Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe

businessman

Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe was a German immigrant who settled in St. Louis in 1870. He started his career as a grocer and transformed his small store into a bar. In 1882, he purchased the financially troubled St. Louis Brown Stockings baseball team for $1,800, marking his entry into Major League Baseball. Despite having no prior knowledge of the sport, von der Ahe successfully created a new baseball field next to his bar and signed star player Charles Comiskey. His team went on to win four consecutive American League championships, making him a wealthy man, but later financial missteps and personal issues led to his downfall. His story highlights the early days of American professional sports and the dramatic shifts in team valuations over time.