Claire Betz
Claire Smith Betz (January 11, 1921 – February 6, 2014) was a part-owner of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
She inherited her part-ownership from her husband, John Betz – who bought his share of the team in 1981 – when he died in 1990. According to Bill Conlin, she had a 33% stake in the team in 2007, making her the largest stakeholder of the ownership group.[1][2] She was part of the cabal of Phillies owners known as the "Phantom Five", so-called because of their reclusiveness and lack of involvement in Phillies affairs.[3]
The Betz family made its fortunes in Betz Laboratories, a water treatment company based in Pennsylvania.[3]
The Phillies honored Betz with the wearing of a "CB" memorial patch on their uniforms during the 2014 season.[4][5][6]
Personal life and other endeavors[edit]
Betz attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy and then Villanova University. She was a philanthropist who donated 200 acres of land to the Natural Lands Trust.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ Butler, Scott. "Who are the Phillies owners?". Phils Baseball. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ Conlin, Bill. "Phils' part-owner has money to burn". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ a b "Philadelphia Phillies Owners: The Phantom Five". Philadelphia. Metro Corp. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ Shenk, Larry. "Good-bye Clearwater". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Phillies wearing CB memorial patch". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "The CB Team Would Like to Thank the Phillies for Paying Homage to Their Favorite Site This Season". Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Claire Smith Betz Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.