William Walker (executive)

William M. Telfer Walker

• Born c. 1872
• Died May 1, 1941 in Chicago, IL USA

Biographical Information

William Walker got his start in baseball as a minority owner of the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, alongside Charles Weeghman. Walker was a fishmonger and had met Weeghman as a supplier of goods for the numerous lunch counters he operated around Chicago, IL - a predecessor of today's fast food chains. He was originally from New Jersey.

When peace talks between the Federal league and the two other major leagues concluded following the 1915 season, Weeghman was allowed to buy the Chicago Cubs of the National League, with Wilson joining him as a minority owner. The Cubs took over Weeghman Park, the brand-new ballpark that had been built for the Whales; it would become known as "Wrigley Field" in short order. This required breaking a long-term lease on West Side Park, the Cubs' home until then.

After the purchase, Walker was named Vice-President of the team with Weeghman taking over as President. However, Weeghman soon ran into financial trouble because of over-expansion of his other businesses and had to borrow money from other minority owners, including William Wrigley and Albert Lasker who would buy out all his shares by 1919, becoming majority owners. Weeghman was soon out of baseball completely and when a new board was elected late that year, manager Fred Mitchell was elected President in Weeghman's place and newspaperman William Veeck, a friend of Wrigley's, took over the vice-presidency from Walker. Mitchell resigned in July 1919 to concentrate on his managerial duties and Veeck took over as President, returning walker to his former post.

Veeck died of leukemia in October of 1933 and on January 10, 1934, Walker succeeded him as President. However, he was soon ousted by majority owner Phil Wrigley, William's son, who replaced him the following October. During his short mandate, he made a number of unpopular trades, which may have prompted Wrigley to take over even though he did not consider himself a baseball man (he was more concerned with running the chewing gum company started by his father, who had died in 1932).

Related Sites

• Chicago Cubs team ownership history, 1876-1919 at the SABR Team Ownership History Project