The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Brad Corbett, R.I.P.

Brad Corbett, R.I.P.

By Aaron Goldstein on 12.25.12 @ 2:41AM

Former Texas Rangers owner Brad Corbett passed away on Monday. He was 75.

After making his fortune in plastic piping and chemical tubing, the 36-year old Corbett purchased the Rangers in 1974 for just under $10 million.

The Rangers finished second in the AL West that season under Billy Martin. However, Corbett fired Martin by the middle of the ‘75 season. Martin was hired by George Steinbrenner to manage the New York Yankees weeks later.

Corbett’s tenure in Texas was known for risky moves that seldom paid off. He signed Richie Zisk and Bert Campaneris past their prime and went through four managers in eight days during the 1977 season. Even Steinbrenner couldn’t make that claim. In case you’re wondering, the four managers were Frank Lucchesi, Eddie Stanky, Connie Ryan and Billy Hunter. Despite this, the Rangers somehow managed to win a franchise high 94 games in ‘77 but finished eight games back of the Kansas City Royals in the AL West standings.

Corbett lost a fortune and prior to the start of the 1980 season, he sold the Rangers to Eddie Giles for $4 million.

Well, no one could accuse Corbett of being dull.

About the Author

Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/12/25/brad-corbett-rip

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