis after World War I. Because of his health, he had to let Emil Fuchs take over as the team's president after the 1923 season.
Challenges as Owner
Emil Fuchs faced many challenges as the owner of the Braves. In 1928, after their manager Jack Slattery left, Fuchs hired another famous player, Rogers Hornsby, to manage the team. But Fuchs was already having money problems. He had to sell Hornsby to the Chicago Cubs after that season.
After selling Hornsby, Emil Fuchs decided to manage the team himself. However, the team finished in last place that year. The Philadelphia Phillies even had to lend Fuchs $35,000 to help the Braves stay in business.
The Babe Ruth Experiment
By 1935, Emil Fuchs was in serious financial trouble. He couldn't even afford to pay the rent for the team's stadium, Braves Field. He heard that Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players ever, was leaving the New York Yankees. Fuchs saw this as a chance to save his team.
He bought Babe Ruth from the Yankees. This brought Babe Ruth back to Boston, where he had started his amazing career with the Boston Red Sox many years before. Ruth was given important-sounding titles like vice-president and assistant manager of the Braves. Fuchs also hinted that Ruth, who wanted to be a manager, might become the team's manager in 1936.
However, Babe Ruth soon realized that his new titles didn't mean much. He saw that Fuchs was just using him to try and make more money and save the team. The Braves team was not doing well at all. Seeing this, Babe Ruth decided to retire from baseball on June 1, 1935.
Selling the Team
After Babe Ruth retired, Emil Fuchs had no choice but to sell the team. He sold the Braves to a partner named Charles Adams on July 31, 1935. After selling the team, Fuchs went back to working as a lawyer. He passed away in Boston, Massachusetts.
His Lasting Impact
Even though Emil Fuchs had a tough time as a baseball owner, he is still remembered in the sport. The Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America gives out an award every year. It's called the Judge Emil Fuchs Memorial Award. This award honors people who have given long and excellent service to baseball.
