Gene Autry
| Birthdate | 09/29/1907 |
| Death Date | 10/02/1998 |
| Debut Year | 1960 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | American League, Angels |
| Positions | Executive, Owner |
Gene Autry owned the Angels from their inception in 1961 until 1997; #26 was retired in his honor as the supporter of the 25-man roster.
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Gene Autry was a singer and actor before becoming the first owner of the Angels franchise
Gene Autry was a singer and actor before becoming the first owner of the Angels franchise
Better known for his singing and acting career, Gene Autry turned his earnings into a mega fortune, enabling him to buy a series of radio stations and a Los Angeles television station.
In the 1950s Autry was a minority owner of the Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars. In 1960 Major League Baseball announced expansion into Los Angeles and Autry expressed interest into buying the radio broadcast rights.
Baseball executives were so impressed by Autry’s approach that they persuaded him to become the owner of the expansion Angeles. Autry served as vice president of the American League from 1993 until his death in 1998.
Beloved by his players and the fan base, Autry worked hard to buy the Angels a championship but was never quite able to. The number 26 (as in 26th man) was retired by the Angels in Autry’s honor. The chosen number reflected that baseball’s rosters are 25-man strong, so Autry’s unflagging support for his team made him the 26th member.
Here is a letter signed by the Cowboy on November 28, 1947 on his personal letterhead
Gene Autry's Angels selected Eli Grba of the Yankees with the first pick in the first expansion draft
Gene Autry's Angels selected Eli Grba of the Yankees with the first pick in the first expansion draft
When Major League Baseball awarded American League expansion teams to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., the teams scrambled to put together an effective strategy for the expansion draft that would take place eight days later.
Angels owner Gene Autry tabbed recently-fired Yankee skipper Casey Stengel as his first choice to guide the club. Stengel turned down Autry’s offer but did lend insight into players he thought could help the club.
When the draft took place the club heeded Stengel’s advice and selected Eli Grba with the initial pick in baseball’s first ever expansion draft. By doing so, Grba would go down as the Angel franchise’s first player.
In the collection is this letter from Yankees co-owner Dan Topping thanking Grba for his time as a Yankee, informing him that he’s been selected first overall in the expansion draft by the Angels, and wishing him the best of luck.
Topping headed the Yankees during one of the most successful runs in the history of professional sports. Under his guidance from 1945-1964 New York appeared in 15 World Series and came away as champion 10 times.
