Justus Thorner

{{Infobox person

|name = Justus Thorner

|image =

|image_size =

|alt =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1848|3|2}}{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

|birth_place = Hanover, Germany{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1928|10|10|1848|3|2}}

|death_place = Cincinnati, Ohio

|occupation =

Owner of the Cincinnati Stars (1880)
Owner of the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1882–1883)
Owner of the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds (1884)

|years_active =

|partner =

|awards =

;Cincinnati Red Stockings

American Association champions ({{mlby|1882}})

}}

Justus Thorner (March 2, 1848 – October 10, 1928) was a German-born American businessman, the owner of three professional baseball teams; the Cincinnati Stars in 1880, the Cincinnati Red Stockings during 1882 and 1883, and the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds in 1884.

Thorner was a key figure in the formation of the American Association, which operated from 1882 to 1891. The 1882 Cincinnati Red Stockings season was the initial season of the franchise now known as the Cincinnati Reds.

Biography

In 1880, Thorner owned the Cincinnati Stars in the National League (NL); the team succeeded an early Cincinnati Reds franchise that operated during 1876–1879.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/cinreds.shtml |title=Cincinnati Red Stockings |website=Baseball Almanac |accessdate=August 18, 2020}} The Stars finished in last place in their only season,{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1880/Y_1880.htm |title=The 1880 Season |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=August 18, 2020}} then were expelled, "for failure to observe the rules, agreements and requirements of the league."{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/spaldingsofficia00/page/123/mode/1up |title=Spalding's Official Base Ball Record |date=1919 |page=123 |via=Wayback Machine |accessdate=August 18, 2020}} While the rest of the owners in the National League wanted changes banning Sunday baseball and beer selling at ballparks, Cincinnati objected, saying too much of the club's revenue would be lost.

The expulsion of the Cincinnati franchise from the National League spurred the creation of the new American Association (AA). Thorner took ownership of the AA's Cincinnati Red Stockings franchise,{{efn|This is considered the inception of the modern day Cincinnati Reds franchise.}} which in 1882 won that league's first pennant.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1882/Y_1882.htm |title=The 1882 Season |website=Retrosheet |accessdate=August 18, 2020}}

After the 1883 season, Thorner was succeeded as owner by Aaron S. Stern.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59315136/reds-owners/ |title=Reds owners |newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer |page=20 |date=November 3, 2005 |accessdate=September 14, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Thorner then became owner of the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association (UA), which only operated in 1884.

A son of Jacob and Rosalia (Baun) Thorner, he was born in 1848 in Hanover,{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Germany, and emigrated to the United States at a young age. He managed a brewery in Cincinnati, and in part got involved in baseball to help sell beer.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Thorner was married; his wife, Pauline, died in March 1917.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57571169/stricken-when-on-visit/ |title=Stricken When on Visit |newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer |page=9 |date=March 21, 1917 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Eight months later, Thorner was in bankruptcy.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57571213/creditors-meeting/ |title=Creditors' Meeting |newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer |page=8 |date=November 17, 1917 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} Thorner died in Cincinnati on October 10, 1928;{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57567617/thorner/ |title=Thorner |newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer |page=26 |date=October 11, 1928 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} he was survived by a son, Bennett, and a daughter, Rose.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57569873/justus-thorner-dies/ |title=Justus Thorner Dies |newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer |page=11 |date=October 11, 1928 |accessdate=August 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} He is buried in Cincinnati's United Jewish Cemetery.

Notes

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070427235350/http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/history/timeline1.jsp Cincinnati Reds history] at MLB.com
{{find a Grave|107808249}}

Category:1848 births

Category:1928 deaths

Category:Union Association executives

Category:Cincinnati Reds owners

Category:Emigrants from the Kingdom of Hanover to the United States