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Charles Hurth

Edgy MD Feb 11 2015 06:22 PM

The Mets — perhaps I knew this and forgot, and perhaps I never knew it all — had a GM before George Weiss. One Chares Hurth had the original chair, with Weiss serving as president. But Hurth resigned on November 15, 1961, pretty much just when it was time to start building the 1962 team. I'd think that maybe he was just there to built the organizational infrastructure and then turn the club over to men more seasoned in procuring talent, except that he left with two years left on a three-year contract. What was that about? He doesn't even have a listing in the UMDB! Here he is in 1961, center — all high-wasted and wedding-ringless — meeting with the president of the Carolina League's Raleigh club, who had just become one of the Mets first two ever affiliates. The club's owner is, as you might guess, a Pepsi-Cola bottler. [fimg=450]https://metsinpeace.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/untitled-1.jpg[/fimg] What's the deal with Hurth?

Edgy MD Feb 11 2015 06:32 PM Re: Charles Hurth

A sidenote: Searching for him leads me to a lot of hits on "Charles Hurth III," a Republican political operative — who, it wouldn't be crazy to guess, may well be the Met GM's grandson — who literally bites ass, having been busted and successfully sued with regard to the following incident. [fimg=450:2pi8keni]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Fhd2UZ0pRYs/TA5vb_xBz0I/AAAAAAAAAqY/xF20c0KOZV4/s1600/CharlesHurthBite.JPG[/fimg:2pi8keni]

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 11 2015 06:51 PM Re: Charles Hurth

I suspect the situation was that Weiss was brought in to perform the duties of GM even without the title. He was called "president" not GM so as to sidestep terms of his MFY severance package. Weiss clearly ran the expansion draft that immediately preceded the Hurth resignation.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 11 2015 06:52 PM Re: Charles Hurth

I like that they have a "Cheeky Chumps Department".

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2015 07:42 AM Re: Charles Hurth

I guess 'high-wasted' runs in the family.

Edgy MD Feb 12 2015 07:55 AM Re: Charles Hurth

Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman includes interview material with Charles Hurth, Jr. Confirming that the GM sired a "Junior" definitely increases the likelihood that the buttbiter is from the line. M. Donald Grant, the stockbroker who had chief owner Joan Payson’s voting proxy, was becoming the power on the board of the directors of the Mets. When Rickey turned down any active involvement, Grant brought in George Weiss, the Yankees general manager who had been summarily fired (along with manager Casey Stengel) after the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series to the Pirates. Charles Hurth was still the nominal general manager, but it was oil and water between Weiss and Hurth. The Mets seized on the opportunity to win disgruntled Yankees fans over the National League side by hiring Stengel to manage the new team. Hurth was not privy to these moves or to Weiss’s decision to win over Brooklyn fans by signing aging first baseman Gil Hodges. Hurth believed in building a team with younger players and younger leaders. He resigned and moved to Colorado.

G-Fafif Feb 12 2015 02:18 PM Re: Charles Hurth

Hurth had previously run the Southern League, so it's obvious why he clashed with Weiss: He never could cotton to those damn Yankees!