Bob Carpenter Jr.

Youngest club president in MLB history; led Phillies from 1943 to 1972; family owned team until 1981.

Robert Ruliph Morgan Carpenter Jr. (August 31, 1915 – July 8, 1990) was an American owner and club president of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. When he took command of the Phillies in November 1943 after his father and he purchased the franchise, the 28-year-old Carpenter became the youngest club president in baseball history. He became sole owner upon his father's death in 1949 and would serve as president of the Phillies until 1972, when his son succeeded him. The Carpenter family owned the Phillies from 1943 to 1981; they also were known as the Blue Jays from 1944 to 1949.

Quick Facts

Role: Owner and Club President
Affiliation: Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball)
Acquisition year: 1943

Lore & Background

Bob Carpenter was typically referred to as Bob Carpenter throughout baseball; both his father and his son were informally known as 'Ruly.' He was born on August 31, 1915, in Wilmington, Delaware, to the elder Carpenter and Margaretta Lammot Du Pont. Aside from baseball and boxing, Carpenter was wealthy from investments and family relations with the DuPont family. He attended Duke University, where he starred in football. He married Mary Kaye Phelps on November 18, 1938. When his father bought the perennially cash-strapped Phillies in 1943, and when Bob Carpenter invested some of his fortune in talented young players such as Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn after World War II, they helped create the fabled 'Whiz Kids' pennant-winning club of 1950. More important, they ensured that Philadelphia would remain a National League city. The Carpenters bought Shibe Park from the A's, solidified their hold on Delaware Valley baseball fans, and moved into Veterans Stadium in 1971. Although Carpenter admitted that he had only seen the Phillies play 'two or three games' before his family purchased the team, the Carpenters were not new to running a baseball franchise: prior to their purchase of the Phillies, they had owned and operated a minor league baseball club, the original Wilmington Blue Rocks. Bob Carpenter took an active role in the management of the Phillies. He and his father tried to polish the team's image and way of doing business. Before the 1944 season, the team held a fan contest soliciting a new team nickname. Management chose 'Blue Jays,' the fan submission of Elizabeth Crooks, who received a $100 war bond as compensation. Phillies management said that the Blue Jays name was an official 'additional nickname,' meaning that the team had two official nicknames simultaneously. The new Blue Jays moniker was ultimately unpopular; it was officially dropped by the team in January 1950. Carpenter went on to serve as the club's general manager without portfolio after the January 1948 death of Herb Pennock, through the 1950 NL pennant, and until April of 1954. For his efforts in rebuilding the franchise, Carpenter was hailed by the Sporting News as Major League Executive of the Year for 1949. In the 1940s, Carpenter along with a friend, boxing promoter Ralph Tribuani, established the Wilmington Sportsmens Club, converted Wilmington Baseball Park into a fight venue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Bob Carpenter Jr. win a World Series title?

While he led the Phillies to the 1950 World Series, they ultimately lost to the New York Yankees and did not secure a championship under his direct leadership. The franchise's first World Series victory occurred later in 1980 after he had stepped down as president.

How long did the Carpenter family own the Phillies?

The family acquired the club in November 1943 and maintained ownership until 1981, spanning nearly four decades of franchise history. Bob Jr. managed day-to-day operations for most of this period before retiring from his executive role in 1972.