Jacob Ruppert Ownership Era

Lore & Background

Ruppert purchased the Yankees with Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston before the 1915 season for $460,000. After the 1917 season, he hired Miller Huggins as manager on the recommendation of AL president Ban Johnson, over Huston's objection, leading to Huston selling his shares to Ruppert in 1922. Ruppert and Huston purchased pitcher Carl Mays from the Boston Red Sox in July 1919 in defiance of Johnson, a court case that helped lead to the creation of the Commissioner of Baseball. The Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Red Sox in January 1920, making the franchise profitable. Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923, the first ballpark with three tiers of seating and the first referred to as a 'stadium.' In 1929, Ruppert added numbers to the Yankees' uniforms. In 1931, he bought the Newark Bears to begin building the Yankees' farm system.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Polo Grounds was thick with smoke and anticipation in 1920, but Jacob Ruppert stood apart from the crowd, his eyes fixed on a young man stepping onto the field for his first game as a Yankee. It wasn't just a player; it was a promise of a new future. As Babe Ruth cracked his bat against the foul pole, sending the ball soaring into the bleachers, Ruppert knew the days of obscurity were over. The roar of the crowd wasn't just noise; it was the sound of an empire being born.

Reader's Guide

Ruppert's 24-year ownership saw the Yankees win their first World Series in 1923, then dominate the 1920s and 1930s with pennants in 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, and 1938. The 1927 Murderers' Row team won the World Series and repeated in 1928. The Yankees became the first team to win three consecutive World Series titles in 1936, 1937, and 1938. By Ruppert's death, the team was on its way to becoming the most successful in Major League Baseball history.

Did You Know?

• Ruppert purchased South Brother Island in the East River in 1894 and lived there until his house burned down in 1909.
• Ruppert called Babe Ruth 'Root' due to his German accent, and called everyone by their last name.
• Ruppert was not a candidate for reelection to Congress in 1906 and left office in 1907.