Andrew Freedman (September 1, 1860 – December 4, 1915) was an American businessman who is primarily remembered as the owner of the New York Giants

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

team of the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

from 1895 to 1902. He also briefly owned the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

in 1902; the franchise would later relocate, and became the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

. Freedman was also a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

of various companies, including the

Interborough Rapid Transit Company The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT ...

and the

Wright Company The Wright Company was the commercial aviation business venture of the Wright Brothers, established by them on November 22, 1909, in conjunction with several prominent industrialists from New York and Detroit with the intention of capitalizing o ...

. He was born and died in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Biography

Andrew Freedman was born in

on September 1, 1860; his family were middle-class German-Jewish immigrants. He attended Grammar School No. 35, a public school in Lower Manhattan, and City College of New York.

Baseball

In 1895, Freedman became the principal owner of the New York Giants of the

(NL), purchasing a controlling interest in the club from Cornelius C. Van Cott for approximately $53,000 ($ in current dollar terms). During his ownership of the team, Freedman drew the ire of many of his players for various fines and abuses. In one incident, star pitcher Amos Rusie sat out the entire 1896 season during a feud with Freedman. NL presidential candidate

Al Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

called Freedman an "impossibility in baseball", demanding that Freedman retire from the game. Freedman refused. With the financial backing of

John T. Brush John Tomlinson Brush (June 15, 1845 – November 26, 1912) was an American sports executive who is primarily remembered as the principal owner of the New York Giants franchise in Major League Baseball from late in the 1902 season until his death ...

, principal owner of the Cincinnati Reds, Freedman purchased controlling interest in the

of the rival

(AL) on July 17, 1902. The Orioles were in significant debt, reportedly owing $12,000 ($ in current dollar terms). As a result, part-owner and team president John Mahon purchased shares in the team from players

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

Joe Kelley Joseph James Kelley (December 9, 1871 – August 14, 1943) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who starred in the outfield of the Baltimore Orioles teams of the 1890s. Making up the nucleus of the Orioles along with J ...

, and

Wilbert Robinson Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals ...

, becoming principal shareholder of the Orioles. Mahon, with the controlling interest in the Orioles, comprising 201 of the team's 400 total shares, sold his shares to Freedman. Upon taking control of the franchise, Freedman released the Orioles' best players from their contracts so that they could be signed by NL teams: Kelley and Cy Seymour signed with the Reds, while

Joe McGinnity Joseph Jerome McGinnity (March 20, 1871 – November 14, 1929) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the late 19th and early 20th century. McGinnity played in MLB for ten years, pitching for the National League's ...

Roger Bresnahan Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee", was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago ...

Dan McGann Dennis Lawrence "Dan" McGann (July 15, 1871 – December 13, 1910) was an American professional baseball first baseman and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1896 to 1910, and won the World Series in 1905 with the New ...

, and

Jack Cronin John J. Cronin (May 26, 1874 – July 12, 1929) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. He played professionally from 1895 through 1912. His MLB career included stints with the Brooklyn Grooms (1895), Pittsburgh Pirates (1898), Cincin ...

signed with the Giants. American League president

Ban Johnson Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 – March 28, 1931) was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League (AL). Johnson developed the AL—a descendant of the mino ...

, along with minority owners of the Orioles, took control of the Orioles franchise, which had to forfeit their game that day as they did not have enough players. The Orioles relocated to New York City in 1903 and were renamed the Highlanders; since 1913, the franchise has been the

. At the end of September 1902, Freedman sold the Giants to Brush.

Other interests

Freedman took over the

Manhattan Athletic Club The Manhattan Athletic Club was an athletic club in Manhattan, New York City. The club was founded on November 7, 1877, and legally incorporated on April 1, 1878. Its emblem was a "cherry diamond". It established an athletic cinder ash track at ...

, which fell into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...

in 1893, as its receiver. He was a director of the

(IRT).THE MAYOR RETORTS – ASSAILS UNTERMYER – Hylan Calls Attorney a "Notorious Trust Organizer" and"Handy Man" of the Rich.BRAZEN, ARROGANT, HE SAYSCharges the "Traction Twins", Sa
''The New York Times'' (November 1, 1921). Retrieved on April 19, 2012. He first became involved in IRT when John B. McDonald sought to include Freedman.JUSTIFY BELMONT'S INTERBOROUGH FEE – Andrew Freedman and W.G. Oakland of 1902 Board Say It Was a Bargain for Company. – View Article – NYTimes.com
''The New York Times'' (October 3, 1913). Retrieved on April 19, 2012. Freedman reported that he invested $1.7 million ($ in current dollar terms) in the company in 1901 and 1902. He also served on the board of directors of the

, established in 1909 to market the Wright brothers' airplanes in the United States. Freedman owned an ice yacht, named "Haze", which won a pennant race in North

Shrewsbury, New Jersey Shrewsbury is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Centrally located in the Jersey Shore region in the New York Metropolitan area, the borough is an historic bedroom community of New York City. As of the 2010 United States ...

Death and estate

Freedman died in New York City on December 4, 1915, following a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

. He was unmarried. His estate was worth over $4 million ($ in current dollar terms).

Samuel Untermyer Samuel J. Untermyer (March 6, 1858 – March 16, 1940) was a prominent American lawyer and civic leader. He is also remembered for bequeathing his Yonkers, New York estate, now known as Untermyer Park, to the people of New York State. Life S ...

served as executor of the estate.UNTERMYER PASSES THE LIE TO HYLAN – Accuses Mayor of "More Falsehoods to the Square Inch" Than All Candidates in City's History. DEMANDS STAND ON TRANSIT Charges Hylan With Th
''The New York Times'' (November 2, 1921). Retrieved on April 19, 2012. In his will, Freedman bequeathed money to build the Andrew Freedman Home at 1125 Grand Concourse in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. The home was intended to serve as a

retirement home A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home or old age home, although ''old people's home'' can also refer to a nursing home – is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Typically, each person or couple in ...

. Plans were filed in 1922 to build the home as a four-story brick building, with the cost of construction estimated at $500,000 ($ in current dollar terms). The building cost approximately $1 million ($ in current dollar terms) and opened in 1924. The Andrew Freedman Home was named a

New York City Designated Landmark The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

in 1992.Neighborhood Preservation Center (pdf)
(PDF) . Retrieved on April 19, 2012.

References

External links

San Francisco Giants owners
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedman, Andrew 1860 births 1915 deaths Businesspeople from New York City Major League Baseball executives New York Giants (NL) owners New York Yankees owners American Jews City College of New York alumni 19th-century American businesspeople