John J. McMullen, former owner of Astros and Devils, dies at 87

[GaryMrMets]

:rip: John J. McMullen :rip:, former owner of Astros and Devils, dies at 87

.c The Associated Press

MONTCLAIR, New Jersey (AP) - John J. McMullen, former owner of NHL team the New Jersey Devils and the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball, died Friday at 87.

The cause of death was not released by the Devils.

McMullen was credited with bringing NHL hockey to New Jersey, acquiring the Colorado franchise in 1982 and moving it to the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Under his ownership, the team won two Stanley Cups. He sold the franchise in 2000 to an affiliate of the YankeeNets sports holding company for $175 million (euro143 million).

McMullen owned the Astros from 1979-92. He then sold the team to Drayton McLane Jr. for $115 million (euro94 million).

McMullen purchased a share of the Yankees in 1974 and said ``There is nothing quite so limited as being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner's.''

Born in Jersey City, McMullen graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and rose to the rank of commander during a 15-year naval career. He earned a master's degree in naval architecture and engineering from MIT and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jacqueline Everhart McMullen, two sons and a daughter.

09/17/05 00:51 EDT

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

[barzilla]

McMullen was apparently a better man than a lot of us remember him. He did not have the kind of PR personality that McLane has and the Nolan Ryan fiasco kind of ruined it for him.

[Astro Annie]

Well, the Nolan Ryan thing was big because Nolan Ryan is a celebrity. Anyone else letting go a 41yo pitcher would be considered prudent. And, if he were picked up and did well, the other team would be considered lucky.

[PopTop]

It wasn't just that he let Ryan go, it was the way McMullen did it. I'd also bet that neither Jose Cruz Sr. or Alan Ashby had a lot of love lost for the man considering how they were treated with their releases. Ashby was told he was released as he was getting on the bus at The Dome to head out on a road trip :no: And McMullen initially offered Ryan a salary cut, from $1 million per year to $800K, then turned around and signed Jim Clancy to replace Ryan and paid Clancy $1.2 million :hmm: I clipped the Rangers boxscores from the paper each time Ryan pitched in 1989 and mailed them to McMullen with the attendance figures highlighted.

To his credit, Dr. McMullen did step in and take the team over when nobody else would back in the late 70s and Judge Hofhienz just about sinking the franchise. Not once did McMullen threaten to move the team, a la Butt Adams of the Oilers. I guess if Yogi Berra liked the man, he had to have some redeeming qualities. But tact and the knowledge of handling the release of a player were not among them.

[Toy Cannon]

I'd also bet that neither Jose Cruz Sr. or Alan Ashby had a lot of love lost for the man considering how they were treated with their releases. Ashby was told he was released as he was getting on the bus at The Dome to head out on a road trip :no:

The oddity about Ashby is that he was released 3 days after he refused a trade to the Pirates for Glenn Wilson. A week later Mike Scott threw a one-hitter against the Pirates and, you guessed it, Glenn Wilson had the only hit :eek: