March 2: From the Press Box to the Dugout to Owner

The Main Event

Horace Fogel (born 1861) – Born in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Fogel served as a baseball writer, MLB manager, and later was the president/owner of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1909-1912. His “claim to fame” was wanting to rename the Phillies the Live Wires with the proposed logo being an eagle clutching sparking wires in its talons. The idea never came to fruition.

Horace Fogel was born in 1861 and rose to prominence in Philadelphia as one of the city’s most influential sports writers at the turn of the twentieth century. He worked for major newspapers including the Philadelphia Press and the Philadelphia Inquirer, covering baseball during a period when the sport was cementing its place as America’s pastime. Fogel developed a reputation for being intelligent, forceful, and unafraid to challenge authority. In an era when the press wielded tremendous influence over public opinion, his columns carried weight with both fans and baseball insiders.

Fogel did not simply report scores. He analyzed front office decisions, criticized league policies, and frequently questioned the performance and fairness of umpires. His writing style was confident and sometimes combative, traits that would define the rest of his career. His visibility in Philadelphia’s baseball circles positioned him to move beyond journalism and into leadership roles within the game itself.

Major League Managing Career

Unlike many baseball executives who rose through playing careers, Fogel’s path into managing came from the press box. He managed the Indiana Hoosiers of the National League in 1887. The Hoosiers struggled that season, and the franchise folded after the year, making his first managerial experience brief and difficult.

Fogel returned to managing at the major league level in 1902 when he took over the New York Giants. That stint also proved short. The Giants were in transition, and Fogel did not last the full season. While his managerial record was not distinguished, the experience placed him inside the dugout and gave him direct exposure to roster construction, clubhouse dynamics, and league politics. It also reinforced his belief that he understood the inner workings of the sport from multiple angles, something few executives of his era could claim.

President of the Phillies (1909–1912)

Fogel’s most significant impact came as president of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1909 through 1912. During this period, he served as the club’s chief executive and public voice. The Phillies were competitive during portions of his presidency, finishing in the first division in both 1910 and 1911. While the team did not capture a National League pennant under his watch, it was far from irrelevant.

As president, Fogel was deeply involved in player personnel decisions and the overall direction of the franchise. He was outspoken in defending his club and aggressive in challenging what he viewed as inequities within the National League. This is where his tenure became controversial.

Fogel repeatedly accused National League umpires of favoring the New York Giants, suggesting that biased officiating influenced pennant races. At a time when baseball’s leadership was highly sensitive to any suggestion of corruption, those accusations were explosive. League officials viewed his public statements as damaging to the sport’s credibility.

In 1912, National League president Thomas Lynch banned Fogel from baseball for making comments deemed detrimental to the league. The decision abruptly ended his presidency and effectively removed him from organized baseball leadership. It was a dramatic fall for a man who had moved from covering the sport to running one of its flagship franchises.

Horace Fogel’s career was unusual and layered. He was a prominent sports writer who shaped baseball conversation in Philadelphia, a major league manager with experience in two National League cities, and ultimately the president of the Phillies during a competitive but turbulent era. His downfall stemmed from the same trait that fueled his rise: a willingness to speak his mind. In the rough-and-tumble world of early twentieth-century baseball, that made him both influential and vulnerable.

Philadelphia Baseball Events for March 2

• 2019 – The Phillies introduce their new marquee player in free agent OF Bryce Harper, just signed to a record-breaking 13-year deal worth $330 million.

MLB Events for March 2

• 1976 – The Los Angeles Dodgers re-acquire second baseman Ted Sizemore from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Willie Crawford. Sizemore had started his major league career with the Dodgers in 1969, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and was later traded to the Cardinals as part of a package for slugger Richie Allen.
• 1992 – The highest-paid player tag now belongs to Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs. The All-Star second baseman signs a four-year contract extension worth $7.1 million per season.

ICYMI

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Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for March 2

• Charlie Bastian (born 1858) – Philadelphia native infielder who played for the Phillies from 1885-1888 and played in one game with them in 1891 to finish his career.
• Elmer Myers (born 1894) – Right-handed pitcher who played for the 1915-1918 Philadelphia Athletics. Myers MLB career spanned eight seasons and bridged the deadball and live-ball eras.
• Jim Konstanty (born 1917) – Left-handed pitcher who played six-plus seasons with the Phillies. Konstanty was the first reliever in MLB history to win the National League MVP Award in 1950 while starring for Philadelphia.
• Chico Fernandez (born 1932) – Born in Cuba, Fernandez played three seasons with the Phillies beginning in 1957. Overall, the shortstop played eight MLB seasons and finished with a .240 average.
• Ron Gant (born 1965) – Acquired from St. Louis along with Jeff Brantley and Cliff Politte in exchange for Ricky Bottalico and Garrett Stephenson. Played in 227 games as a Philie over the 1999 and 2000 seasons with 37 home runs, 115 RBI and a slash line of: .257/.348/.453/.803.
• Adolis García (born 1993) – Outfielder who signed with the Phillies as a free agent not long after the 2025 regular season ended. Garcia is written in to be the Phillies starting right fielder in 2026.
• Filippo Sabatini (born 2003) – Right-handed pitcher in the Phillies minor league system. An international signing, Sabatini has developed within the organization’s lower-level affiliates as part of the club’s ongoing investment in young pitching talent.

MLB Hall of Famers Born on March 2

• Mel Ott (born 1909) – Played his entire major league career – 22 seasons – with the New York Giants. An 11 time all-star who led the league in home runs six times.