Marge Schott: The Baseball Owner Who Became Known as Baseball's Big Red Headache

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Marge Schott was the first woman to purchase a Major League Baseball team, transforming the Cincinnati Reds into a family-friendly franchise. Yet, her tenure was defined by extreme frugality, bizarre superstitions involving her Saint Bernards, and a series of inflammatory, racist remarks that ultimately led to her forced exit.

In 1984, Marge Schott purchased a controlling interest in the Cincinnati Reds for $11 million, becoming the first woman to buy an MLB team. She was a visible, hands-on owner who kept ticket and concession prices among the lowest in the league, famously maintaining one-dollar hot dogs. However, her management style was deeply controversial. She was frequently criticized for refusing to invest in the team, maintaining a minimal front-office staff, and publicly disparaging her own players, including complaining about the cost of paying an injured José Rijo.

Schott’s ownership was marked by eccentricities, most notably her constant presence with her Saint Bernards, Schottzie and Schottzie 02. She allowed the dogs to roam Riverfront Stadium, even sending bags of dog hair to the team as a good-luck charm during their 1990 World Series run. Her personal life and professional decisions often clashed; she famously fired manager Davey Johnson due to a personality conflict and disapproval of his living arrangements with his fiancée. Her insensitivity was perhaps most starkly displayed in 1996, when she expressed frustration over a game postponement following the sudden death of umpire John McSherry on the field.

The defining legacy of her tenure, however, was a pattern of bigotry. Schott faced multiple suspensions from Major League Baseball for using racial slurs against players and for making favorable comments about Adolf Hitler. These incidents, alongside her derogatory remarks about Jewish and Asian people, led to intense public backlash. By 1999, facing a third potential suspension and pressure from limited partners, she sold her controlling interest for $67 million. Despite her philanthropic contributions to Cincinnati institutions, her reputation remained so tarnished that the University of Cincinnati removed her name from its baseball stadium in 2020.

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