Charlie Byrne (baseball)
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Charles H. Byrne (born September 1843 in New York, New York, died January 4, 1898)was a New York realtor who was one of the original founders of the team that became the Brooklyn Dodgers. Byrne along with New York Herald editor George J. Taylor, Joseph Doyle (Byrne's brother-in-law) and Rhoda Island casino owner Ferdinand Abell were the group that originally raised the money to found the ball club, known at first simply as the "Brooklyns." They leased land on fifth avenue to build Washington Park, the team's original home. It cost them the then-considerable sum of $30,000 to build the ballpark. The first year the team played in the minor Inter-State Association of Professional Baseball Clubs but the team was able to attract a following and won the league championship.
In 1884, the owners were able to bring the franchise into the American Association, a competitor to the more established National League, that catered to a more working-class crowd. [1]
Byrne remained in the ownership group until his death in 1898, seeing the franchise eventually join the National League in 1890. Under his ownership, the Grays/Grooms/Bridegrooms/Dodgers (as they were alternately known during this period) went 567-506 and won two championships (the AA championship in 1889 and the NL championship in 1890. [2]) He was also the team's Manager from 1885-1887. [3]
[edit] External links
- Brooklyn history book excerpt
- Dodgers ownership history
- 120 Years of Dodgers history
- Baseball reference managerial record
| Preceded by (none) |
President of the Brooklyn Dodgers 1883-1898 |
Succeeded by Charles Ebbets |
| Preceded by Charlie Hackett |
Brooklyn Grays Manager 1885-1887 |
Succeeded by Bill McGunnigle |
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