Sparrow, business manager of the Yankees from 1915 until his death five years later, was one of the most popular men in baseball. His cheerful disposition concealed a long history of failing health. A close friend of John McGraw, he traveled with the Giants and managed their 1914 trip to Europe with the White Sox. When Ruppert and Huston bought the Yankees, Sparrow was put in charge of the business side of the operation at McGraw’s suggestion.
