Philip George Bartelme (August 16, 1876 – May 3, 1954), also known as P.G. Bartelme and sometimes spelled "Barthelme", was the second athletic director of the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, holding the position from 1909 to 1921. Bartelme is credited with bringing the sports of basketball, hockey and swimming to varsity status at Michigan and with leading Michigan back into the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
after its withdrawal in 1907. The only athletic directors to serve a longer tenure at Michigan are
Fielding H. Yost
Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...
(1921-1940),
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and d ...
(1941-1968), and
Don Canham
Donald Burrell Canham (April 27, 1918 – May 3, 2005) was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally r ...
(1968-1988). After leaving Michigan in 1921, Bartelme spent the rest of his career in the world of professional baseball, serving as the president of the
Syracuse Stars (1922-1925), the head of the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
' farm system in the 1930s, president of the
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began pl ...
(1936-1944), and a scout for the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
. Bartelme's baseball career was closely tied to that of
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...
, who Bartelme had hired as Michigan's baseball coach in 1910.
University of Michigan
A native of
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Bartelme was a student manager for the
1902 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1902 Western Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 ...
. On November 1, 1902, Michigan played Wisconsin at Marshall Field in Chicago before a crowd of 23,000. The stadium became so densely packed that one of the temporary grandstands hastily erected to support 400 people collapsed, injuring several. The game was stopped for ten minutes while order was restored, and Bartelme immediately gave the order that no more tickets were to be sold. Thousands were turned away.
Bartelme became Michigan's second athletic director in 1909 following the resignation of
Charles A. Baird
Charles A. Baird (January 17, 1870 – November 30, 1944) was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.
He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athlet ...
. He was appointed to the position on March 24, 1909, by the university's Board of Regents at a salary of $2,700 per year. He took over the position on July 1, 1909.
When Bartelme took over as athletic director, Michigan had withdrawn from the Western Conference. One of his principle accomplishments was the return of Michigan to the conference. In September 1909, Barthelme made his views known:
"I always have thought that Michigan's place is in the conference, and moreover, I have thought that when conditions were so we could return, it would be the only thing for us to do. However, I am not so sure that that time has come."
He noted that the "training table" was the biggest obstacle to Michigan's rejoining the conference. Bartelme noted that the training table was "a great factor in getting the men into the condition necessary for hard football" and avoiding serious injuries.
[
Bartelme is credited with bringing the sports of basketball, hockey and swimming to varsity status at Michigan] He also oversaw the construction of the Athletic Administration Building and hired the university's first full-time director of intramural sports.[
In 1921, Bartelme led an investigation to determine whether Vernon Parks, the captain of Michigan's baseball team and leading pitcher in the Big Ten Conference, had played baseball for Portland in the ]Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
under the assumed name, Harold Brooks. Barthelme noted, "This Brooks won 90 percent of his games I am told. I have seen his picture and I am certain he is really Vernon Parks, our star pitcher. If the charges are true, there is no doubt that the University of Michigan will take drastic action." Parks admitted to Bartelme that he had played for Portland and at the same time resigned from the Michigan team.
Career in baseball
Relationship with Branch Rickey
While serving as athletic director, Bartelme was responsible for giving Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...
his start in baseball administration. Michigan's baseball coach quit in 1910, and Rickey, who was then a law student at Michigan, applied for the job. Rickey asked every alumnus he had ever met to write letters to Bartelme on his behalf. Bartelme recalled, "Day after day those letters came in." Bartelme was reportedly impressed with Rickey's passion for baseball and his idealism about the proper role of athletics on a college campus. Bartelme convinced the dean of the law school that Rickey could handle his law studies and serving as the school's baseball coach. Bartelme reportedly called Rickey into his office to tell him he had the job if only "to put a stop to those damn letters that come in every day." The hiring also marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship and business relationship between Rickey and Bartelme. Bartelme and Rickey worked together for most of the next 35 years, and in 1944 a California newspaper noted: "He and Rickey have had a close association in baseball ever since Bartelme was head of the athletic department of the University of Michigan where Rickey took to baseball just as a means to build up his failing health."
Syracuse Stars
In 1922, Bartelme purchased a one-half interest in the Syracuse Stars baseball club of the International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
.[ John Conway Toole, president of the league, said at the time, "Mr. Bartelme was a high type sportsman and would be a valuable addition to the league." Bartelme joined his friend Branch Rickey as a partner in ownership of the Stars.] In late 1923, Bartelme and Rickey proposed moving the Syracuse team to Montreal. However, the Stars remained in Syracuse with Bartelme acting as the club's president from 1922-1925.
Bartelme sold his interest in the Stars in January 1926. At the time of the sale, the ''Syracuse Herald
The ''Syracuse Herald-Journal'' (1925–2001) was an evening newspaper in Syracuse, New York, United States, with roots going back to 1839 when it was named the ''Western State Journal''. The final issue — volume 124, number 37,500 — was publis ...
'' praised Bartelme for his contributions to Syracuse baseball:"Bartelme worked hand in hand with the Cardinals club during his three years and a half here and gave Syracuse the best baseball it has ever enjoyed."
Among Bartelme's most profitable moves was his sale of slugger Jim Bottomley
James Leroy Bottomley (April 23, 1900 – December 11, 1959) was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1922 to 1937, most prominently as a member of the St. Loui ...
to the St. Louis Cardinals for $30,000. The Stars had acquired Bottomley for $1,000, and he quickly became a sensation while playing for the Stars.[
]
Brick tile business in Florida
Upon selling his interest in the Syracuse Stars, Bartleme went into business with a manufacturing concern in St. Augustine, Florida.[ Bartelme invested considerable money in a firm constructing hollow brick tile for the building business in Florida. With Florida experiencing a building boom in 1926, Bartelme reported that he felt that his entire time must be devoted to his new business.][
]
St. Louis Cardinals
In March 1928, Bartelme and Branch Rickey purchased the Dayton baseball franchise in the new Central League, and Bartelme became the club's president. According to a biography of Rickey, Bartelme was set back by "business losses in Florida" and was brought to St. Louis by Rickey as an office administrator.
By 1929, press accounts identified Bartelme as assistant to Rickey for minor league relations. Bartelme continued to serve as vice president in charge of the Cardinals' minor league operations during Rickey's time in St. Louis. In December 1935, press accounts referred to him as the head of the Cardinals' chain of baseball farm teams.
During Bartelme's tenure, the Cardinals' farm system produced the stars who would form the core of the Gashouse Gang
The Gashouse Gang was the nickname of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team of the early 1930s. Owing to their success that started in 1926, the Cardinals would win a total of five National League pennants from 1926 to 1934 (nine seasons) while win ...
teams of the 1930s, including Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin (February 29, 1904 – March 5, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning ab ...
, Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...
and Joe Medwick
Joseph Michael Medwick (November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975), nicknamed "Ducky" and "Muscles", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals during the " Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also pla ...
—players who were integral parts of the 1934 Cardinals team that won the World Series. The farm system operated by Rickey and Bartelme was so successful that Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his h ...
twice released over 70 of the Cardinals' minor leaguer players. Nevertheless, Rickey and Bartelme's farm system remained, and similar systems were adopted by every major league team within a few years.
Sacramento Solons
When the Cardinals purchased the Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began pl ...
of the Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
in December 1935, Bartelme was sent to California to take over as the club president. Bartelme was president of the Solons from January 1936 until February 1944, when the Cardinals pulled out of their interest in the Sacramento club.[ The ]Oakland Tribune
The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.
Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...
noted that Bartelme was "one of the finest men in baseball and is well liked in Sacramento." The ''Tribunes sports editor, Lee Dunbar, referred to Bartelme as "one of my favorite people."[
]
Brooklyn Dodgers
After the Cardinals sold the Solons, Bartelme was again hired by his old friend, Branch Rickey, who had then taken over as president of the Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
. Bartelme remained in Sacramento and became a scout for the Dodgers in California.
Family and death
Bartelme died on May 3, 1954, in Carmel, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and municipal corporation, incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its n ...
, at age 75.[ He was survived by his wife Mina Chase Bartelme.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartelme, Philip G.
1876 births
1954 deaths
University of Michigan alumni
Michigan Wolverines athletic directors
Sportspeople from Chicago