07/30/2025
Smh
Owners Behaving Badly: The Worst Team Owners in Baseball History βΎπ°
While players and managers grab headlines on the field, the true power behind a baseball franchise lies with its owner. And throughout MLB history, some owners have made headlines for all the wrong reasons, earning reputations as the "worst" for their controversial decisions, personal behavior, or simply for running their teams into the ground.
Here are some of the most notorious examples:
Marge Schott (Cincinnati Reds): Infamous for her racism and controversial remarks, including defending Hi**er, Schott's ownership of the Reds was marred by scandal. Her comments and actions led to multiple suspensions from MLB.
Frank McCourt (Los Angeles Dodgers): McCourt's tenure as Dodgers owner ended in disaster, with the team facing bankruptcy and plunging into disarray due to his financial mismanagement and highly public divorce.
Jeffrey Loria (Florida/Miami Marlins): Loria earned the nickname for consistently engaging in "fire sales," dismantling competitive teams for financial gain and alienating the fanbase. His ownership was synonymous with frequent talent purges.
John Fisher (Oakland A's): Fisher has become public enemy #1 in Oakland for his relentless pursuit of a move to Las Vegas, stripping the team down and seemingly abandoning a loyal, long-suffering fanbase.
Charles Comiskey (Chicago White Sox): As the owner during the infamous "Black Sox" scandal, Comiskey was known for being incredibly cheap, underpaying his star players, which is often cited as a contributing factor to the players' willingness to throw the 1919 World Series.
Jean Yawkey (Boston Red Sox): While a beloved figure by some, Yawkey's legacy is complicated by accusations of racism and upholding the team's historical resistance to integrating Black players into the franchise, notably delaying the signing of Willie Mays.
Peter Angelos (Baltimore Orioles): Angelos was frequently criticized for his meddling in baseball operations, often clashing with managers and general managers, leading to a period of instability and underperformance for the Orioles.
Bob Nutting (Pittsburgh Pirates): Nutting has faced continuous backlash from Pirates fans for being "penny-pinching," consistently fielding low-payroll teams and trading away star players instead of investing in long-term contention.
Chris Von Der Ahe (St. Louis Browns): An early baseball owner, Von Der Ahe was a flamboyant "showman" but also a disastrous businessman whose financial mismanagement led the Browns to bankruptcy, forcing his eventual sale of the team.
George Steinbrenner (New York Yankees): While ultimately leading the Yankees to immense success, the "Boss" was notorious for constantly firing managers (and general managers), creating a revolving door of leadership that, while often chaotic, became a bizarre hallmark of his intense pursuit of championships.