Stanley Kess

Stanley Kess served as chairman of the board of the Cincinnati Reds for a brief time starting in December of 1961. He was not really a baseball man, but became involved in the game after marrying Page Crosley, daughter of Reds owner Powel Crosley. Because Crosley's son, also named Powel, had pre-deceased him, Page was his only living child when he passed away suddenly at the end of March in 1961, so Kess was the principal link to the formal ownership group. However, he was a passive executive, as true power was wielded by Bill DeWitt, who had been hired as General Manager in November of 1960, shortly before Powel Crosley's passing, and who was named team President at the same meeting. DeWitt quickly began working on assembling a new ownership group, and was able to purchase the team outright the following March, ending the Crosley family's long tenure.