George M. "Red" Trautman (January 11, 1890 – June 25, 1963) was an American baseball executive and college men's basketball coach.

Ohio State

As an undergraduate at the Ohio State University, Trautman was a three-sport letterwinner in football, basketball and baseball. After graduation, he became an assistant athletic director under

Lynn St. John Lynn Wilbur "The Saint" St. John (November 18, 1876 – September 30, 1950) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach and college athletics administrator. The Union City, Pennsylvania native was the head basketball coach at Ohio Sta ...

. As assistant athletic director, Trautman was instrumental in helping to establish the Ohio Relays.

Basketball

When St. John gave up his basketball coaching duties, he assigned them to Trautman. Trautman held the position of men's basketball head coach for three years. In those three years he had an overall record of 29-33.

Honors

* Trautman was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1978. * Trautman Field, named in honor of George Trautman, was the home field of the Ohio State baseball team from 1967 to 1996.

Professional baseball

In 1933 Trautman became president of the Columbus Red Birds, a minor league baseball team. Three years later, Trautman was named president of the American Association, the league in which the Red Birds played. He held that position from 1936 through 1945. Trautman moved the office of the league from

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. In 1946 Trautman was named General Manager of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

, succeeding Jack Zeller. After two seasons with the Tigers, Trautman was appointed as the new President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, succeeding William Bramham. Trautman held that position from until his death in 1963.

Accomplishments

Under Trautman's leadership, a new relationship was forged between the major leagues and the minor leagues. Territorial rights, which had been in dispute, were established so that if the major leagues took over a National Association city, compensation would be due to both the existing team and its league.

George M. Trautman Awards

Each year, the Topps Company, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball, awards the ''George M. Trautman Award'' to the ''Topps Player of the Year'' in each of sixteen domestic minor leagues. ''See also'' Baseball awards#U.S. minor leagues.

Trivia

*The Ohio State fight song, "

Buckeye Battle Cry "Buckeye Battle Cry", composed by vaudeville performer and songwriter Frank Crumit, is one of two fight songs of the Ohio State Buckeyes, with the other being "(Fight The Team) Across the Field". Every football game in Ohio Stadium begins with Ra ...

," was written by Trautman's brother-in-law, Frank Crumit, a musical comedy star.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trautman, George 1890 births 1963 deaths American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Detroit Tigers executives Major League Baseball general managers Ohio State Buckeyes baseball players Ohio State Buckeyes football players Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball coaches Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players