Jerry Reinsdorf
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| Jerry Reinsdorf | |
| Born | February 25, 1936 Brooklyn, New York,  United States |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Owner of Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls |
Jerry Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York) is the majority owner of the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years. He made his initial fortune in real estate taking advantage of the Frank Lyon Co. v. United States decision in the United States Supreme Court which allowed economic owners of realty to sell it and lease it back while transferring the tax deduction for depreciation to the title owner.
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[edit] White Sox and Bulls
Reinsdorf attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn.[1] A life-long baseball fan who grew up in the shadows of Ebbets Field, Reinsdorf was in the stands the day Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier which prevented black players from serving on Major League teams. Throughout the years Reinsdorf has been active in the affairs of baseball, serving on the Executive Council and Ownership, Long Range Planning, Restructuring, Expansion, Equal Opportunity, Strategic Planning, Legislative and Labor Policy Committees of Major League Baseball, he also serves on the Boards of MLB Advanced Media and MLB Enterprises. He was the chairman of the Chicago Bulls as the team won six World Championships in the 1990s (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998), and he was responsible for allowing Jerry Krause to break up the team.
Recently, his Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series. This made him only the third owner in the history of North American sports to win a championship in two different sports. He is best known for ending the White Sox World Series drought of 88 years that began in 1917. Other notable moments include signing Michael Jordan to play baseball in 1994.
Some fans and columnists have accused Reinsdorf of breaking up the championship Bulls team after their third straight title and sixth in eight years, claiming the Bulls could have competed for more titles with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and good support from the rest of the team that in the eight-year span included Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper, BJ Armstrong, and coach Phil Jackson. Some have attributed it to a personal rivalry between manager Jerry Krause and Jordan/Jackson, and on the other side, Reinsdorf and Krause.
[edit] Accolades
Reinsdorf was inducted into the Appleton, Wisconsin Baseball Hall of Fame on August 5, 2006 in a ceremony at Fox Cities Stadium prior to that evening's game between the Midwest League Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Beloit Snappers. He was so recognized because a former Minor League club, the Appleton Foxes, was a Chicago White Sox affiliate in the early years of Reinsdorf's ownership.
[edit] References
- ^ "The Rumble: AN OFF-THE-BALL LOOK AT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITIES", New York Post, December 31, 2006. Accessed December 13, 2007. "The five Erasmus Hall of Fame legends include Raiders owner Al Davis, Bears quarterback Sid Luckman, Yankee pitching great Waite Hoyt, Billy Cunningham and Knicks founder Ned Irish. Other sports notables include Bulls/White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, chess champion Bobby Fischer, ex-Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano, legendary NBA referee Norm Drucker and "Boys of Summer" author Roger Kahn."
[edit] Sources
- Jerry Reinsdorf - nba.com/Bulls
- Reinsdorf to enter Appleton Hall of Fame, MinorLeagueBaseball.com
- http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20050621/ai_n14717202]
