Clarence Miles (June 29, 1897 – October 8, 1977) was the

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

and

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

during the and seasons. Miles was a native of the Eastern Shore. He had gone to school with

Wallis Warfield Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986), was an American socialite and wife of the former King Edward VIII. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused ...

. In 1924, he founded what would become one of Baltimore's more prominent law firms, Miles & Stockbridge. In

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

, he joined forces with

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Tommy D'Alesandro to bring a major league team to Baltimore. After a year of searching, they found an apparent candidate in the moribund

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

. Their owner,

Bill Veeck William Louis Veeck Jr. ( ; February 9, 1914 – January 2, 1986), also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was an American Major League Baseball franchise owner and promoter. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Br ...

, had recently been broadsided by the sale of the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...

. While Veeck had mounted a considerable effort over the past two years to drive the Cardinals out of St. Louis, he'd concluded he could not possibly compete against a team with Anheuser-Busch's resources behind it and was looking to move elsewhere. Veeck had wanted to move the Browns to Baltimore himself for the 1953 season, but was voted down. After the season, Veeck cut a deal with Miles and D'Alesandro in which Miles and other Baltimore investors would buy half of Veeck's 80 percent stake in the Browns, with Veeck remaining as principal owner. The proposal required six out of eight owners to vote in favor, but at an owners' meeting in New York City on September 27, only four voted aye, reportedly because

Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

co-owner

Del Webb Delbert Eugene "Del" Webb (May 17, 1899 – July 4, 1974) was an American real estate developer, and a co-owner of the New York Yankees baseball club. He is known for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona, and fo ...

was rounding up support to move the Browns to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Miles realized that the owners merely wanted Veeck out of the way. In 48 hours, he lined up enough support from several of the Baltimore investors in the original deal with Veeck—such as brewer

Jerold Hoffberger Jerold Charles Hoffberger (April 7, 1919 – April 9, 1999) was an American businessman. He was president of the National Brewing Company from 1946 to 1973. He was also part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from 1954 to 1965 ...

, investment banker

Joseph Iglehart Joseph Alexander Wilson Iglehart (November 15, 1891 – November 16, 1979) was an American financier who also served as an executive for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and two Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. Born in Baltimore ...

and real estate developer

James Keelty James S. Keelty Jr. (December 23, 1911 – August 26, 2003) was part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of the American League from to . Keelty was a Baltimore-area real estate developer who started James Keelty & Co. Inc. with his younger brother ...

—to buy out Veeck's interest for $2.5 million. This deal, along with the planned move to Baltimore, was unanimously approved. Almost immediately, Miles announced the team would be renamed the Orioles. With his fellow investors both frustrated with his domination of the team's business operations and dissatisfied with a pair of seventh-place finishes, Miles resigned in early November, 1955. Keelty succeeded him as president with Iglehart becoming board chairman.Miller, James Edward. ''The Baseball Business''. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1990. Miles died in

Queenstown, Maryland Queenstown is a town in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 664 at the 2010 census. Geography Queenstown is located at (38.989086, -76.156645). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total are ...

, in October 1977.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Clarence Major League Baseball owners Baltimore Orioles owners Businesspeople from Baltimore 1897 births 1977 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople