Larry MacPhail Quotes
Born: February 3, 1890
Larry MacPhail was a titan of innovation and an apostle of resilience long before the concept became a modern mantra. As the legendary baseball executive who brought night games, air travel, and batting helmets to the major leagues, he faced relentless opposition with an unshakable focus, proving that disruption is born from conviction. His philosophy—that true grit is revealed not in victory, but in the refusal to retreat from a fight—forged a legacy of turning chaos into progress. MacPhail’s quotes resonate because they capture the raw, unsentimental truth: that focus is the engine of resilience, and resilience is the price of greatness.
Larry MacPhail Quotes (6)
"I decided that I wanted a farm back in 1940 when I was with the Dodgers. I tried to find one within commuting distance of New York."
— Larry Macphail"It had been my idea that a combination of purebred cattle and horses could be successful from an economic standpoint - in Maryland. Maryland is not a cattle state. To raise beef cattle successfully, you've got to be able to raise cheap feed."
— Larry Macphail"The danger in a brood mare band is that your mares become antiquated, and you wake up some day and realize that the average age of your band is 15 or 16 and that in another year they won't be producing offspring. I think the ideal average age for a brood mare band is about 10."
— Larry Macphail"When I was a kid in Michigan, I used to play ball with a town team on Sunday. Of course, I'd go to church first. Played the church organ, as a matter of fact."
— Larry Macphail"I should contribute generously to the war chest of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. But, I do not contribute at all."
— Larry Macphail"The big tragedy in baseball is that the amateur spirit has gone out of it to a large extent."
— Larry Macphail