Walter Briggs, Jr.

Walter Owen "Spike" Briggs Jr. (January 20, 1912 – July 3, 1970) was an American Major League Baseball executive. He was the owner of the Detroit Tigers for five seasons following the death of his father, industrialist Walter Briggs Sr., in 1952.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Briggs was educated at Canterbury School and graduated from Georgetown University in 1934. He joined the family business, Briggs Manufacturing Company (maker of automobile bodies), and interrupted his business career to serve as a lieutenant in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He also had become a vice president of the Tigers before the war.

Owner of Detroit Tigers (1952–1956) On the field: Rebuilding Walter Briggs Sr.'s death on January 17, 1952, occurred as the Tigers were entering one of the lower points in their five-decade-old history. The team had finished a disappointing 73–81, in fifth place and 25 games behind the New York Yankees. But the edition fared even worse, losing 104 games, and finishing eighth and last in the American League—the first time the Tigers had ever reached those dubious milestones since entering the league in 1901.

Four seasons of decided improvement followed, until the squad won 82 games under manager Bucky Harris. During that time, future Baseball Hall of Famers Al Kaline and Jim Bunning and eight-year All-Star Harvey Kuenn made their debuts.

Off the field: Torturous sale process However, the senior Briggs' passing also triggered a four-year process that ultimately forced a sale of the team during 1956. Ownership of the Tigers passed in 1952 into a trust for Spike Briggs and his three sisters, with Briggs and the Detroit Bank & Trust Company named as executors. However, Detroit Bank & Trust persuaded a court to order the Tigers sold, believing it was "not a prudent investment" for Walter Sr.'s grandchildren. Spike Briggs made multiple attempts to organize an ownership group to purchase the Tigers from the trust. One group, which included Henry Ford II, broke apart before making a bid. Their decision created a rift in the family, His tenure as owner and general manager saw the continuation of the Tigers' policy of enforcing the baseball color line; when the team fielded its first black player, Ozzie Virgil Sr., on June 6, 1958, it became the 15th of the then-16 MLB teams to integrate its playing roster.

Briggs died at age 58 in Detroit after a prolonged period of ill health. He was survived by his wife, three children, sisters, and 13 grandchildren. One of his brothers-in-law was United States Senator Philip Hart.