Spike Briggs | |
|---|---|
| Born | Walter Owen Briggs Jr. (1912-01-20)January 20, 1912 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1970(1970-07-03) (aged 58) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baseball executive |
| Parent | Walter Briggs Sr. |
Walter Owen "Spike" Briggs Jr. (January 20, 1912 – July 3, 1970) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball executive. He was the owner of theDetroit Tigers for five seasons following the death of his father, industrialistWalter Briggs Sr., in1952.
Born inDetroit,Michigan, Briggs was educated atCanterbury School and graduated fromGeorgetown University in 1934. He joined the family business,Briggs Manufacturing Company (maker of automobile bodies), and interrupted his business career to serve as alieutenant in theUnited States Army Air Forces duringWorld War II.[1] He also had become a vice president of the Tigers before the war.
Walter Briggs Sr.'s death on January 17, 1952, occurred as the Tigers were entering one of the lower points in their five-decade-old history. The1951 team had finished a disappointing 73–81, in fifth place and 25 games behind theNew York Yankees. But the1952 edition fared even worse, losing 104 games, and finishing eighth and last in theAmerican League—the first time the Tigers had ever reached those dubious milestones since entering the league in 1901.[2]
Four seasons of decided improvement followed, until the1956 squad won 82 games undermanagerBucky Harris. During that time, futureBaseball Hall of FamersAl Kaline andJim Bunning and eight-yearAll-StarHarvey Kuenn made their debuts.
However, the senior Briggs' passing also triggered a four-year process that ultimately forced a sale of the team during 1956. Ownership of the Tigers passed in 1952 into a trust for Spike Briggs and his three sisters, with Briggs and theDetroit Bank & Trust Company named as executors. However, Detroit Bank & Trust persuaded a court to order the Tigers sold, believing it was "not a prudent investment" for Walter Sr.'s grandchildren. Spike Briggs made multiple attempts to organize an ownership group to purchase the Tigers from the trust. One group, which includedHenry Ford II, broke apart before making a bid.[3][4]
In September 1955, Briggs assembled a syndicate which included Tiger great and Baseball Hall of FamerCharlie Gehringer that bid $3.5 million to buy the Tigers from the trust; Spike Briggs held 46 percent of the syndicate's shares. However, his four sisters balked at selling the team to their brother due to concern about his hard living, particularly his heavy drinking.[3][4] Their decision created a rift in the family,[4] and opened up a bidding process which saw a group of 11 Michigan businessmen, led by radio executivesJohn Fetzer andFred Knorr, purchase the Tigers for $5.2 million inJuly 1956, with the sale due to close October 1. The sale represented a handsome return on Walter Sr.'s purchase of his stake in the Tigers in 1919; he became a full partner with longtime ownerFrank Navin in 1927 and full owner upon Navin's death in 1935. But, during the summer of 1956, Spike Briggs made headlines from his scathing criticism of his team, manager Harris, and the Tiger coaching staff. His outburst drove one of Harris' coaches,Joe Gordon, also a future Hall of Famer, to immediately resign. (He would return to briefly manage Detroit in August and September of1960).
Knorr and Fetzer had promised to retain Briggs if their bid was successful. Accordingly, when the Knorr/Fetzer group closed on their purchase, they named Briggs executive vice president, and prior to the1957 campaign, he also becamegeneral manager. Despite this, a clash between the boisterous Briggs and the more restrained Fetzer was inevitable. Fetzer forced Briggs' resignation from both posts in April1957, after Briggs clashed with the board over the choice of Harris' successor in the Bengal dugout.[4][5][6] His tenure as owner and general manager saw the continuation of the Tigers' policy of enforcing thebaseball color line; when the team fielded its first black player,Ozzie Virgil Sr., on June 6, 1958, it became the 15th of the then-16 MLB teams tointegrate its playing roster.[7]
Briggs died at age 58 in Detroit after a prolonged period of ill health. He was survived by his wife, three children, sisters, and 13 grandchildren. One of his brothers-in-law wasUnited States SenatorPhilip Hart.[1]
Tossed out at home: the Detroit Tigers' Walter ("Spike") Briggs Jr. A man with a tiger by the tail ever since he inherited the team from his father, Spike tried hard not to let go. When the courts ordered him to sell, he talked the new owners into keeping him on as executive vice president and general manager, but last week his resignation was 'accepted.' Said Spike: 'It was a semi-force play.'
| Preceded by | Detroit TigersGeneral Manager 1957 | Succeeded by |