Jacob Ruppert Ownership Era
The brewer who built the Bronx Bombers
Jacob Ruppert Jr. owned the New York Yankees from 1915 until his death in 1939, transforming the franchise from a perennial also-ran into a baseball powerhouse. He purchased Babe Ruth's contract, built Yankee Stadium, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July 2013.
Quick Facts
- Owner
- Jacob Ruppert (with T.L. Huston)
- Key executive
- Ed Barrow
- Era start
- 1915
- Era end
- 1939
- World series titles
- 7
- Ballpark
- Yankee Stadium (opened 1923)
Lore & Background
Ruppert, a brewer and former U.S. Representative, co-owned the Yankees with Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston until buying him out in 1922. Under his sole ownership, the Yankees won their first World Series in 1923 and dominated the 1920s and 1930s, becoming the first team to win six World Series titles and ten American League championships. In 1931, Ruppert bought the Newark Bears, who played at Ruppert Stadium in Newark, New Jersey, and began building the Yankees' farm system.
Did You Know?
- Ruppert added numbers to the Yankees' uniforms in 1929, saying many fans cannot easily pick out players they have come to see.
- Ruppert spoke with a noticeable German accent all his life, and usually called everyone by their last name, including Babe Ruth, whom he called 'Root'.
- Ruppert started in the family brewing business as a barrel washer, working 12-hour days for $10 a week.
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