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William Benswanger | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1892-02-22)February 22, 1892 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 1972(1972-01-15) (aged 79) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baseball executive |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Barney Dreyfuss (father-in-law) |
William Edward Benswanger (February 22, 1892 – January 15, 1972) was an American businessman who served for almost 15 years as president and chief executive of thePittsburgh PiratesMajor League Baseball franchise, from1932 through1946.
Born in New York City, Benswanger moved with his family toPittsburgh when he was five years of age. Upon adulthood, he entered his family's insurance business, then served in theUnited States Army's balloon corps during World War I. He also was an accomplished pianist and musician and served on the board of thePittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for two decades.
Benswanger became involved inbaseball through his marriage to Eleanor "Fanny" Dreyfuss, daughter of longtime Pirates ownerBarney Dreyfuss. The elder Dreyfuss was grooming his son, Samuel, to succeed him as club president, but Samuel Dreyfuss died suddenly in 1931 frompneumonia at age 35. The following year, Barney Dreyfuss died as well. Dreyfuss' widow, Florence, inherited the team. She successfully prevailed upon Benswanger, her son-in-law, to become president and operating head of the franchise.
He would lead the team from1932 through the1946 season. During that time, the Pirates boasted a number of star players, includingBaseball Hall of Fame membersPaul Waner,Lloyd Waner,Pie Traynor,Arky Vaughan andRalph Kiner. But, apart from four second-place finishes, they resided in the middle- to lower-rung of theNational League and were late in developing afarm system, the surest method at the time of attaining sustained success in baseball. On the plus side, Benswanger kept the team going through theGreat Depression and brought back all-time greatHonus Wagner to serve as acoach.
Benswanger's last year as president, 1946, was especially tumultuous.
Robert Murphy, aBoston labor lawyer, organized theAmerican Baseball Guild, a players'union and predecessor of theMajor League Baseball Players Association. Early demands included a minimum salary, standardization of player contracts, and an increase in per-diem expense reimbursements (amending or abolishing thereserve clause was not yet on the table). Murphy targeted the Pirates as the testing ground for signing members of the Guild because of Pittsburgh's reputation as a union stronghold. The majority of the Pirates joined the Guild, with the notable exception of veteran pitcherRip Sewell. Benswanger, as point man for the Major League owners, would not negotiate with the Guild, and Murphy threatened astrike for the Pirates' June 7 game with theNew York Giants. In a pre-game players-only meeting, a majority voted in favor of striking. However, due to Sewell's forceful opposition, the vote fell short of the required two-thirds majority, and the threat evaporated. The failure of the strike vote fatally wounded the Guild; the owners made minor concessions to players, and staved off the effective creation of a union until the MLBPA was formed in 1966.[1]
At the same time Benswanger was fending off the American Baseball Guild, the Dreyfuss family's 46-year ownership of the team was coming to a close. In August 1946, the Pirates were purchased by an ownership group headed byIndianapolis businessmanFrank E. McKinney, and which included entertainerBing Crosby, Pittsburgh attorneyThomas P. Johnson, andColumbus, Ohio-based real estate magnateJohn W. Galbreath. Benswanger stepped down as club president upon completion of the sale on August 8. He died in Pittsburgh at age 79.
Prior toBranch Rickey's efforts with theBrooklyn Dodgers, Benswanger was one of the few owners and executives who vocally challenged Major League Baseball'scolor barrier and its major proponent,Commissioner of BaseballKenesaw Mountain Landis.