Richard E. "Dick" Jacobs 1926-2009

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Indians former owner, developer Dick Jacobs dies at 83

by Plain Dealer staff Friday June 05, 2009, 8:31 AM


Larry Hamel-Lambert / The Plain DealerDick Jacobs in 1999, when he announced that the Indians would change hands. Bill Livingston: Dick Jacobs gave the Cleveland Indians the gift of renewed pride, and so much more

By Alana Baranick and Bob Dolgan
Plain Dealer reporters

CLEVELAND -- Richard E. "Dick" Jacobs, the commercial real estate mogul and former Cleveland Indians owner who helped refurbish downtown Cleveland and turned its baseball team into a winner, has passed away after a lengthy illness. He was 83. The line
Jacobs, a pioneer shopping-mall developer, was chairman and chief executive officer of what is now called the Richard E. Jacobs Group. He founded the firm with his late brother, David, and Dominic Visconsi in 1955. The firm confirmed his death this morning.

The Westlake-based company developed the 57-story Key Center on Public Square, the tallest building between New York and Chicago. It was called the Society Center when it was built in 1991. In 1987, Jacobs' firm developed the first retail shopping mall in downtown Cleveland: the Galleria at Erieview, East 9th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Other local developments include the Cleveland Marriott at Key Center, McDonald Investment Center at 800 Superior Ave., Westgate Mall in Fairview Park, Belden Village Mall in Canton, Midway Mall in Elyria, SouthPark Center in Strongsville and the Chagrin Highlands office and research park in Beachwood.

Although Jacobs made his fortune in real estate, he became more widely known when he and his brother, David, bought the Indians from the Steve O'Neill estate in late 1986. The price was $40 million. His brother died in 1992.

The Indians had been one of the weakest teams in baseball over the previous 30 years.

The team was restored during the Jacobs regime, winning two American League pennants, in 1995 and 1997. They were the first Cleveland pennants since 1954.

Jacobs quickly established his low-key management style on the day he bought the club. "There is no Walter Mitty in me," he said.

Jacobs promised to run the club with sound business fundamentals. He wanted to "stay out of the way" and hire baseball experts to direct the team. He never told them what to do, only that they keep him informed, operate within the budget and be successful.

Jacobs attended most Indians games, sitting in his loge behind home plate. He seemed to be uninterested in seeing his picture in the paper or in being interviewed. On the rare occasions when he was interviewed, he spoke briefly, often deferring questions to publicists or team officials who were present.

[Bucky Katt]

Don't you mean "Richard E. Progressive"?

[LitlBuck]

Thank you Dick Jacobs for restoring Cleveland Indians baseball for all of us diehard Indians fans. May God Bless you and your family and supports them at this time of your untimely death.

[NFBuck]

RIP.

[buckeyemania11]

RIP

the glory days of the 90s seem so long ago now

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by buckeyemania11

RIP

the glory days of the 90s seem so long ago now

Yeah, the rebuilding efforts from the early part of this decade didn't yield nearly as much as we hoped. I find it hard to fathom that we will ever see anything close to the excitement surrounding tribe baseball like there was from '94-'99. What was it? 455 consecutive sellouts? That's amazing.

[buckeyemania11]

Originally Posted by NFBuck

Yeah, the rebuilding efforts from the early part of this decade didn't yield nearly as much as we hoped. I find it hard to fathom that we will ever see anything close to the excitement surrounding tribe baseball like there was from '94-'99. What was it? 455 consecutive sellouts? That's amazing.

yep 455

and now they are lurking in the bottom 10 in attendance, its sad considering a short time ago it was kicking

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by buckeyemania11

yep 455

and now they are lurking in the bottom 10 in attendance, its sad considering a short time ago it was kicking

Eh, I wouldn't say a "short time ago". The attendance began to decline back in 2001 and even in the solid years recently ('05 & '07) they haven't finished higher than 9th in the AL (they finished 12th in '05 despite being right in the thick of the race until the very end).

[buckeyemania11]

Originally Posted by NFBuck

Eh, I wouldn't say a "short time ago". The attendance began to decline back in 2001 and even in the solid years recently ('05 & '07) they haven't finished higher than 9th in the AL (they finished 12th in '05 despite being right in the thick of the race until the very end).

yea you're right

2002 was the last time they finished in the top half of the MLB in attendance

ever since then its been bottom 10

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by buckeyemania11

yea you're right

2002 was the last time they finished in the top half of the MLB in attendance

ever since then its been bottom 10

I think the lack of a title in all those years left the fans a little jaded...well, even moreso. When a run like that ends without a trophy, it's hard to get the casual fan to buy in again, and after that monumental choke in the '07 LCS, it's going to take a lot to get the fans interested on any significant level again. The only way I see fans getting them anywhere in attendance standings is if the Cavs start tanking and the Tribe goes on a big run right out of the gate...and that ain't happening in the next couple of years. We're on the precipice of a major rebuild.