Christy Walsh (sports agent)

Walter "Christy" Walsh (December 2, 1891 – December 29, 1955) was an American writer, cartoonist, and sports agent. He is known for acting as Babe Ruth's agent, and is considered to be the first baseball agent.

Early career

Walsh graduated from St. Vincent's College in Los Angeles, California in 1911. Walsh was trained as a lawyer but began his career with the Los Angeles Herald as a reporter and cartoonist. Walsh began working as a ghostwriter in 1912 when he interviewed Christy Mathewson while Mathewson was vacationing in California.

In 1921, Walsh ghostwrote an article for World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker in which he described the 1921 Indianapolis 500. Walsh and Rickenbacker split the profits of approximately $800.

Walsh later moved to New York City and was hired by Maxwell-Chalmers Automobiles in advertising. After being fired, he decided to ghostwrite for athletes full-time.

Babe Ruth representation and contract

Christy Walsh was determined to meet George Herman "Babe" Ruth, as he was attempting to put together a group of syndicated ghost aided columnists and wanted Ruth as his star.

Walsh tried repeatedly to meet with Ruth but had little success. In February 1921, Walsh staked out the Ansonia Hotel in New York City where Ruth was staying with his wife, Helen. Walsh was in the delicatessen next to the Ansonia when he overheard the owner taking a call from Ruth. Ruth had ordered a beer to be sent up to his room, but the owner could not find the delivery boy. Walsh volunteered to take the delivery to Ruth.

Walsh discussed his experience ghostwriting with Ruth and they agreed to meet the next day in Penn Station after Walsh had prepared a contract. Walsh and Ruth, along with Ruth's wife, met the next day as Ruth's wife held the autograph seekers at bay while Walsh met with Ruth behind an iron gate. Ruth signed the contract, which read as follows:

Syndicating Sport Cartoon and Features
Christy Walsh
Room 800
50 East 42nd Street
New York City

February 21, 1921
Mr. Geo. "Babe" Ruth
New York City

Dear Mr. Ruth:

             In line with our conversation, I agree to syndicate a series of baseball articles and interviews be signed-- "By Babe Ruth".
             I will prepare of have prepared by qualified sporting writers such material as you furnish or we consider interesting baseball news.
             I will endeavor to sell this series to the greatest possible number of newspapers in the United States. While we cannot prevent other newspapers from obtaining special interviews or other features about you- we will, however, offer this series as the only authorized and exclusive series of articles signed "By Babe Ruth".
             I will communicate with you at once, after careful inquiry, regarding the number of articles we will syndicate per week. The service to the newspapers will start with the opening of the 1921 Baseball Season and terminate after the 1921 World Series.
             I agree to pay you Fifty (50) Percent of the gross receipts, a special consideration. My profit and all office and syndicating expenses, including printing, postage etc will come from the balance.

                                        Very truly yours
                                            Christy Walsh
Approved and Accepted
George H. Ruth (signature)

It is further agreed that I will furnish you (Geo H Ruth) a full and complete report of newspapers and amount contracted for up to the first of each succeeding month.

                                     Christy Walsh (signature) 
               Publishers of Christy Walsh Features, 1919-1920

On opening day 1921, Walsh presented Ruth with a check for $1,000, sixty days earlier than he had verbally promised.

Walsh placed articles for Ruth for 15 years. He used four different sports writers as Ruth's ghosts, including future Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick and William J. Slocum. Frick alone earned a reported $10,000 ghostwriting for Ruth.

Walsh also served as Ruth's agent and money manager. Walsh set up a trust fund and bought annuities for Ruth. Walsh, along with Ruth's second wife, Claire, put Ruth on a budget and provided him with money as needed. He additionally served as Ruth's financial advisor and was responsible for keeping Ruth solvent in retirement. The system set up by Walsh provided Ruth with financial security for the rest of his life. Ruth trusted Walsh and relied on him for all of his commercial ventures. Ruth said of Walsh, "I can't do anything without consulting my business manager...You'll have to call him in New York."

Ghostwriting syndicate and later career

Between 1921 and 1938, Walsh built and ran a successful ghostwriting syndicate of thirty-four baseball writers. His writers included Ford Frick, Damon Runyon, Bozeman Bulger, and Gene Fowler, among others. Walsh's writers earned $100,000 between 1921 and 1936, and grossed $43,000 in their peak year of 1929.

The players Walsh represented included Ruth, Ty Cobb, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, John McGraw and Walter Johnson. Walsh went to great lengths to sign clients. Besides becoming a delivery boy to meet Ruth, Walsh pursued Walter Johnson into the Pullman's washroom in New Haven, Connecticut. Johnson was paid $1,000 immediately and eventually made $7,000.

In 1931, Walsh was hired to write and narrate three short films for Universal Pictures to be called "The Christy Walsh All American Sports Reel." The films were to feature Knute Rockne. The first short film produced, "Various Shifts" (1931), was a visit with Walsh and Rockne at Notre Dame as Rockne and the Notre Dame football team demonstrated various football shifts. The second short film was "Carry On" (1931), with Walsh as narrator mourning the death of Rockne who died in a plane crash in March 1931. No third film in the series was produced.

In 1939, Walsh served as Sports Director for the New York World's Fair.

In 1945, Walsh was Associate Producer for a 20th Century Fox feature film about Eddie Rickenbacker. "Captain Eddie" was released on June 19, 1945, and starred Fred MacMurray as Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, and also featured Charles Bickford, Lynn Bari, Lloyd Nolan and Spring Byington.

Personal life and death

Walsh was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 2, 1891. On April 4, 1935, Walsh married Madeline Souden. The couple had one child and their marriage ended in divorce. Walsh was also the father-in-law of Peggy Cobb, the stepdaughter of Robert Cobb, the owner of the famous Brown Derby Restaurant.

Walsh died on December 29, 1955, in North Hollywood, California.