Philip K. Wrigley

Philip Knight Wrigley, sometimes also called P.K. or Phil, was the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr.

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After his father died, Philip presided over the family chewing gum business, and also the family hobby, the Chicago Cubs, until his death in 1977.

Related Topics:
Chicago Cubs - 1977

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While the gum business prospered, the Cubs grew less competitive over the decades, with a brief flurry of success (although no championship) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although resisting installing lights, he was innovative in other ways. In 1961 he abolished the traditional field management/coaching structure and instead hired a "college of coaches". This anticipated the specialization of coaches that is taken for granted nowadays. His one mistake was in rotating the various coaches as a "head coach", an approach that confused the team and invited constant media ridicule, largely due to the lack of apparent improvement in the team's won-lost ratio. However, many young players came through that system, and they were ready to play at a notably improved level soon after Wrigley made one of his best decisions, when he dropped the head coach idea and hired Leo Durocher as the manager in 1966.

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P.K. was a fairly visible presence with the Cubs in his younger years, but was seldom witnessed attending games during his final few decades of ownership, making his presence known mostly through memos and sometimes full-page newspaper ads. Early 70s utility player Pete LaCock was best known for being the son of TV personality Peter Marshall and for a unique sense of humor. The Sporting News once reported that he had made a trip to the Wrigley Building and asked for an audience with Mr. Wrigley. P.K. asked him what he wanted, and LaCock answered, "Nothing. I just wanted to see if you really exist!"

Related Topics:
Pete LaCock - Peter Marshall - Wrigley Building

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After the deaths of himself and his wife, his son William III took over both enterprises. The Cubs were sold to the Chicago Tribune company in 1981, ending over 60 years of Wrigley association with the team, save the name of the ballpark itself, which remains Wrigley Field.

Related Topics:
Chicago Tribune - 1981 - Wrigley Field

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