Philip K. Wrigley

From BR Bullpen

Philip Knight Wrigley

• Born December 5, 1894 in Chicago, IL
• Died April 12, 1977 in Elkhorn, WI

[edit] Biographical Information

Philip K. Wrigley was a chewing gum mogul and the longtime owner of the Chicago Cubs. He inherited the club when his father, William Wrigley Jr., died in 1932. He was not an avid baseball fan but did not sell the team in honor of his father. He was often criticized for the way he ran the club and his refusal to install lights in Wrigley Field. Mike Royko was critical of his hesitation to integrate and make the Cubs more competitive in the late 1940s and in the early 1950s. Beginning in 1961, Wrigley replaced the position of manager with a "College of Coaches", but the plan was abandoned within five years. After his death, his family sold the Cubs to the Tribune Company.