George Herancourt

George Herancourt (born 1856) was the managing owner of the Cincinnati Red Stockings baseball team in 1884 and 1885, taking over the team from Aaron S. Stern.

George L. Herancourt was the son of wealthy Cincinnati brewer George M. Herancourt. He helped manage his father's business interests, being promoted to Vice President of the Herancourt Brewing Company, and branched out into baseball and selling fish. In 1880 he was elected treasurer of the Cincinnati Stars. He was one of the founders of the American Association in 1881, attending the founding meeting with fellow townsmen Aaron S. Stern and O. P. Caylor, and was elected secretary/treasurer of the new club. In 1884 he took over as managing owner of the team from Stern, and incorporated the club. His timing was unfortunate. The Reds lost money under his management, and the overextended Herancourt had paid his partners too much for their shares.[1] As a Democrat, he was elected city treasurer in 1883, serving one term. He lost his bid for reelection in 1885. About this time he went broke, having dissipated a large fortune, and there were reports that the treasurer's office had a shortfall in its accounts. The personable Herancourt was said by a local paper to be a known "associate of gamblers and prostitutes."[2] Amidst lawsuits, charges and countercharges, Herancourt's interest in the Reds was taken over by his cousin John Hauck, another wealthy brewer, and George disappeared. Credible reports place him as a $1 a day laborer in Los Angeles, in 1888, a location backed up by unclaimed letters at the Lost Angeles post office.[3] But he disappears from the records after that.

References
  1. For more on Herancourt's presidency, see David Nemec, "The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball," page 287.
  2. "Cincinnati Enquirer". October 13, 1886.
  3. "Circleville Democrat". February 24, 1888.


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